Bergamot spoon sweet

Bergamot spoon sweet

Bergamots can be found in Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and other Mediterranean countries. Bergamot originated in Asia and is a small tree with long, oval green leaves with white flowers, which blossom during the spring. The bergamot bears a small round fruit and it is like a big lemon but has an orange colour.

The fruit is not edible but an essential oil is extracted from the aromatic peel of this sour fruit and is used to flavour confectionery. We also make marmalade with its peel as well as liqueur. Your can also use its zest in cakes and cookies. The spoon sweet is ideal for eating it as it is or on top of tarts or creams. When the spoon sweet is eaten the syrup is ideal for wetting sponges, or lady fingers, to use as a base for desserts.

I did not want the bergamot zest to be wasted so I turned it into a bergamot liqueur.

You can follow the same procedure as for the orange liqueur I made recently.

If you cannot find bergamots, don’t worry. The same procedure can be followed for most citrus fruit, e.g. orange, bitter orange, grapefruit, lemons or limes.

I'm sending this to Lia of Swirling Notions, this week's gracious host of the wonderful Weekend Herb Blogging, created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Bergamot spoon sweet

INGREDIENTS

Makes about 21 pieces 7 x 3 or 28 smaller 7 x 4

7 bergamots

1,2 kilo sugar*

1 lemon, only the juice

1 ½ cups of water

Juice of 1/2 a lemon for the final procedure

Wash the bergamots, wipe them and using in kitchen scrub pad and scrub until the outer part becomes bright yellow. If you like you can use what you have grated and follow the instruction of my orange liqueur and you can make a bergamot liqueur.

Once you have scrubbed all the bergamots. Cut a small piece off the top and the bottom and the rest you score with a sharp knife into three or four equal parts. Using the tip of the knife, gently remove the skin and discard the inner part as it is not edible. From the skin you must now remove as much white pith from the bergamot peels as possible.

Thread a large larding needle about 10 – 12 inches long and make a knot at the end. Take each peel and then roll it as tight as you can and with the needle pass them into the thread as tight as you can. If you like there is an easier way to hold the rolled peel with a tooth pick.

If you have chosen to put them on a thread tie a knot at the end so that they will hold together.

Then place them in a big sauce pan or bowl and cover them with water. As they will float put a plate on top of them so that it will hold them in the water.

Bergamots are very bitter so this procedure must be follow so as to take as much of the bitterness away. If you like them to have some bitterness skip one day.

Same Day: Bring to boiling point only for 2 – 3 minutes.

Day 1: Empty water and add fresh water. Boil for 2 – 3 minutes.

Day 2: Same procedure (skip one day if you want it to be a little bitter)

Day 3: Same procedure

Day 4: Same procedure, only boil for 6 – 7 minutes.

On the last day after the boiling procedure immediately empty hot water, add fresh cold water and the lemon juice. Put them again to boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave them in the hot water until it becomes cold. Drain them and remove the thread carefully. Try and remove from each one of them any excess water and put into the pot again. Add the sugar and the water. Leave it for half an hour and then let it boil. Lower heat to medium and boil for fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and leave it until the following day.

The last day place again on heat, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer, stirring and skimming occasionally, for about an hour, or until the liquid is clear and syrupy. Finally add the other lemon juice, stir and leave it to cool completely.

Place in clean jars with a lid.

* It is best to weigh the peels and place the same amount of sugar.

Today I had leftover phyllo and made pischies but this time instead of bathing them in a sugar/water syrup I just added a spoonful of the bergamot syrup on top of each pischia and it was far better as the phyllo stayed crunchy outside and the aromatic syrup made it a heavenly sweet.