Do you remember the last time you were in someone's home that had an apple pie baking in the oven? Ahhh, the aromas of a fresh baked pie -- it is simply irresistible! Well, now you can recreate this delicious scent in your own home, or in the homes of your loved ones, by making scented apple wreaths. Scented apple wreaths are not hard to make, and the results are heavenly! Hang one of these on your wall and you will surely impress all of your guests.
What you will need:
Juice of approximately 10 lemons
2 teaspoons salt
8 - 10 large firm apples
8 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
8" - 10" sturdy, heavy gauge wire
1 - 1 1/2 yards of a 1" ribbon
How to make your apple wreath:
1) Place lemon juice in a large bowl, and stir in salt.
2) Peel, core, and slice apples horizontally into 1/4" thick circles. Soak slices in lemon juice bowl for approximately 6-10 minutes, making sure each side of the slices has a chance to absorb some of the lemon juice.
3) Meanwhile, mix spices in a bowl and blend well.
4) Remove the slices from the bowl and place them on paper towels. Pat tops of apple slices with paper towels.
5) Dust apples slices with spice mixture. Turn slices over and repeat on opposite side.
6) Place apples slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 150-200 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours or until completely dried. Apple slices should be slightly pliable.
7) Carefully shape wire into desired shape. I recommend creating a circle or a heart.
8) Fold each apple slice in half, and then into quarters and thread the apples slices onto the wire. Continue to pack on the folded apples until the wire is completely filled.
Note: Folding into quarters may not be possible if you use small apples or if your apples are not pliable enough. If so, folding in half or leaving each slice unfolded is perfectly acceptable.
9) When the wire is completely covered, use pliers to bend ends into hooks so that they can connect and close.
10) Using your ribbon, create a hanger for your wreath.
11) Hang on your wall, or package as a gift for someone special.
Okay, you've got the apples and are ready to make an apple wreath. Well, before you dump all those apple peels into your compost pile check out the ideas below. Who knew the humble peel of an apple had so many untapped uses!
Simmer the fresh peels in water with spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg) to scent your home.
Add the fresh peels to your stock pot.
Quickly blanch the apple peels, dry, then grind and store. Use the powder to enrich your recipes or as a dietary supplement.
Make apple peel string to accent gifts and crafts.
Dry the peels to add to your own blend of potpourri.
Make a necklace with the kids that later becomes bird food.
Snack on the fresh or dried peels.
