bergamot

[Hope]

I didn't even know bergamot was a citrus fruit until I saw it on the Hairy Bikers recently. I've just seen Abel and Cole are selling it. I'm so tempted, but how can I use it, other than in earl grey tea? Can I use it instead of lemon in a cake? Or a savoury meal? (don't forget, we're vegetarians!)

[cyprusmoira]

We have Bergamot oranges in Cyprus, I use them to make marmalade. the Cypriot ladies use them for Glyko

Moira

[Seatallan]

Nice recipe for Bergamot sorbet in this article plus some other ideas:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 35273.html

[Herbidacious]

I once bought one from Natoora, but i cam't remember what I did with it

[Kavey]

Earl grey tea is made with essential oils extracted from the skin of the bergamot fruit, as far as I'm aware.
You can use the flesh / juice like other sharp citrus fruits -- though they are oranges, the juice is more astringent, like lemons...
I used some in a fruit curd -- combined with persimmon. https://www.kaveyeats.com/2016/02/persi ... ecipe.html

[Hope]

I'm still not sure what to do with them, so haven't bought any. I do quite like the idea of bergamont drizzle cake. Although I've no idea what they actually tast like of course!

[Ratatouille]

If I could lay my hands on some I would make curd. So far this year I have made Seville orange and lime and have 6 passionfruit ripening to make more. I only make a small amount at a time because unlike jam and marmalade it doesn't keep long.

[Hope]

Trouble with curd is the sugar - in that I can't eat it and my boys are better without it! I'm sure you could make it with a substitute, but I'm really not confident about makign sugar-free preserves!

[Ratatouille]

Hope curd doesn't require any specific amount of sugar it is the eggs and butter that make it happen. If you make a drizzle cake, then what do you use? The same would apply to curd I use probably half the amount of sugar in a "real" curd recipe. What's the difference?

[Hope]

I cannot eat any sugar at all. I only get sweetness from fruit. Lemon drizzle cake, I normally use fruit syrup and hten only eat a tiny piece. Even if I used half the sugar in a curd, it'd be too much for me, and hubby wouldn't eat it, and the boys might not like it! I'm trying to get my energy balance right and sugar really throws it off.

[PatsyMFagan]

Isn't Fructose made from fruit ? Would that still give you problems Hope ? I also have a date syrup in the larder and I know you can get Agave syrup too ...

[Hope]

Fructose is fruit sugars, but it's not in all fruit, or something like that. From doing the fodmap diet I've found I'm sensitive to "medium" amounts of fructose, so can't eat foods that are high in it. Agave is very high in fructose, so can't have that either. I've tried date syrup before, but the datey-taste was very strong, so only worked in certain things.

[Catherine]

Bergamot also makes a wonderfully refreshing face spray. I find the smell quite revitalising and cleansing