CHRISTMAS POMANDERS
The air freshener of the middle ages
You gotta love the holidays – where even your fruit gets dressed up for the occasion.
My mom used to sit us around the kitchen table to make pomanders. It kept us out of trouble for a few hours as we poked cloves into fresh oranges while listening to holiday music. Afterwards, the house smelled like a Christmas miracle. Oranges and cloves together create a delightful, spicy scent.
Pomanders originated in the middle ages when orange-and-clove concoctions were used to combat the stench of unwashed peasants. From this poetic beginning, pomanders really became popular during the Victorian Era as an ornament for the Christmas season. People would hang pomanders on their Christmas trees, use them as table centerpieces, or even wear them as festive accessories. Spiky holiday hug!
The combination of oranges and cloves was also believed to have protective and medicinal properties. In some cultures, the pomander symbolized good luck, warding off illness, and acting as a protective charm. The cloves, with their natural antibacterial properties, would help preserve the orange and, by extension, the surrounding area.
The concept is easy: Stick an orange all over with cloves. It's like acupuncture for fruit – very therapeutic, very festive. You take an orange and stud it with cloves, creating patterns or designs or just covering the whole thing. The pomander is then left to dry, and it can be displayed to add a touch of holiday aroma and charm to the surroundings. I’m loading up our crystal bowl with them for an easy holiday centerpiece.
Make it a full-blown holiday event by serving tea and this rosemary, orange, olive oil cake. Turn on Holidays on Ice for a true treat.