I have never been an avid maker of jam. Or I should say my habit of winging it has resulted in a lot of runny flops. Or worse, so many jars that I couldn't give them away - the year I made concord grape jelly from a huge stockpot full of fruit. And then there's the whole canning jar business, pain in the neck.
But this time it was as if the fruit and I were meant for each other. I have to admit I have never set eyes on a Bergamot orange. I was in San Francisco and went to visit Rachel and her new husband and we all made a brief foray to Bi-Rite and there they were, like little round unassuming lemons. But the aroma, indeed Earl Grey. Heady.
So armed with nothing but a knife, a peeler and a pot, I peeled two specimens and julienned the strips finely. Then removed all the white pith and chopped the flesh, tiny pits and all. (The source of pectin, I think.) Then added about 4 or 5 tablespoons of sugar. This is to taste, and I like it bitter. Some water. Cooked it for about half an hour or a bit longer on high heat. When it was thick, poured it into a glass. Simple enough. On toasted ciabbata, a bit of butter from Isigny, a sprinkle of Spanish sea salt, and a good dollop of this marmalade, utterly magnificent.
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12 comments:
That sounds lovely. I'm partial to a good bitter marmalade myself.
Sunday night I made an orange marmalade suet pudding that was spectacular - I bet it would work well with bergamot too.
Hmm. I might have to trundle over to Buy-Rite and see if they're still in stock.
Jeremy, There was a big box of bergamots there yesterday. But where, pray tell, do you find suet?
I went to Golden Gate Meats at the Ferry Building; any good butcher should have some.
I'm glad you put those bergamots to good use. I may try another round of marmalade and follow your lead using less sugar. I also want to try making bergamot curd.
OK, I will try marmalade again too. I have apparently NEVER had a properly bitter version. "Cloyingly sweet" is what I think about when I hear the word. I happen to have an affection for the methodical process of canning--Thanks, Mom...
Did you just say 'big box of bergamots'? And why didn't you share?
Nope, not a box, just three bergamots, bon mots, mots propre. I'm wishing I bought a box. They taste kind of weird on their own, the magic comes out in cooking, and tea, of course. I think I'm going the candy the peel of the last one. Or maybe salt it down. The funniest thing is I looked at this cookbook of mine today and my co-author Rosanna has a recipe for marmalade with bergamots! And I think she actually used to work at the Bi-Rite too. Strange confulence of planets.
in greece we often refer to the bergamot as a sweet lemon and we call it pergamonto - it's always a hit in marmalade making, and it's also on sale at this time of the year
Bergamot has always been one of my favorite aromas next to Grapefruit. I always wondered what you can do with them beside using the oil for Earl Grey tea. I don't think I've ever seen them in the stores here in Jersey.
A drop or two—the stuff is quite strong—of bergamot oil can add a fantastic aroma and a faint, pleasant taste to many dishes. I learned the tip at one of the restaurants I worked in in France. When I came back home I couldn't find a food-grade version so I chose one developed for aroma therapy that was produced by pressing rather than chemical extraction. The little vial cost more than $10 but using the built-in eye dropper has meant that I've yet to finish my first one.
What is that?? But Loo so tasty.
Thank for sharing this blog over here,
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