Winter is the time of the orange. They are just now in season and that season will continue for a few months. In fact, in Forida, the growers are all in a tizzy because the Department of Agriculture just downgraded their projection for this season. It’s worrying a lot of people. And if there’s going to be a shortage of oranges, well, then you need to find another way to get this delish floral into your mouth.
Orange blossoms have a delicate orange-y scent as long as they aren’t hybrids. The recipe below for orange blossom syrup uses store bought orange blossom water. But if you are near citrus groves, particularly Seville oranges, then you have a unique opportunity to make your own orange blossom water. However, if you decide to go this homemade route, add several weeks to the recipe time as you let the orange blossoms steep to extract maximum flavor and scent.
Also, as with the rose sugar recipe from a previous post, one can make orange sugar as well. To make this variation, add a few orange peels to white sugar and let sit in a cool, dark place. Taste frequently until the flavor comes through to the degree you desire. Letting the sugar sit long adds depth to the flavor.
Orange Blossom Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
In a small heavy saucepan, combine sugar, water and lemon juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the orange blossom water and take off the heat immediately. Pour into a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate to cool completely. Like other simple syrups, this will last a few days to a week. And it is yummy in iced or hot tea.
To make your own orange blossom water, choose high quality, organically grown Seville orange blossoms. Picking them early in the morning is preferable to any other time as they are fresh with dew and at their peak. Wash them and then macerate either in a food processor on pulse or in a mortal and pestle. Place the macerated blossoms into a container and cover with distilled water. Let sit for several weeks in full sun as you check on the scent and flavor. Once it it to your liking, strain into little jars and store in your refrigerator. Helpful hint: Use less water and the most blossoms you can. The flavor and scent infuse faster into smaller quantities of liquid.
You don’t need to make your own orange blossom water to get great quality. Many Middle Eastern and Asian markets carry several brands and these make good syrup.
Scents and flavors are important ways to engage our senses. And I’m not sure why Mother Nature made orange season winter, but I am ever so glad. There’s something yummy and delicious about orange scent in the dead of winter. That bright color, sweet flavor and intoxicating scent all play off the whiteness of winter, the dullness of the drab and the deadening of senses that snow and ice have on us.
Oranges break through all of this and seduces our sense with the promise of… something else. So, you dear reader, are in charge of how you will use this seductive syrup to the most tantalizing effect.
