Holiday Aromas

Perfume the air with citrus, spices and pine boughs

From August to January, certain stores spew cinnamon-scented mushroom clouds into the atmosphere. While too much of a good thing can cause a headache, the addition of a light, holiday-inspired scent can be a delightful finishing touch to your décor.

In Victorian times, pomanders provided this light scent.

To make a pomander, stud a small, Satsuma orange with whole cloves. The cloves provide a lovely smell and also preserve the oranges. If you find it difficult to pierce the skin of your orange with the cloves, poke tiny holes in the fruit with a nail or skewer.

Once you’ve finished decorating your oranges with cloves, place them in individual brown paper bags in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks. This will dry them out. Check on them a few times a week and discard any that are moldy. When they are dry, arrange them in a bowl with cinnamon sticks or cinnamon-scented pinecones (don’t overdo it!) and fresh pine boughs.