By definition a pomander is a ball made of perfumes. In past times they were worn or carried in a vase as a protection against infection or pestilence or merely to enhance the "odors" of the wearer! They were usually hung from a chain and worn around the neck or waistband and made of precious metals into which the perfume of choice was inserted.
Nowadays, simple pomanders can be made from food items readily found in most cottages. Redolent of autumn or winter spices they invite coziness with each sniff and will continue to emit odors for some time as they age and dry. However to revive them to their full potency they can be re-rolled in the spice mixture as desired.
~Use a toothpick or a wooden or metal skewer to pierce the skin of the fruit. Insert cloves into the fruit so that cloves form close, vertical rows. Make patterns with the cloves, if you desire. The goal is to cover the fruit with cloves as completely as possible.
~Combine the powdered orrisroot, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and ground nutmeg in a large zipper-lock bag. (This mixture will cover approximately two pieces of fruit.)
~Place the fruit in the bag, and roll the fruit around in the spice mixture. Cover the entire fruit with spices.
~Remove the fruit from the bag and shake off excess spice powder.
~Wrap the fruit in tissue paper and store in a cool, dry place for three to four weeks.
~Unwrap the pomander and display as desired.
(An easier and equally beautiful--though slightly less fragrant-- variation is pictured above)
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