How I dry my Orange peels!

Orange's off my tree!

I make my own simmering crock pot potpourri, and I usually just cut up a few Oranges at a time because of a space issue.  This year my Orange tree produced loads of Oranges, and I needed to get them all cut up & drying before they mildew.  I tried using cardboard beer boxes, but the weather was just not cooperating with me (high humidity), and I needed to find a way to get them dried & fast!  Couple of days had passed and I was doing a load of laundry when its like the dryer jumped up & slapped me!  At first I just threw all the peels into the dry and turned it on!  Well lets say that was quite a "loud" mistake and it knocked the pith off.  Needless to say I had Orange pith everywhere!  Then I remembered that I have a shoe drying rack!! Voila!!  I put the peels on the rack and turned  the dryer on!!  Two cycles at high heat and these Orange peels were dry as a bone!  Yippee!!  I am so excited....  

Another plus for drying Orange peels in your dryer...It makes your dryer smell fresh!!  

Next I am going to try and dry Rosemary!  

I know you are asking yourself.... "What did I do with all the juice from these Oranges?"...

Well let's say for some reason this particular Orange tree produces the most sour Orange's ever! I was told it was a Lemon tree when I purchased it, and I planted it next to my other Orange tree.  The first two years it produced really nice large Lemon's that were a little strange looking, but nice Lemon's!  I can only assume that the bee's cross pollinated the tree and turned it into a sour Orange tree.  I have toyed with cutting it down, but just cannot bring myself do it.  I keep hoping that nature will turn these beautiful Orange's sweet, but until that happens 

I will just use the Orange peels for my Potpourri!