Pomanders – a fragrant combination of fruit and spices – are as decorative as they are aromatic. It’s easy to make a basic version, and once you’re confident, you can make variations, and then use your imagination to create eye-catching designs.
The Basics
Here’s what you’ll need for the basic version:
Oranges
Whole cloves
Elastic bands or a length of ribbon
How to:
- The easiest way to begin is to put an elastic around the orange, or tie a ribbon around it. This marks the first row of cloves.
- Use a toothpick, a skewer, or the sharp end of a small knife to make small holes at regular intervals along the elastic band.
- Push cloves into each of the holes.
- There – you’ve got your first row!
- When you’re finished, you can tie a ribbon around it, or fasten a ribbon on with cloves, to hang it if you wish.
- You could also run a thin wire through the fruit to hang it, bending it at the bottom end to hold it.
- Once you’ve got a good handle on how to create the rows, you can create any kind of geometric design or pattern you can imagine, using the toothpick first to map it out.
- You can also create geometric lines with a zester, and alternate them with lines of cloves.
- You can also use masking tape to create a pattern of lines you can follow.
Note:
- The more cloves you use, the better preserved it will be, i.e. the longer it will last.
- If you want to hang them, it’s best to use smaller oranges, lemons or limes.
Multiple Uses
- You can also create several, and place them in bowls, as a centerpiece, stack them in pyramids, or display on a mantlepiece.
- If you are creating a stationary design, you can mix it up with greenery such as holly or laurel.
- Hang them in a closet to add a natural fragrance to your clothes.
- Place them in drawers to keep linens smelling fresh.
Make Them Last With A Spice Mix
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon allspice
- Mix the spices together on a plate with a lip to prevent spills.
- To add to the scent, once you have pressed all the cloves you’d like into the fruit, you can roll it in the mixture of spices.
- Leave the oranges in the spices for about a week, turning them once a day.
- When they’re ready, dust off the spices, and they’re ready to hang.
- To help make them last longer, store the pomanders in a paper bag in the fridge for a week or two. The juices are drawn out by the spice, and they’ll shrink slightly in size, while being less prone to spoil.
- An alternative, or an addition to the spice mix is to roll the fresh pomanders in powdered orrisroot, also called Queen Elizabeth root, which is a natural preservative.
Once dried, they will last for a couple of months.
Variations on the Theme
You can start to mix it up, and create variations on the basic design.
- Star Anise: this fragrant spice is very decorative – a great addition for a holiday pomander. You can use a hot glue gun to place them on the orange skin.
- Cinnamon: you can use short pieces of rolled cinnamon sticks to punctuate your designs and add a different scent.
- Blood Orange: the skin of many blood oranges has some of that rich red bleed, making it a decorative potential pomander.
- Lemons, Limes & Grapefruits: these can also be used for pomanders, and will add a different note to the fragrance.
