How to Make a Scented Fresh Orange Pomander

Open the jar of whole cloves and pour them out. Put your gloves on and pick up the orange.

Take one whole clove at a time and push the pointed pinlike end in through the skin of the orange with your fingers. You don’t have to wear gloves but after making a whole pomander or more with the rough cloves your fingers may get sore or tender, especially if you are making more than one.

Press it in until the head of the clove rests against the orange peel. Don’t press too hard or you will break the head of the clove off. Repeat this process around the whole surface of the orange. There should be space between the cloves so the orange can breath and release its smell. Don’t pack them tightly together.

Pour some powdered alum in a small bowl. Set the clove-covered orange in the powdered alum and roll it around gently being careful not to break the clove heads off. Then take some alum with your fingers and sprinkle some on any places that didn’t get covered. Let the orange sit half an hour or so, then gently tap off the excess alum from the orange. Then let it cure overnight. Afterward you can set it in a display bowl or in a dresser drawer. The smell is wonderful.