Dehydrated Orange Slices

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Dehydrated orange slices are delicious and easy to make. Dehydrating oranges is a great way to preserve oranges during their season. Learn how to dehydrate oranges for long-term storage.

We love oranges in this house! Being a homesteader and a gardener, you know my heart is broken by the fact that I can’t grow citrus fruit trees here in NC (unless I grow them in a greenhouse). Thankfully, unlike other fruits (like figs, for example), we can find oranges at the store pretty much year-round.

However, just like other fruits, oranges have a season too and they are most delicious during that season so I try to preserve as many as I can. I make this delicious orange jam, and these sweet candied orange slices. A few months ago, I bought myself a new food dehydrator so now, I also dry some oranges.

Easy Dehydrated Orange Slices…

I was surprised at how easy it was to dehydrate orange slices and even more surprised by how many things I can use the dried slices for (my favorite is tea! More on that below). If you’ve never dehydrated food before, this is a great place to start!

Table Of Contents

Reasons For Drying Oranges…
Ingredients…
Kitchen Tools…
Dry Orange Slices Step By Step…
How to Store Dehydrated Orange Slices…
How to Use Dried Orange Slices…
How to Make and Use Crushed Dried Orange Slices…
How to Make and Use Dried Orange Powder…
Frequently Asked Questions…
More Dehydrating Tutorials…

Reasons For Drying Oranges…

Preserving the flavor – many times, you can come by oranges at the grocery store that have no taste at all. During the season (fall and winter) oranges are sweet and juicy and it’s a great time to preserve them!
Another way to eat them – sometimes, you just need to change things around a bit…
Easy to travel with – dehydrated orange slices are a great hiking/camping/picnicking snack. They are easy to pack in a jar or a zip-lock bag and take with you anywhere you go.
Preserving for long-term storage – just another way to keep oranges for a long term without the need for refrigeration. You’ll see below that there are so many ways to use dehydrated orange slices so they are a great ingredient to have on the shelf.

Ingredients…

Oranges – that’s all you need! The kind of oranges that you are dehydrating doesn’t matter, you can dehydrate any variety of oranges (or any other citrus) by following this tutorial, you can even try blood oranges. Make sure that you are choosing ripe yet not too ripe fruit. I used 4 oranges in this tutorial but you can dehydrate as many as you want.
Seasonings – it’s possible to add some cinnamon or maybe sugar on top of your oranges before you dehydrate them. More on this in the FAQ section below. I’ll keep it simple in the tutorial below and will just use the oranges.

Kitchen Tools…

Knife or a kitchen mandoline (makes it easier to slice uniform slices so they all dry in the same amount of time.)
Cutting board
Large mixing bowl
Dehydrator – I am using a nice dehydrator that allows me to control the temperature and produces a better end result. If you don’t have one of those, you can still dehydrate oranges in the oven or in a cheap (no temperature control) dehydrator. More on this in the FAQ section below.
Air tight storage container (I use jars)

Dry Orange Slices Step By Step…

using a kitchen mandolin to slice the oranges

Step one – prep the oranges. Start by washing the oranges well. Then, use a knife or a mandoline slicer to slice the oranges. On my mandoline, I use the 3 mm settings. These are pretty thin slices, if you don’t have a mandoline and you are using a knife it might be hard to slice the oranges so thin. If your slices are a bit thicker, that’s fine, it just might take them a tiny bit longer to dry. Just try to make sure that all the slices are similar in thickness so they dry in the same amount of time.

placing orange slices on the try of the dehydrator.

Step two – add to the dehydrator. Place the orange slices in one layer on the trays of the dehydrator. Place them close to each other but make sure that they aren’t touching to allow good airflow and proper drying.

orange slices after drying in the dehydrator

Step three – dehydrate. Place the trays in the dehydrator and dehydrate at 130 degrees F for about 8 hours. Then you can start checking your oranges. If they are completely dry and crispy (breaks easily) you can remove them from the dehydrator. If your slices aren’t completely dry leave them for another hour or so.

How to Store Dehydrated Orange Slices…

Once the orange slices are dry, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to an air-tight container. You can vacuum seal them or use zip-lock bags, however, in my opinion, jars with two-piece lids work best for storage and are beautiful on the shelf!

How to Use Dried Orange Slices…

As a snack – dehydrated orange slices are an easy snack to grab and nibble on if the bitterness of the rind doesn’t bother you. My kids love eating the center and I keep the rind to add to baked goods instead of orange zest.
Breakfast – they are a great addition to yogurt with homemade granola or to add to any bowl of cereal.
In baked goods – you can substitute orange zest for dried oranges or you can decorate cakes with dry orange slices.
Dip in chocolate – try these!
Use in gin or cocktails – my knowledge of alcoholic drinks ends in beer so I can’t give you too much direction here, however, I do know that many people like to use dry oranges to flavor their drinks.
In tea – if it’s just one cup for yourself or a kettle of tea for a group, add some orange slices and let them steep in the boiling water for a few minutes before serving.
Holiday decor – many people use their dried orange slices in holiday decor like wreaths or garlands, or even as Christmas tree ornaments. They add beautiful color and a natural element.

How to Make and Use Crushed Dried Orange Slices…

One of the greatest things about dehydrated food is that you can turn it into powder, flakes, or simply crush it into smaller pieces. Here are a few ideas on how to use crushed dried oranges…

Use in tea – this is actually my favorite way to use dried orange slices. Add a teaspoon of crushed, dried oranges into a big mug, add boiling water and a tiny bit of honey, and you have yourself a delicious and healthy cup of tea.
Add to cake batter – add crushed dried oranges into any cupcake or cake batter whenever orange flavor fits well.
Use instead of orange zest – in any recipe that calls for orange zest.
Use as garnish – sprinkle this delicious beauty on anything! It can be a whole chicken that you are serving for dinner or on top of frosted cookies. It works in both savory and sweet dishes.
Top a salad – they are a great topping! Add them to a kale salad or any other winter salad just as you would add nuts.

How to Make and Use Dried Orange Powder…

Another great thing to do with your dried orange slices is to turn them into orange powder. To do that, crush the orange slices and add them to a coffee grinder. Process until they turn into powder. Here are a few ideas on how to use orange powder…

As a seasoning – you can add orange powder to any dish, it works very well in both meat and vegetarian dishes.
Add to baked goods – many baked goods call for an orange zest. You can use the orange powder instead of the orange zest.
Add to smoothies – add a tablespoon or so to any fruit smoothie or protein shake.
Add to frosting – add the powder to a cream cheese frosting to turn it into an orangy frosting to top any cupcake or cake.
Add it to homemade ice cream – if you like making ice cream at home you can definitely use your powder for added orange flavor.
Add it to whipped cream – making whipped cream to go over a cake or maybe even your morning cupcakes? Add orange powder into the cream before you whip it!

Frequently Asked Questions…

Can I dehydrate oranges in the oven?

Yes. Drying foods in a proper dehydrator where you can control the temperature produces a better result and preserves the nutrition better, however, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow the same prep instructions: line a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn your oven to its lowest temperature and dehydrate your orange slices this way. Of course, drying time will change so keep checking your oranges. Also, you might need to turn your baking sheet and/or turn the slices halfway through.

Can I add seasoning to my oranges?

I usually don’t feel the need to add a thing, however, you can try sprinkling some cinnamon or nutmeg on the orange slices or even sugar before you place them in the dehydrator.

Can I dehydrate larger pieces of oranges?

It’s not recommended and will take them a very long time to dry. Slicing them is the best way to go.

I can’t control the temperature on my dehydrator, can I still use it?

The cheaper Presto dehydrator is very popular and you can find it at any Walmart or online. It runs at a temperature of 165 degrees F and there is no way to control the temperature. Yes, you can use this kind of dehydrator to dry orange slices. Again, for best results, we want to process fruit at a temperature of 130 degrees F but a higher temperature will work as well. Drying time will probably be shorter, around 6 hours or so.

Can I rehydrate oranges?

When I add dried orange flakes to my tea, they rehydrate and taste really good. But I don’t really eat them… I just use them to flavor the water. I don’t think that they’ll be too fun to eat but you can try. Just place the slices in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to rehydrate before you use them.

I’m sure that you can see how easy it is to dehydrate oranges and how many different things you can do with them! They are just a great ingredient to have around. If you like other citrus fruits as well, try preserving lemon peel, preserving whole lemons, or making grapefruit marmalade.