Bergamot Orange

Photo: Leslie Seaton

I was going through my Citrus Inventory the other day as i had a rare spot open up in the garden for two new trees. I have quite a good coverage of most Citrus varieties and thought it would be a good idea to choose something extra unusual that i didn't have already. So my shortlist was Sumo/Dekopon (something i've wanted for a while now), Meiwa Kumquat, (another) Yuzu, Afourer Tangor, Lemonade, Ponderosa Lemon, Limequat, Serville Orange and Bergamot Orange. I decided after visiting the store to go with Bergamot Orange and another Yuzu. I chose these mainly because Meiwa Kumquats were out of stock. I have more than enough Lemons with my Meyer & Eureka. Sumo/Dekopon is not avalible in NZ yet:( Limequats seem pointless to me, plus i have 6 Lime trees already. I would have got a Afourer but they were also out stock. 

I am excited by my new Bergamot as its extremely rare to see the fruit in NZ shops. So what do you do with a Bergamot Orange you ask? Lets have a look......

My New Friend.

Bergamot has a long history of commercial culture, grown primarily for the distinctive essential oil from its rind. The area for this is mostly confined to a province of Calabria in southern Italy. Bergamots are defined as green gold, the most valuable citrus in the world.

Bergamot oil is an important component of a Toilet Water (Eau de Toilette), which was first developed around 1675 in Cologne, Germany, by an Italian immigrant. Bergamot oil soon became a constituent of high quality perfumes and of men's perfumes, aka "Cologne".

The other main use of Bergamot Oil is to flavour Earl Grey tea which has been made since the 1820s.

Bergamot is about to experience a Yuzu-style renaissance within the Culinary world with many high-end chefs exploring the distinctly nuanced flavour. It can be used in a wide variety of ways such as:

• Using the aromatic rind and acidic (yet sweeter and more delicate and floral than lemon) juice to flavour yoghurt mixed with cucumber, fresh dill.
• It is an excellent partner to fish especially in curing.
• Add bergamot to Asian-style marinades with soy, ginger and rice wine vinegar.
• Bergamot juice can also be substituted for vinegar in vinaigrettes for a perfumed tartness.
• Add bergamot zest to Meringues.
• Bergamot and Mint make for a refreshing sorbet.
• Use in Cakes or Icing.
• Make Bergamot Syrup to add to Prosecco or Sparkling Water.
• Bergamot-cello (Liquore al Bergamotto)
• Cocktails
• Marmalades

Bergamot Sorbet
The refreshing, fragrant flavour of bergamot makes the perfect palette cleanser so try this sorbet at the end of a rich meal.

Ingredients:
4 Bergamots, juiced and zested
150g caster sugar
2 egg whites
300ml water

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat, before gently bringing to the boil for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the bergamot zest, cover and leave to infuse for half an hour.
2. Add the bergamot juice to the sugar syrup, then strain and place in a shallow container. Freeze for two hours until slushy.
3. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy and mix into the sorbet. The sorbet must be only semi-frozen to be able to do this. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Bergamot Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 8 bergamots
• 3 cups Sugar
• 4 cups (1litre) Water
• pinch of Salt
• 
  
1. Rinse and dry the bergamots, then cut each in half and pluck out the seeds.
2. Cut the bergamots into quarters and using a sharp knife, slice the quarters as thinly as possible.
3. Add the bergamots to a pot, add the sugar, 1 litre of water, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the bergamots, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade begins to set using the wrinkle test: turn the marmalade off and put a dab on a plate that’s been in the freezer then check it after five minutes; if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it’s done. If not, continue to cook, repeating this step, until it reaches the desired consistency (about 30 mins).
4. Ladle into clean jars and twist on the lids. Once cool, store in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least six months.

Photo: Leslie Seaton

"Buddhacello" made with Buddha’s Hand Citron

After bottling my first batch of Limoncello with great success (it is very delicious!), i got to thinking that i could finally have something that i could make use of my elusive Buddha's Hands. Since there is no juice or pulp inside these squid-like fruit i have only ever used them in my fruit bowl as decoration and to scent the room with a light citron aroma. So tonight i harvested two of these beautys off my tree and with great difficulty zested them up and then added the zest into a bottle of vodka. 
I started off having to wash the hands quite thoroughly as due to some bizarre reason the hands are like a haven for ants. I actually had to wash, scrub & rinse about three times to rid of all the ant stowaways. Then to zest them up i had to slice each "tentacle" off to reach every bit of precious zest.
Once zested it was as easy as adding the zest into my Vodka bottle, rinsing it off and a long wait of about a month until i add my sugar syrup and complete my glorious "Buddhacello"!
I'll keep you posted how this turns out in about a month but i have a good feeling about this.

  

Zested Tentacles.

How to make Limoncello.

 

I was browsing the Citrus Growers Forum the other day and came across a post about making your own Limoncello. I had always thought that Limoncello must be a closely guarded secret kept by old, weathered Italian grandfathers. Well, it turns out all you need to make truly amazing Limoncello are some good Lemons, a bottle of Vodka, and Time.
It has taken me far too long to realise how delicious, and how astoundingly easy, it is to make your own Limoncello, and with Lemons currently being in season it is perfect timing to be using them.
I first came across it in Melbourne whilst working with some incredibly funny and extremely traditional Italians at Stellini Bar. I remember someone brought in a bottle of viscous yellow liquid which was kept in the freezer and was the best, pulled out of the freezer & poured straight onto ice during those hot Melbourne summers. Limoncello is smooth and sweet with an intense lemon flavor. It can be sipped on its own, mixed into sparkling water, or shaken into cocktails. Limoncello can range from very sweet to super tart and citrusy, as the maker of the limoncello, that's something that you get to decide.

The great thing about Limoncello is how easy it is to make. Its simply infusing lemon peel/zest into vodka. No distilling or secret ingredients required. After letting the peels and vodka mingle for anywhere from a few days to a month, it's strained, mixed with sugar syrup, chilled and just like that, we have Limoncello!

Standard lemons are just fine for making limoncello, though you can also branch out into other citrus fruits like Grapefruits, Oranges, Yuzu or even the mysterious Buddha Hand-Buddhacello!

You only use the lemon zest for this project. I've found this easiest to do with a microplane thats on my grater, but you can also use a vegetable peeler. Just try to get the skin alone and as little pith as possible. With the leftover lemons, you can make a batch of Lemonade or Whiskey Sours.

The alcohol prevents any mould or bacteria from growing on the zest. Once strained, the limoncello can be kept in the freezer for at least a year, and likely much longer. If your limoncello is over a year old, discard it if it tastes off or you see any mold growing in the bottle.

1. Peel the lemons: Use a Microplane or Zester to remove the zest from 15 lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible.
2. Cover the peels with vodka: Transfer the lemon zest to a 1 litre bottle of Vodka and screw on the lid.
3. Infuse the vodka: Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for about a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your Limoncello. Most of the lemon flavor is extracted in those first few days, but you'll also get a stronger, bolder flavor the longer you let it sit.
4. Strain the vodka: Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a big enough vessel. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.
5. Prepare sugar syrup: Prepare a sugar syrup of  5 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar, bring the water to a boil and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool. Add desired amount to the infused vodka, taste, and add more simple syrup to taste. You can play with the ratios of water to sugar here, More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter Limoncello.
6. Bottle the limoncello: Insert the funnel in the neck of one of the bottles and fill with Limoncello.
7. Chill and store: Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year (and often much longer!)