The bitter orange is not the usual orange, but this does not mean that it is difficult to grow or that it does not give satisfaction. In addition to the fruits, with which to prepare excellent dishes and jams, it also gives us a beautiful flowering and its presence is a joy for a garden.
Bitter orange: characteristics
Scientific name: Citrus aurantium . This citrus fruit is quite rustic and therefore even easier to grow because it is not too sensitive to the climate and our distractions.
It is called bitter not in a manner of speaking but because it produces fruits that are truly bitter. This does not mean that they are inedible, however, let’s be clear! Bitter oranges are an excellent ingredient for jams but also for preparing candied fruit, for example. It produces very fragrant flowers, more than those of its less bitter cousin, and which also have several benefits for our health. If we use them to prepare an infusion it will work well for stomach ache and also to cure insomnia.
Its origins are ancient, it comes to us from the Far East and we can also hear it called melangolo or melarancio and it was used above all to extract essential oils or aromas. If we love scented creams and ointments, the term zagara, also called neroli, will sound familiar to us. It is a much loved essence even today and it is actually extracted from the bitter orange, from its flowers. The Duchess Anna Maria di Neroli used it , she used it to perfume her gloves and her baths.
From the leaves you can extract an essential oil called ‘petitgrain’ which is used above all to alleviate moments of sadness linked to a feeling of disappointment. The peel of this bitter orange also has interesting properties, it helps digestion and can be used as an ingredient during an aperitif or after dinner. As soon as ingested it promotes the production of gastric juices and bile helping us to digest. Today it is mainly used to make jams but in the past it was inserted for example in pork dishes or in oil which, thus flavoured, was put on simple but tasty bruschetta.
Bitter Orange: How to Grow It
This plant, great news, we can also grow it on a terrace, it is not necessary to have a garden even if it is also good in open and large spaces. It is also a decorative element, with its beautiful shiny leaves and its scented flowers.
To start growing this tree, let’s buy a young specimen to plant during the winter and expose it immediately to the cold of the season, avoiding killing it with the excessive heat of our homes. It will certainly resist as long as we put it in a sheltered position and possibly exposed to the south. When the frost period passes we can start watering the soil and towards spring if necessary we can repot it. Its optimal place is a terracotta pot with draining material such as earthenware or clay placed on the bottom. It is better to use specific soil for citrus fruits without exaggerating with watering, just give water when the soil dries out, no more.
If we intend to put it in the garden, we must find a position equally sheltered and to the south and dig a hole there quite large, placing as for the pot some material that drains the soil at the bottom. We move the root ball with the tree from the pot to the ground and fill with soil for citrus without suffocating the collar.
We press and compact everything and then water. For the first two years we will have to be careful not to let it dry out especially in summer but then it will not require too much care. It is a rustic tree and adapts well to the climate it finds, better if not too dry and sunny.
Bitter orange: varieties
Usually the leaves of this plant are green and shiny, not large and very elegant. There are some varieties that look different but without losing their charm. One in particular is particularly appreciated for its interesting and original appearance: the Foliis variegatis . The leaves, as the name suggests, are variegated with yellow edges. The effect is particular and that’s not all: the fruits are orange with rather evident green streaks.
Jam with bitter oranges
Let’s learn how to prepare jam with the fruits of this tree, quickly and easily. Take 3 kg of bitter oranges, about 1 kg of sugar and lemon juice. Wash the oranges well, leaving them to soak overnight in water at room temperature, the next morning dry them and use a peeler to remove the peel without removing the white part that must remain attached to the fruit and give flavor to our jam. The peel should not be thrown away at all but cut into strips and boiled for 4 minutes.
Peeled oranges should be cut into pieces and cleaned of seeds until obtaining a pulp to cook in a pan for 5 minutes and then add the sugar with the heat off. The sugar with the heat retained by the pulp will melt quickly, mix well and then put the pan back on the heat for a good half hour. When the jam is ready and has the right consistency, we can put it in previously sterilized jars. If hermetically sealed, the jars of bitter orange jam last for months and months.
