Dehydrated citrus wheels are a popular edible garnish often used in cocktails and mixed drinks, seen more recently pegged to the rim of a glass. Making them at home is a simple process but it requires a lot of patience.
To dehydrate citrus wheels, arrange the sliced fruit on a baking tray in an oven set at the lowest temperature. The idea is to remove the juice from the fruit without cooking it. Use any citrus such as lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit. Depending on your oven, it can take up to 12 hours for the citrus to dehydrate properly. Alternatively, if you’re serious about dehydrating fruit or any kind of food, you can buy a food dehydrator for the home for around $130 AUD.
How to Make Dehydrated Citrus Wheels
Ingredients
- Citrus such as lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit, tangelo, blood orange
- Equipment: sharp knife, wire rack and tray, oven
Method
- Preheat your fan-forced oven to the lowest temperature, around 60 C.
- Cut the citrus into thin, even wheels making sure you don’t break the rind. Discard the end cuts.
- Place the wheels onto a wire rack over an oven tray covered with foil and put into the oven.
- Slowly dry in the oven, flipping over occasionally until the wheels are hard and crispy to the touch. It can take between 8 and 10 hours.
- Allow the citrus to cool completely after drying before storing in an airtight jar.
Pro Tip by Aaron Gaulke, Bennelong Bar
To keep the citrus looking like they have been freshly cut, add some ascorbic acid to a light sugar solution. The acid stops the oxidisation and keeps the colour throughout the drying process.
Photo by Cocktails & Bars – © Copyright: All rights reserved.
