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Translucent dehydrated orange slices in a glass jar and a small bowl on an oak worktop

Dehydrated Orange Slices for Drinks

Oven-dried orange (or any citrus) wheels for garnishing mocktails and cocktails. One ingredient, no added sugar, with an air-fryer method.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 20 slices (about 20–24, from 2 large oranges)
Course: Garnish
Cuisine: British
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large oranges, ideally unwaxed (or use 1 orange plus 1 lemon, lime or blood orange)

Equipment

  • Sharp serrated knife or a mandoline (always use the guard)
  • Chopping board
  • 2 baking trays with baking paper, or wire cooling racks
  • Kitchen paper
  • Airtight glass jar, for storing

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 100°C (80°C fan), or its lowest setting if that's higher. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper, or set wire racks over them.
  2. Wash the oranges under a running tap, rubbing the skin, then dry them well. If they're waxed, scrub them gently in warm water first.
  3. Slice the oranges into even rounds about 3–4 mm thick with a sharp serrated knife (or a mandoline, always with its guard). Discard the ends and pick out any pips.
  4. Lay the slices on kitchen paper and press gently with more kitchen paper to soak up the surface juice.
  5. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the trays or racks, not touching.
  6. Dry in the oven for 2½–3½ hours, turning them every 45 minutes, until they feel dry and leathery and are no longer sticky. The flesh should look translucent, like stained glass. If any start to brown at the edges, lower the heat.
  7. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack. They crisp up as they cool. If any still feel soft or tacky in the middle, return them to the oven for another 20–30 minutes.

Notes

Even slicing matters more than anything else: slices of the same thickness dry at the same rate.
Lemons and limes are thinner and smaller, so check them from 1½–2 hours. Grapefruit slices take longer.
No sugar or sweetener is needed. Orange wheels are a garnish, not a sweetener.
Storage: keep fully dried and cooled slices in a clean, airtight jar in a cool, dry place. If any feel soft, sticky or damp, or show any mould, throw them away.