It hit me like a ton of bricks. I like the smell of oranges. I like incense. A couple of Internet searches later and I am now a self-proclaimed expert. The process is quite simple.
1. Peel the orange. I like to use a knife and carefully cut the peel from the top to bottom in 1" strips so that they are easy to cut later.
2. Use a serrated or regular spoon to get as much of the orange pulp and white trimmings from the peel. It should look like the orange has large pores. Your goal here is to make it as thin as possible for the drying process.
3. Slice the peel into small strips and place on wax paper, paper towel, or a wax paper lined cookie sheet to go into the oven.
4. Allow peel to dry overnight or by baking at 150 degrees for 10-20 minutes. Adjust time as needed.
It is as simple as that! Once they are dried and will break in half easily you should store them in an airtight container and label accordingly. When you are ready to use them you can pull some out and grind them in a mortar and pestle. Measuring usually takes place when they are in a powder form or ground up enough to your liking.
Correspondences for Orange Peel
You may be wondering what you are going to use this stuff for now that you have plenty of it in your herbal cabinet. Use orange peel to embody the Sun in a mixture and to lift those who are down. Its scent is good for dealing with obsessive thinking and for turning us back to what is important in our lives. Orange peel is nice in Yule celebrations, reminding us of the promise of Sun even in the middle of winter. The scent of orange peels mixes nicely with bay leaves, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, coriander, frankincense, juniper, lemon, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, jasmine, and rose.
Note: When using it with incense you may wish to burn it on a mica plate to allow the oils to properly heat and release the aromatic fragrance, similar to using chunks of resins.
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