Bergamot Sour Orange In Stock

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

At One Green World. Only the 2 gallon is available at this time. I know a few of us have been waiting for a long time for a nursery to get it back in stock so thought I would let you know since they only have a few available for now. Believe it or not I am going to pass on this and wait for Harris to get theirs in stock later this fall (taking a chance! ) I made a promise to my hubby and as hard as it is, I need to keep it.. lol. . I am expecting a 5 gallon Valencia tree from Harris tomorrow and it is the first, largest citrus tree that I have ordered. It will be planted in the ground inside of our underground gh that we are still working on.. :)

Featured Answer

Parker Turtle

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Both the blossoms and the rind of the fruit are much more fragrant than regular oranges.

Have you ever smelled bergamot, for example in tea? It doesn't really smell like orange; it smells kind of like orange and fragrant sour tangerine mixed with lemons, with maybe a little lavender too.

As for what "photosensitizing" means, if you break off the peel and rub it on your skin and then go out into the sun for several hours, you'll find out. You'll get a nasty burn.

Actually it's a lot more dangerous on your skin than it is to eat it. Like a lot of complicated things, this takes a little explaining. Nothing to worry about adding a few drops of bergamot essential oil to your tea, but these same drops on your skin could cause a really bad sun burn later. And by the same token, there's probably nothing wrong with trying a slice or two of the bergamot fruit, but it's not advisable to eat a whole fruit, not if you're going to be out in the sun for an extended period of time in the next few days. I'm not sure why anyone would eat a lot of bergamot though, the fruit is kind of bitter and sour.

If you're going to peel the fruit, it might be a good idea to get some plastic gloves. Bergamot rind and essential oil is really good for adding fragrance and flavor to things. There are all sorts of recipes out there. The furanocoumarin mostly isn't harmful inside your body because there's no sunlight in there. But people who can't eat grapefruit because they are on certain types of medications should definitely stay away from bergamot.

The bergamot oil used in perfumes is usually steam distilled, this removes 99% of the furanocoumarin. Unfortunately the distillation process does make the bergamot fragrance slightly inferior. The essential oil made from the blossoms of bergamot is very expensive and used in high end perfumes, it is called neroli.

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Comments (14)

Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
9 years ago
I wish but I added a couple of plants this year and need to figure out how to get them through the next winter. I think it will be a bit challenging as husband would like to overwinter the peppers and some of the heirloom tomatoes. So, his room will not have space for me I guess. But then, 2 gallon is not so big??
Laura LaRosa (7b)
9 years ago
I'm going to wait on it also Jinny bc I fear the scale...
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jinnylea
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Laura, I do not blame you. I purposely avoid the online nurseries that are known to ship plants that have scale. I can deal with certain bugs but scale is another matter entirely. . Sounds like a lot of time/effort to get rid of them.. The Bergamot has been on my wanted list for quite a while now, but now I am not sure if I will still get one. I already have two sour orange varieties and I am sure you can use the oil/rind in tea also. One more s.o will take up extra room for the more coveted varieties .. lol

Susan, I am not sure how large OGW'S two gallon citrus are.. Sorry.. Your hubby should definitely have room saved for his heirloom tomatoes. Nothing like the taste of heirloom homegrown tomatoes. Specially in the winter..Been growing them for 30+ years.. :)
Parker Turtle
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bergamot is extremely fragrant, but just a little caution may be in order since it can be photosensitizing (it's furanocoumarin levels are 24 times higher than grapefruit).
jinnylea thanked Parker Turtle
Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
9 years ago
Parker could you please explain? The flower extrem fragrant? What does photosensitizing mean? I'm really clueless
Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
9 years ago
Looked it up, now wondering why would somebody have a tree with such properties?
Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
9 years ago
no, never smelled the bergamot flowers, I think I smelled bergamot oil once.
Edie
9 years ago
Bergamot oil added to black tea = Earl Grey.

If you've grown monarda aka bee balm, the fragrance is similar.
jinnylea thanked Edie
nikthegreek
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just to point out that the distinctive aroma and flavour does not only occur in bergamot oranges but occurs in other kinds of limettas also, with mostly yellow-green coloured fruit of many shapes and sizes (usually citron or lemon like) many of which have been traditionally cultivated around the East Med.

I have a tree in my garden which produces lemon-form fruit with a colour darker than common lemons (reminiscent of Meyers) but in no way orange coloured, which exhibits this distinctive aroma. It is used to flavor deserts and the peel is used to make syrupy sweets.
jinnylea thanked nikthegreek
Sammers510
9 years ago
I live about an hour from One Green World and got a chance to get out there this summer to buy some trees, They are on the gangly side with very thin bendy trunks. They are healthy though and for me a good price/selection but as Laura mentioned SCALE. I finally don't see any on my buddahs hand from them but the seville and kishu still have one or two pop up every week. I would say there two gallon trees are on par with FW entry or choice trees depending on the variety.
jinnylea thanked Sammers510
jinnylea
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Good informative tips everyone. Thank you! :) Sammers, I hope you win that battle with the scale! Sounds like you are working diligently on taking care of it.

Nic, do you have a variety name for your tree or is it unknown? I read somewhere on a site that many of the sweet lemon varieties should actually be grouped as a limetta and the Pomona, Sweet Palestine and New Zealand Lemonade are all very similar to the Millsweet Limetta. I found that interesting as I have been coveting a Millsweet, which has been out of stock @ four winds for a long while, but if it has fruit, bloom and tree qualities comparable to them then I might pass it up..
Laura LaRosa (7b)
9 years ago
I think my OGW trees are scale free and am cautiously optimistic that the GN from FW is also. I do NOT want to risk another infestation. I will wait for Harris. Great info up there though. Interesting to know...
Laura LaRosa (7b)
9 years ago
http://www.hungrycravings.com/2010/01/single-bergamot-orange.html

I'd love to make this someday!!!