Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY DEBRA J. MORRIS
Oranges are coming into season this month at your Martinez Farmers Market. This delicious and healthy fruit can be prepared in a myriad of ways, from tangy sweet marinades and sauces to salads and desserts. Oranges are also perfect for decorating your home for the holidays.
Oranges have been turned into decorations since colonial times and continue to delight us today as they add a lovely fragrance and color to your home.. Here are some easy and fun ways for you and your family to create colorful and fragrant decorations during the holiday season.
1. Pomander Clove Oranges: Gather some oranges, narrow ribbon, and whole cloves. Pierce the rind of the oranges with cloves in a decorative pattern around the oranges. Consider making swirls, lines, or other patterns around the circumference. For an additional festive touch, top with a star anise or wrap the orange like a package with ribbon. Place in a bowl and use as a centerpiece or hang several oranges from ribbons on a light fixture or doorknobs.
2. Dried Orange Slices: Slice oranges about 1/8-to 1/4-inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add orange slices in a single layer and bake at 225°F until the peels are dry and the flesh is translucent, about 3 to 4 hours. If you ate using a dehydrator, place the slices in a single layer and dry for 5 to 6 hours, checking them every 2 hours for dryness.
3. Potpourri: Take some of the orange slices you dried and combine this with some cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried flowers, and other aromatics to make potpourri. These make lovely gifts, too. Mix your ingredients and place in a quart-sized Mason jar. Close with a canning lid and ring, wrap ribbon around the shoulder of the jar, and add a gift tag. You can also attach an additional dried orange slice, leaves, and cinnamon stick to your tied ribbon.
4. Tree Ornaments and Garlands: Decorate your tree with garlands of dried orange slices, bay leaves, tiny pinecones, seedpods, and rosemary sprigs on a string, jute, or raffia. For the ornaments, take dried orange slices and poke a hole near the rind. Run a piece of ribbon through it and tie it to make a loop for hanging. Take more ribbon and make a small bow. Attach with glue. You can also poke cloves into the dried flesh for decoration.
5. Miniature Tree/Wreath: Go to your local nursery or your backyard and find a 1-3 foot potted evergreen of any species. Decorate with small oranges, ribbons, and cinnamon sticks. Attach with a glue gun. You can also decorate it with the dried orange slice ornaments you made. Do the same with a homemade or purchased wreath.
Take some time to enjoy the holidays with family and friends by doing some leisurely shopping at your farmers’ market, gathering up seasonal oranges and other produce for delicious holiday meals – and even for some crafty decorations. Find all the oranges you need for these holiday crafts at your Martinez Farmers Market on Sundays by visiting Ken’s Top Notch from Reedley and J&J Ramos Farms from Hughson.
You will also find the freshest vegetables from J&M Farms from Hollister, delicious local olive oil from Atlas Peak out of Napa, enticing cheeses from Achadinha Cheese Co., and gorgeous flowers from Santa Rosa Flowers out of Watsonville. Gather up a selection of farmers market products to make delicious gifts, too.
We wish you a heartfelt happy and healthy holiday season! Thank you for supporting your local farmers, purveyors of fine foods, and your farmers market this year.
