Bergamot Syrup

Around a month ago I caused significant alarm to an extremely pleasant lady running an organic fruit and veg stall at La Haye du Puits market, such was my excitement and enthusiasm on discovering she was selling fresh bergamots. Perhaps I have been looking in the wrong place but these seem not to be able to make it north of the Watford Gap in the UK and so I seized my opportunity to purchase a kilo and make some bergamot syrup. The pale chartreuse liquid sits quite happily in a sealed bottle in the fridge and is perfect for adding to gin and tonics, sparkling wine, or any other cocktail you feel would benefit from a hit of perfumed citrus. Full disclosure, the syrup recipe is based on Diana Henry’s ‘Bergamot Fizz’ cocktail, in her superlatively good recipe book How to Eat a Peach. I commend it to you heartily.

Ingredients:

10 Bergamots
500g Granulated Sugar
500ml Water

Method:

1)     Zest and juice the bergamots. The smell of the bergamot oil is delightful but may make you sneeze. You have been warned. Combine the zest, sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce to a simmer and cook for around 3 minutes. Off the heat, add the juice, and then simmer for a further 2 minutes. Strain, then decant into a sterilised bottle. The syrup keeps well for at least a month in the fridge.