Dehydrated orange slices can be made in the oven, air fryer or in your dehydrator. They are so easy and have so many uses.
Now if you’ve been looking around specialty stores and on the internet you know that dried oranges are all the rage now. Not only are they great for snacking, they make gorgeous hostess and holiday gifts and are perfect for holiday decorations.
In fact, in the 19th century, children were often given a whole orange for Christmas, in their stockings. It was quite a luxury without the aid of our current grocery stores, where the shelves are teeming with them.
What you need
The only ingredient you need here is oranges. Buy fresh oranges, the freshest you can find, preferably organic oranges that have not been sprayed. Choose oranges that have minimal seeds, like navel oranges or blood oranges even Valencia oranges are good.
How to dry in your food dehydrator
Step One
Wash and dry the outside of the oranges well.
Step two
Using a sharp knife or your mandolin, slice about ¼ inch thick. Try to get slices as uniform as possible so that they dry at the same rate.
Step Three
Arrange slices on dehydrator racks. Pat both sides dry with paper towel.
Step Four
Slide rack into dehydrator.
Pro Tip:
Don’t throw out the ends. Dry them too. They are great for citrus powder.
Set dehydrator to 100°F / 40°C. Dehydrate for 18-24 hours. Flip slices every 8-10 hours so that they dry evenly.
Test them after 24 hours. If they are not quite dry, continue to dehydrate until they are dry.
If you would like to speed up this process, you can turn the dehydrator up to 170°F / 80°C. They will take 2-4 hours at this higher temperature. The reason I like to do them at a lower temperature is that they keep their lovely color much better. Turning up the heat can make the natural sugars in the orange turn brown.
See section below entitled “How to tell if orange slices are dry”
How to dehydrate in your oven
Orange slices can be baked in the oven to dry. Perform steps one and two above. Place them in a single layer on parchment paper lined baking trays. Turn oven to it’s lowest setting (generally 150-170°F / 80°C) Slide the sheets on to the oven rack, crack open the door and prop it with a wooden spoon or something similar that will not conduct heat.
Allow the slices to dry for about 2-4 hours. Flip them over every 30 minutes or so. This will ensure that they dry evenly.
See section below entitled “How to tell if orange slices are dry”
Air dried orange slices
If you live in a hot, dry climate, think Arizona or southern California, you can air dry / sun dry orange slices too. Perform steps one and two above. Place them on a piece of cardboard or on parchment lined baking sheets. Allow them to dry for a least a couple days.
If nights tend to be damp, remove them to the house or garage and then place them back out in the full sun the next day.
See section below entitled “How to tell if orange slices are dry”
Air fryer dehydrated
Preheat the air fryer to it’s lowest temperature. Perform steps one and two above. Arrange slices on air fryer basket. Air fry for 30 minutes. Remove and flip the pieces over. Air fry for an additional 20 minutes.
Check the progress. If the orange slices are not quite dry, air fry in 5 minute intervals, turning the slices over each time you check, until they are dried.
See section below entitled “How to tell if orange slices are dry”
How to tell if slices are dry enough
Since these fruit have so much sugar, they may still look a bit shiny due to the sugars on the outside of the slices. To test, break a slice in half. The rind should crack pretty easily and have very little bend left. (the flesh will still bend)
Conditioning your fruit
Conditioning your fruit is an important step in the drying process, so don’t skip this step.
Conditioning is the process of testing the fruit to make sure that it is thoroughly dry.
Even a bit of moisture in a couple of pieces has the potential to ruin a whole batch.
Allow the dehydrated fruits to come to room temperature. Immediately place them into a glass mason jar. Place the jar in a dark area.
Shake the jar daily to break up any stuck pieces. Allow them to stay in the jar for 7-10 days, shaking daily.
If you see any moisture droplets collecting on the jar. You know you have moisture in them.
If you see any evidence of moisture or any condensation in the jar, re-dry the food in your oven or dehydrator. After re-drying condition them again. Once they are fully dry, pack in tight fitting glass jars.
If you see any evidence of mold during the conditioning process. Discard the product.
Uses for dried orange slices
Not only are dried orange slices perfectly edible, they are a healthy snack for the kids and perfect when backpacking since they are light and a great pick me up, when you’re tired. But that’s not all, they are great for;
- A garnish for your favorite cocktails.
- Make a perfect garnish for cakes.
- Use them to make orange tea.
- They make great Christmas decor . Make a garland with them and some natural twine for a fun holiday decoration.
- You can also tie single slices with jute and hang them on your Christmas tree as natural ornaments.
- Decorate a wreath with them, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and a big red bow.
- Use them for for gift giving. They make fun holiday or hostess gifts and are so pretty to decorate packages with.
- Your feathered friends in the backyard will love them. Hang them in trees or on your bird feeders to attract Baltimore Orioles, Sparrows, Catbirds and more.
- Make potpourris with dried oranges, a cinnamon stick, whole allspice, cloves, nutmeg and other spices for holiday inspired gifting or in your own home.
- Dip them in dark chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt to make chocolate covered oranges for the holidays.
- You can also make candied orange slices. Then dehydrate.
- If you’d like, make spiced oranges by sprinkling with cinnamon, clove, allspice or
- Grind them with a spice mill to make orange powder to add to cakes, cookies, tea, cocktails and also in savory recipes, like this orange chicken.
Are they a healthy addition to your diet?
Dried oranges retain most of their vitamin C when dried at lower temperatures. They’re high in vitamin B6, polyphenols and more. They are high in fiber, since you consume the orange peel as well.
How to store dried orange slices
Once they are dried, store them in a glass jar or similar airtight container to prevent them from absorbing moisture from the air. They can also be vacuum packed for long term storage.
If using a jar to store it is a good idea to add a food safe silicone pack to absorb moisture.
How long will they last?
Dried orange slices will last at least two years, if they are well packaged to prevent moisture from entering their storage container. Store them in a dark, dry, cool space to prolong shelf life.
Pro Tip: Dehydrate citrus fruits together. They take approximately the same time and temperature.
More dehydrating recipes
You can dehydrate more citrus fruits too!
- dried limes
- dehydrated lemons
- dried grapefruit
- dried strawberries
- dehydrated garlic scapes
- dried chives
Helpful Tools
Dehydrating orange slices is a great way to preserve this highly abundant fruit. They are so good for you and they are incredibly easy with next to no hands on time. Why not make some today?
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
📖 Recipe
Dried Orange Slices
Ingredients
- 2 whole large orange
Instructions
Drying in dehydrator
- Wash and dry the outside of the oranges well.2 whole large orange
- Using a sharp knife or your mandolin, slice about ¼ inch thick. Try to get slices as uniform as possible so that they dry at the same rate.
- Arrange slices on dehydrator racks. Pat both sides dry with paper towel.
- Slide rack into dehydrator.
- Set dehydrator to 100°F / 40°C. Dehydrate for 18-24 hours. Flip slices every 2-3 hours so that they dry evenly.
- If you would like to speed up this process, you can turn the dehydrator up to 170°F / 80°C. They will take 2-4 hours at this higher temperature. The reason I like to do them at a lower temperature is that they keep their lovely color much better. Turning up the heat can make the natural sugars in the orange turn brown.
- See important recipe notes below.
Drying in your oven
- Wash and dry orange well.
- Using a sharp knife or your mandolin, slice about ¼ inch thick. Try to get slices as uniform as possible so that they dry at the same rate.
- Place them in a single layer on parchment paper lined baking trays.
- Turn oven to it’s lowest setting (generally 150-170°F / 80°C) Slide the sheets on to the oven rack, crack open the door and prop it with a wooden spoon or something similar that will not conduct heat.
- Allow the slices to dry for about 2-4 hours. Flip them over every 30 minutes or so. This will ensure that they dry evenly.
- See important recipe notes below.
Air dried
- Wash and dry orange well.
- Using a sharp knife or your mandolin, slice about ¼ inch thick. Try to get slices as uniform as possible so that they dry at the same rate.
- If you live in a hot, dry climate, think Arizona or southern California, you can air dry orange slices too. Place them on a piece of cardboard or on baking sheets. Allow them to dry for a least a couple days, depending on how hot it is.
- If nights tend to be damp, remove them to the house or garage and then place them back out in the full sun the next day.
- See important recipe notes below.
Drying in the air fryer
- Wash and dry orange well.
- Using a sharp knife or your mandolin, slice about ¼ inch thick. Try to get slices as uniform as possible so that they dry at the same rate.
- Preheat the air fryer to it’s lowest temperature. Arrange slices on air fryer basket. Air fry for 30 minutes. Remove and flip the pieces over. Air fry for an additional 20 minutes.
- Check the progress. If the orange slices are not quite dry, air fry in 5 minute intervals, turning the slices over each time you check, until they are dried.
- See important recipe notes below.
Condition your dried fruit
- See notes below for method.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- A garnish for your favorite cocktails.
- Make a perfect garnish for cakes.
- Use them to make orange tea.
- They make great Christmas decor . Make a garland with them and some natural twine for a fun holiday decoration.
- You can also tie single slices with jute and hang them on your Christmas tree as natural ornaments.
- Decorate a wreath with them, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and a big red bow.
- Use them for for gift giving. They make fun holiday or hostess gifts and are so pretty to decorate packages with.
- Your feathered friends in the backyard will love them. Hang them in trees or on your bird feeders to attract Baltimore Orioles, Sparrows, Catbirds and more.
- Make potpourris with dried oranges, a cinnamon stick, whole allspice, cloves, nutmeg and other spices for holiday inspired gifting or in your own home.
- Dip them in dark chocolate and sprinkle with sea salt to make chocolate covered oranges for the holidays.
- You can also make candied orange slices. Then dehydrate.
- Grind them with a spice mill to make orange powder to add to smoothies, cakes, cookies, tea, cocktails and also in savory recipes, like this orange chicken.
Nutrition
Originally published July 6, 2022.
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Cyndy
I have been searching for a recipe to dehydrate oranges (and other citrus) in the oven and this one worked very well. I appreciate the detailed instructions and tips.
I am intrigued to try making in the air fryer too, so may have to give that a try next time!
Beth Neels
I’m so glad that it worked well for you. Thanks Cyndy!
Diana Reis
Great step by step instructions. The color really does stay great in the dehydrator.
Beth Neels
Yes, I like to do them low so they retain their color. Thanks Diana!
Tawnie Kroll
So easy! Thank you for all of the different directions on how to make them. I used the oven method and they turned out perfectly!
Beth Neels
Thanks Tawnie, I’m glad the recipe was helpful.
Aimee Mars
I used this for a garnish for my cocktail and it was easy to make and just added the perfect touch to my cocktail.
Beth Neels
I love them for garnish. They’re so good! Thanks Aimee
Nathan
I’ve seen these around and didn’t realize how simple they were to make! I’ll definitely be giving them a try, especially with the holidays just on the horizon. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Neels
Thanks Nathan. I hope you like them!
Joan
I did some in the air fryer and in my dehydrator to compare. You’re right. I like the color low in the dehydrator better. Thanks for all of the tips!
Beth Neels
Thanks Joan! That’s great. I’m glad you tried a couple techniques!