May 2, 2011

Earthly Delight Monday-Featuring Ingredients That Make Handmade Soap Special + An Orange Pomander DIY Project

The clove vaguely resembles a small nail in it's shape.

Cloves - (Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata)are aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and are popular for use in food all over the world. The English name derives from the Latin “clavus” meaning nail as the bud vaguely resembles a small nail in shape.

The clove tree is an evergreen with large square leaves and blood red flowers. The flower buds are at first a pale color gradually becoming green turning to a blood red when they are ready for harvest. Once harvested the buds are dried to a dark brown hue preventing them from decay. They then shrivel to a brownish black and the spicy tidbits we know as clove.

Clove Lore

“It is said that the nutmegs have to smell the sea and the clove has to see it to grow to maturity properly.” Source: Spices and Herbs Lore and Cookery” by Louise S. Hayes

Burned cloves attract riches, drives away hostile and negative forces, produces high spiritual vibration, and will purify the area.To stop others from gossiping about you.

Worn or carried, cloves attract the opposite sex and brings comfort to the bereaved.

Orange Pomander Balls

To make 2 balls, you will need:
2 oranges (or try apples, lemons, or lime)
Toothpick or pin to ease the cloves into the orange
Whole cloves, at least 1/4 cup, depending upon your design. (I buy mine in bulk as they tend to be expensive.)
Spice mixture (see recipe below)
4 feet of Ribbon

For the spice mixture:
3 Tbs. ground cinnamon
3 Tbs. ground cloves
3 Tbs. ground nutmeg
3 Tbs. ground ginger
3 Tbs. orris root powder (the dried and ground root of certain iris used as a fixative)

Directions

Making a Pomander Ball is easy, but can take some time! Simply stick a clove directly into an orange (or any of the other fruits listed above). You may want to use a toothpick or pin to make the first punctures so that the cloves are easier to insert. It seems that everyone has his or her own method when it comes to filling a ball! You don't have to fill the entire ball though—try a pattern or design if you feel inspired.

Once the ball is completely studded with cloves, roll it in the spice mixture and set it aside for a couple of weeks in a cool dry spot so that it will dry. Once dried, tie a ribbon around the ball for hanging. Multiple pomander balls also look beautiful displayed together in a large decorative bowl. 

2 comments:

Amy Warden said...

My 4th grader has Colonial Day on Friday, and I think this is the station I volunteered to help out with. The kids rotate through several throughout the day. Should be fun!

Tierra Verde Handmade Soap said...

I guess you mean she will be making orange pomanders. I can remember making them either in school or vacation bible school. They smell fabulous and I think next Christmas I'll try to make a bowl of them. Yum!