BITTER ORANGES: LIQUEUR

Bitter orange, also called melangolo or wild orange, is an ancient hybrid citrus fruit (probably between pomelo and mandarin) whose essence is generally used in cosmetics or medicine. Not only that: bitter oranges are the basis of countless recipes, including liqueurs and jams, but also cakes, savory dishes and so on. Today, however, we focus on wild orange liqueur : here is the traditional recipe and a few small variations if you want to add a touch of originality.

WILD ORANGE LIQUEUR: INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

Let's start with a simple and traditional recipe that requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients:

• half a liter of 95-degree alcohol
• a glass and a half of water
• 300 g of sugar
• 2 tablespoons bitter orange zest
• a stick of cinnamon
• cloves

Preparation:

Wash the oranges and peel them, being careful not to remove the white part.
Put the alcohol in an airtight jar, add the orange peels, cloves and cinnamon stick. Leave to macerate for two weeks, shaking the jar once a day
After two weeks, prepare the syrup by boiling the water and sugar.
Filter the syrup together with the macerated mixture and mix. Let it rest overnight.
Bottle, seal tightly and leave in a dark room for two months.

BITTER ORANGE AND LEMON LIQUEUR

Do you want to prepare a liqueur with a slightly more sour and citrusy taste? Here is the recipe based on bitter oranges and lemon.

Ingredients:

• 400 ml of 95 degree alcohol
• 400 ml of water
• 350 g of sugar
• peel of 6 oranges
• zest of 2 lemons

Preparation:
Wash and dry the oranges and lemons. Peel them, being careful not to remove the white part.
Place the peels in an airtight container with pure alcohol and leave to macerate for about two weeks. Shake the mixture once a day.
After two weeks, prepare the syrup by boiling the water with the sugar. Once ready, let it cool.
Filter the alcohol and add it to the syrup. Mix.
Pour the liqueur into a bottle with a screw cap and leave in a closed place for at least a month.

BITTER ORANGE FLOWER RECIPE

An excellent variant of the wild orange liqueur is the one based on the flowers of this citrus fruit. The result will be an excellent combination of taste and irresistible aroma.

Ingredients:
500 g bitter orange blossoms
500 ml of pure alcohol
500 ml of water
500 g of sugar

Preparation:
Collect the fresh orange blossoms and place them in an airtight container, then add the alcohol.
Seal tightly and leave to macerate for twenty days, shaking the container once every two days.
After 20 days, prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar with the water. Leave to cool.
Filter the mixture with the alcohol and add the syrup. Mix, bottle and leave in a dark place for about a month.

You can buy organic bitter oranges on this site.