Making Pomanders

Mom has been making pomander balls for the past couple of days.   Yes, we know that they're supposed to be made BEFORE Christmas to be used as ornies on your tree but mom doesn't always follow the rules.
She bought oranges at the grocery store and she bought a pound of whole cloves from Amazon.
The nut pick on the breadboard helps mom poke holes in the orange to make it easier on her fingers to insert the whole cloves.
She was listening to music and poking and inserting away.  She says it's fun and smells incredible!

 We're getting there!
She fills the entire orange with cloves because she has read that they last much longer when the entire fruit is covered and that's the way she's done it in the past.   Mom made pomander balls YEARS ago when a container of whole cloves was dirt cheap.  Now they're 4 times that price.    She used to make them with apples too.

 You will notice that she does use the powdered orris root.  Some pomander recipes don't call for it but it helps the orange to dry and prevents mold and the pomanders can last a long time.
Martha Stewart has a fun video on pomanders.

 Once the orange is filled with cloves, she puts it in a ziplock bag, which contains the orris root and the spices, and she shakes and rolls the bag till the orange is coated.

Mom headed outside to gather rosemary clippings and cedar greens and holly with berries and put them in a dish with the pomanders on top. The smaller pomander is a lemon.   The lemon slices came from Michael's and are fake. 

 Yes, it does smell good, mom, but I would rather have a yummy cookie from my cookie jar~

Mom had a fun morning on a rainy raw day and our kitchen smells so pretty!   Have any of you ever made pomander balls before?

Love ya lots♥
Molly