Pomander balls // Traditional Christmas decorating

🌱🍊🤔 Did you know you can pickled pomander balls (clove-studded oranges)? Make a couple of jars to hand out as gifts or keep in the cupboard to add a dash of festive flavor to your plant-based meals throughout the year.

🎄Pomanders are simply oranges pierced by cloves, one of Grandma Sita’s favorite holiday decorating traditions. Prep time depends on how the size of the fruit; the smaller, the quicker it will harden and dry. It wouldn’t be Christmas time without pomander balls making the home smell citrus and spiced fragrance, making it warm and cozy for the holidays.

💪 Cloves support the immune system against free radicals and the orange supplies the immune system with vitamin C.

👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips:
*Fresh pomanders will last about a week. By refrigerating them at night, you will prolong the life of the fresh fruit.
*Store striped oranges pickled in sweetly spiced vinegar in a cool, dry place. Enjoy a delightful addition to both sweet and savory dishes within 6 months and keep refrigerated once opened.
*When it does start to wither and lose its lovely smell, you can just toss the whole thing right into the compost bin!

📗 Pomander balls began not as Christmas decorations but as personal perfumes back in Medieval times when people wore pomanders made of silver, gold, or wood. They contained herbs and spices to ward off illness, protect against witches, make the wearer smell good, and mask the smelly streets! They were often worn as amulets or hung on chains as pendants. These fragrant orbs also played a role in courtship, as they were exchanged as tokens of affection.

🌿 Pinecones, twig ornaments, cinnamon sticks, and dried cloves or fruit pieces (think cranberries and oranges) are affordable, recyclable options that embody the coziness of the season. All of us can act at home to reduce our waste before, during, and after any festivity season, and every single one counts. Happy Holidays everyone!