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Credit: Margo Letourneau 
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EmailHere's how to make orange pomanders, which will fresh your closets and home—and also make a lovely holiday ornament for friends, family, and work colleagues.
Medieval herbalists used pomanders -- mixtures of fragrant, dried herbs in cloth bags or perforated boxes -- to ward off illness or bring strength and good fortune.
- To make pomanders to freshen a winter-weary house, take firm oranges and stud them with whole cloves.
- Be creative and arrange the cloves in diamond, circular, or other patterns. As the orange dries, it will release a delicate, spicy fragrance.
- For a stronger aroma, cover the entire orange with cloves, and then roll in a mixture of spices: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1/4 cup powdered orrisroot. Leave the orange in the mix for a week, turning once a day.
- To hang your pomander, thread a large needle with string and run it through the orange; make a knot at the bottom and a loop at the top.
- Or, you can tie red ribbon around your pomander for a festive look!
Illustration by Margo Letourneau
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Comments
What is Orrisroot? I have
What is Orrisroot? I have neveer heard of it nor do I know where to find it..
I had never heard of it
I had never heard of it before either; I found this on the website I buy soaps & lotions from. Sounds like you could go to a local Herbal Store.
Copy & Paste. :)
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/orris.php
Orris root is what helps
Orris root is what helps preserve the orange and prevent it from rotting. You really have to use orris power for the pomander to last. I've had pomander balls last for 5 or 6 years with orris root (although the spicy orange scent is gone after a few months). I stud the cloves all around the orange but leave exact space for me to tie ribbon. Then I sew a tassel or other little ornaments (like bells) onto the bottom. They look really pretty and make lovely Christmas presents. I'm making them this year to give to friends.
Orris root is a fixative that
Orris root is a fixative that helps retain fragrance. The cloves are what really preserves the orange and were used in ancient mummification processes.
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