Make a batch of dehydrated citrus slices and store to use in dozens of recipes. This simple method is always a success and makes the most gorgeous dried citrus wheels! They’re perfect for garnishing cocktails and decorating desserts.
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About this Dehydrated Citrus recipe
When citrus is in season, it’s time to make a big batch of dried citrus wheels. They’re great for so many different things and are incredibly easy to make.
Dehydrated citrus wheels are the best garnish for cocktails and desserts. You can even make citrus garland as a fun Christmas decoration when you dehydrate oranges! String them with some cranberries or popcorn for the most beautiful antique-inspired decorations.
Some dried citrus slices make for a tasty and pretty garnish in an old-fashioned and limes are great in a blue margarita.
If you’re looking for a fun way to spruce up your drinks, then make these easy garnishes. They’re great all year round and work well in so many different recipes!
More garnish recipes: Candied Lemon Slices • How to Make a Lemon Twist • Candied Orange Slices
Why you’ll love this recipe
Capture the citrus essence of limes, lemons, oranges and so much more. It’s a great way to add some flavor to drinks and desserts:
- Anyone can use this method of dehydration! You don’t have to have a food dehydrator to make this recipe. All you need is an oven and a baking sheet to make dehydrated citrus slices.
- Make a big batch of dried citrus slices and store them for later. It’s a great make-ahead garnish.
- Dehydrated citrus is a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing garnish for cocktails, cakes, and so much more!
Tools & equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need a cookie sheet or two and some parchment paper. And you’ll also need a really sharp knife or a mandoline to make uniform slices, But that’s all you need! It really is that simple.
Ingredients
You can truly use any type of citrus you want to make these fun little garnishes. Here’s a list of some great options:
- limes: You can use regular limes or key limes, both will work! I love to make dehydrated limes when they’re in season because the aroma is so bright and tropical.
- lemons: Slice your lemons thinly to make the best dehydrated lemon slices. Lisbon lemons are most commonly sold in grocery stores, but you can also use meyer lemons.
- oranges: I love to dehydrate blood oranges because they have the prettiest color. You can also use cara cara oranges, valencia oranges or navel oranges to make dried orange slices.
- grapefruit: These would just be the most perfect garnish on a grapefruit Moscow mule!
Instructions
Follow these simple instructions to make as much dehydrated citrus as you want:
Begin by preheating your oven to the lowest temperature it can go, mine was 170°F (77°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it to the side.
Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice your citrus fruit into ⅛-inch pieces. You will need them to be cut into thin slices. You can cut them into circles, halves or even quarters.
Arrange them on the previously prepared baking sheet. They can touch a bit if needed, but they should not overlap too much. They will shrink in the oven.
Bake the citrus for 3 to 4 hours. Keep in mind that the time will vary based on your oven, so check every hour and rotate the pan as needed. If any of the slices begin to curl, flip them over to encourage them to flatten out.
Once the citrus slices are dry, remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely overnight. You can place them on a cooling rack if you want.
The next day, transfer each of the slices to an airtight container or a jar and store in a cool dry place. Properly stored, dehydrated citrus will keep for up to two years. You can also store them in vacuum sealing bags or mason jars to help preserve them.
Tips & tricks
Making dried citrus isn’t very difficult, but to ensure this recipe goes off without a hitch, here’s a few extra tips:
- Wash all of the fruit thoroughly before slicing and dehydrating. You’ll want to make sure you remove any wax or pesticides from the peel.
- Always choose fresh citrus that do not have many blemishes. The fresher the citrus, the better!
- You can use any kind of citrus, such as grapefruit, kumquats or key limes. Depending on the circumference of the slices, you may need to adjust the cooking times. Big orange slices will take a smidge longer than smaller lime slices.
How to use Dehydrated Citrus
Garnish drinks: Garnish cocktails like a mezcal margarita with limes slices, or adds some dehydrated lemon slices to lemon champagne punch. Any of these would work great in winter citrus spa water. Oranges are a great garnish on Oaxaca old-fashioned or a Hemingway daiquiri and add an extra touch of sophistication.
Embellish desserts: These dried citrus slices can go on top of desserts like lemon bars, lemon pound cake, and champagne cupcakes too. Or make a fresh key lime pie and add some dried lime slices on the top for a pretty little garnish.
Gift them: Give them to your favorite home bartenders as a gift. They are a great addition to cocktail infusion kits, too, which are a great gift to give to friends and family. You could even use them in homemade potpourri mixes to share.
Cook with them: You can use them in cooking in place of fresh citrus. Add them to soups, stews, marinades and sauces for flavor. Mulled wine is a great drink at the holidays that you can flavor it with dried citrus and mulling spices.
Eat them: You can technically eat dried citrus, but they can be tough on the teeth, so choose the thinnest pieces if you plan to do this. Try dipping them in chocolate! Personally, I prefer them as simple garnishes.
Decorate your house: You can thread a needle through the slices to make a pretty garland. You may have seen old classic Christmas movies with trees decorated in popcorn garlands with dried orange slices. The citrus garland has Scandinavian origins but has become a beloved holiday icon. You could also string them up as ornaments or make place cards for your holiday table.
FAQ
When using the oven, it only takes 3-4 hours to dehydrate. However, you’ll also need to let the slices sit and full dry out and cool overnight. Then they are ready to be used or stored.
For best results, I recommend slicing the citrus into ⅛-inch slices. Any thinner and they’re easy to burn and likely will curl up pretty badly.
More Citrus Recipes
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Dehydrated Citrus Slices
instructions
- Preheat oven to the lowest temperature your oven can go — mine was 170°F (77°C).
- Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
- Slice each citrus fruit thinly into ⅛-inch pieces. Arrange slices on the parchment lined sheet. They can touch but it’s ideal not to overlap them a lot. A little overlap is okay as the slices will shrink in the oven.
- Bake in the oven for 3 to 4 hours — the time will vary based on your oven, the temperature, the size of your fruit and how thin they are sliced. Check every hour and rotate the pan. If any of the slices begin to curl, flip them to encourage them to flatten.
- When the slices are completely dried, remove them from the oven and let cool completely overnight.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If stored properly, dehydrated citrus slices will keep for up to two years.
notes
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