How to make dried/dehydrated citrus (2024)

Ever wondered how to turn fresh citrus into the most gorgeous dried citrus in your oven? If so, I can't wait to share my ultimate guide on How to Dry Citrus in the Oven with you as well as some of my favorite ways to use dehydrated citrus!

Every time I post a recipe with dried citrus involved, I get questions asking how I made my dehydrated citrus slices without a dehydrator. While this process is rather time-consuming (3-6 hours total) it's VERY easy because most of that is hands-off time just waiting for the citrus to dehydrate.

What citrus can I dehydrate?

While any citrus can be dehydrated, for this post I used the following:

• Dried Lemons (2-3 hours)
• Dried Limes(2-3 hours)
• Dried Blood Oranges(3-4hours)
• Dried Cara Cara Oranges (3-4 hours)
• Dried Navel Oranges(3-4 hours)
• Dried Grapefruit (5+ hours)

Steps to dry citrus in oven

One: Preheat oven to 200F convection settings

The first step to making perfectly dried citrus is to set your oven at the right temperature.

For my oven, 200F is the perfect low temperature to bake my citrus wheels. However, if your oven can go lower you can set it all the way down to 170F for similar results (though it will take a bit longer to dry out the citrus).

By setting the oven at a low temperature, you are essentially very slowly dehydrating the citrus slices over a period of 3-6 hours by drawing out all of the moisture.

Also, I always recommend using the convection settings in your oven if available. A convection oven has a fan at the back which helps to evenly circulate the steam.

This is ideal for dehydrating fruit so the moisture is removed evenly and it actually makes the process faster!

Two: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a wire rack

It's important to use parchment paper or an oven-safe bakeable wire rack on top of a baking tray or else the citrus may stick to the pan while dehydrating.

If neither of these options is available, you can always lightly coat a pan with oil to avoid this problem.

However, I prefer not to use oil when drying fruit in the oven so I always recommend parchment paper when available. I always use If You Care parchment paper since it is compostable!

Three: Thinly slice the citrus

This step is crucial to perfectly dried citrus! I recommend using a mandoline so you can guarantee the fruit is sliced evenly. However, if you have great knife cutting skills using a very sharp knife also works.

Four: Add to tray & bake 3-4 hours or more

Once the citrus has been sliced, add it to the parchment-lined tray (or tray coating with oil/ with a wire rack) and place the citrus so it is at least ½ inch apart between slices.

Then, bake the citrus anywhere from 3-6 hours. I highly recommend removing the tray at the two-hour mark and flipping the citrus as well as rotating the tray in the oven for the best results.

Some ovens run a little hotter or colder, so make sure to only remove the citrus wheels from the oven once they are completely dried and all the moisture has been removed.

Otherwise, they will mold and now keep as long as they should. It's also important to note that the larger the citrus, the longer it will take to dehydrate. That means lemons and limes are likely going to be done before larger fruits like oranges and grapefruit!

What can I do with dried citrus?

There are SO many ways to use dried citrus, but here are a few of my favorites:

1: As a co*cktail garnish

Try using dried grapefruit in Grapefruit Rose Paloma

Add a dried blood orange on top of a Blood Orange Mint Mimosa

Dehydrated limes make a great garnish to a Tequila Smash co*cktail

Dried orange slices are amazing in this Cranberry Gin Fizz

2: As a dessert topping

I love using dried lemons on layer cakes like my Lemon Lavender Cake

3: Add dried citrus to tea for flavor

It adds a citrus essence that is truly so enjoyable!

4: Make citrus sugar!

I absolutely love making citrus sugar! You can use it in many baking recipes if you want to add in extra citrus flavor. I especially love doing this with lemons and have used it in my Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Donuts for even more lemon flavor.

Dehydrated citrus sugar also can be used as a garnish around the rim of co*cktails.

5. Make a citrus garland as decor

This is especially popular to do during the Holidays with orange slices and cinnamon. However, I personally feel it can be a great decoration year-round!

6. Dip it in chocolate & eat

Don't forget to add a little flaky sea salt on top! The combination of citrus, sweet chocolate, and sea salt is absolutely divine.

See Also

How Many Feet of Christmas Lights You Need for Every Tree Height

How to store dried citrus:

If you have properly dehydrated your citrus (aka no moisture remains) then they can actually last for several years! I have some that have lasted up to 3-5 years that I use as decorations.

I find dried citrus is best within one year if you are using it on baked goods, in teas, and as a co*cktail garnish for the best flavor.

When storing, make sure to store my citrus wheels in a closed container or zip-loc bag in the fridge or dark cold space in your home. This will help the citrus last longer and keep the radiant bright color longer.

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