Marmalade & Enfleurage

I want to talk about the weather first. I know, small talk drives me bonkers as well, but here it is -- man! Is it ever raining right now! Sideways and in sheets! It's spectacular. I left the back slider door open during the night to allow the big cat to go out and do his business, and this morning I found a wading pool in the dining room. And the big cat didn't dare go out, opting for the litter box for the first time in years. At any rate, the pool saved me from lugging water to mop the floor. Now that it's cleaned up, the heat's turned on, and the slider door is firmly closed, me and the wee one can enjoy this cozy rainy day together. 

The marmalade turned out beautifully! Perfect. A mouthful tastes of sweet summer perfume. The little jars have been popping all morning, reminding me that they're waiting for later to be opened and smeared over freshly baked English muffins. I know, English muffins are a pain in the butt to make, but they seem the best delivery system for this lovely bergamot marmalade. 

I also got started on that bergamot enfleurage and it is turning out amazing. The scent is unbelievable. The enfleurage oil soaks up the peel scent so quickly. Honestly, for a while after I received these boxes of bergamot, I was regretting having spent so much on them considering the limited possibilities (or so I thought), but now I'm so happy that I did spend what I did because really, the possibilities are as open as my imagination. Last night it was suggested we take some of the juice of these bergamot on our snow trip this weekend and use it to make margaritas. Bergamot margaritas! Gin and tonic with a bergamot twist. Bergamot sangria. Bergamot simple syrup. 

Thus far I've made a small batch of bergamot hydrosol, 10 jars of bergamot marmalade, bergamot juice for whatever, and a bergamot enfleurage, and there's still a box left to play with. Oh, and some seeds! These are one of those orange trees that grow easily from seed and still produce fruit without any kind of grafting. We shall see. In a few years, I guess.