I pulled out oranges for lunch yesterday and found that they were unfit to eat… apparently they’ve been hiding in my fridge drawer for longer than I realized.
The idea struck me almost immediately: I could whip up some homemade Christmas potpourri with these!
Within two minutes, I had some delicious-smelling potpourri simmering on the stove. It made our whole home smell ridiculously good — like I’d been slaving away in the kitchen all day.
In fact, when Jesse got home, he took one whiff and said, “What smells so good?” I kinda hated to disappoint him and tell him it was likely mostly just the potpourri, not some amazing delicacy I’d cooked. 
- 2 oranges (or the peel from 4-5 whole oranges — no need to ruin good oranges if yours aren’t past their prime like mine!)
- 1 teaspoon cloves (ground or whole)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2-3 cups water
Cut the oranges in half or fourths, put them in a medium saucepan, sprinkle the spices over them, and pour the water over the spices and oranges. Simmer on low four 4-6 hours. Make sure to check the saucepan occasionally to see if you need to add more water.
You could probably also make this in a small crockpot, but I’ve not tried it yet.
By the way, be sure to check out Mindy’s recipe for Homemade Christmas Potpourri that you can give as gifts.
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{ 22 comments... read them below or add one }
We save our orange peels for the same purpose. They work great, and you can still eat the orange.
Crystal you are so resourceful and I learn something new from you every day. Love this idea and what a great way to upcycle non edible oranges
Thanks for your kind words! I’ve got another post coming tomorrow on what I did with the other non-edible orange. I think I like it even better than this idea, though I really liked this one!
I have always seen people do this with whole cloves and cinnamon sticks and think I should try that, then never get around to picking up whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, this I could do with just the spices in my cupboard. Love it!
I do something very similar to this, except I use a crockpot. I have a very tiny one that came part of a crock pot deal I got a few years ago. I haven’t tried using cloves when I do it, but I definitely will next time!
Is this just meant for the stovetop? Or can you dry it out and use it in bags? Thanks!
I think you could dry it, though I’ve not tried. Has anyone else tried drying it?
Great idea!
The same idea goes for apple skins, peach skins, pits, etc. You can save the extra pieces and make scrap jelly!
Oh my goodness, you read my mind! I have a post planned about this very thing tomorrow, only with lemons. It smells so good!
Love your post Crystal!! I just did the same thing to the boys in my family last weekend. The girls in my family were having a cookie baking session. I got the potpourri going before everyone arrived, and the boys thought I had been in the kitchen cooking for hours. Love your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t used oranges, but I love to put a small pot of water on the stove with a good sprinkling of cinnamon and vanilla, and let it simmer for hours. The only problem is that the cinnamon gunks up on the pot, so it has to be scrubbed by hand, but that’s no biggie.
Great idea! I have a few clementines and apples in the fridge that are probably heading in the same direction…
Yumm! Sounds delicious! This reminds me of a holiday favorite I made as a kid. You take whole cloves and poke them in a whole orange and hang via ribbon in your closet… great holiday scent all month long!
I like to turn on candles during this time but if you don’t like this use the plug in kind just to smell nice in your home
I did this as gifts last year… orange peel, lemon peel, whole cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick… all wrapped up in one of those cheap, clear cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon. I typed up instructions and hole punched them, stuck one on each bag through the ribbon. It was so easy, inexpensive and everyone loved it… took to neighbors, teachers, friends, etc. (Can do with whole oranges or lemons but you will need to use it up faster–with old, dried peels, they can wait until they’re ready to use it.)
Hello, I always add a lemon sliced and cinamon stick 2-3 (found a huge pack at the dollar tree) I have done this for years, works well on stove top or small crock pot. All my friends have borrowed the recipe its a great way to freshen up the house for the holidays. I also use apples and cinamon in the spring time works well but does not keep as long.
I ate 3 oranges yesterday – wish I’d thought to save the peels! I can get spices so cheaply from the bulk store, this would likely cost me about 5 cents!
How long does it last? It seems to me that the peels would rot, do they?
It should last for at least a week or two in the fridge.
I did this today and my house smelled wonderful! The smell of cinnamon along with the Christmas decorations puts me in the Christmas spirit.
I made this this morning. My house smells sooo good!!
Thanks so much for this recipe! We had a get together last weekend and couldn’t burn my candles because someone had asthma. This was a fabulous alternative and everyone loved the smell. I will be using this more often. =)