All About Orris: Harvest in Tuscany

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In Tuscany on a botanical trip with Bombay Sapphire, we learned how the orris root is grown and processed to use in the gin.

Orris root is the rhizome of the Iris flower. Here in Tuscany they are grown on sloping hills between rows of olive trees. Nice space.

These iris flowers are not grown for their beauty, unlike other iris varieties, but for the quality of their rhizomes.

The rhizomes are bulbs on the base of the plants. Skinny roots shoot off the rhizomes. These are cut off.

The plant tops, with a tiny portion of the rhizome attached, are replanted.

The orris is then hand peeled.

Then it is left out to dry in the sun.

Later it is aged. The floral aspect comes out only after this, when it is extracted into gin or perfume.

harvest iris italy orris tuscany

Comments

30 responses to “All About Orris: Harvest in Tuscany”

June 3, 2011

Brant

How long do they age it?

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June 3, 2011

Camper English

I seem to recall them saying either one or two years but I can’t find this in my notes. I think I’ll ask the botanical master to find out…

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June 3, 2011

sylvan

I seem to recall reading 3 years somewhere, which blew my mind. A quick google yields https://aromax-on-line.blogspot.com/2010/01/orris-root-origin.html which claims 3 years of plant growth to harvest and 3 more years of root aging. I have a ton of iris growing at my house, but 3 years is crazy-talk.

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June 3, 2011

Camper English

Yes it’s definitely 3 years to grow (at least in Tuscany) before harvest. Then you dry it, then it ages. I emailed the botanical dude to see what he says.

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June 3, 2011

www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawnRIoMWYWry_8gntc1JNCUQB4rIvZkxwAo

Camper,
Was there any discussion about the variety of iris that they were using? Does nearly any iris root end up giving similar flavor after processing? Do you know if a slightly-crazy, home-infuser/gardener with irises could reproduce this?

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June 3, 2011

Camper English

We did not discuss the name of the variety used. However, they did say that these are not the same variety (it’s apparently a large family) that are grown for durability and beauty. These were rather fragile flowers, and grown specifically for the orris rather than the iris.

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June 4, 2011

Camper English

I asked the Master of Botanicals and he says, “For Bombay, due to the rotation of the season and the stocks we are using the rhizomes after 6-8 months. In general for other usage [people] age from one year to a maximum of three.”

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July 21, 2011

keith

Hi
I live in Dordogne and we have hundreds of juniper bushes , we are looking to create a smallholding with various uses of the land , one idea is to harvest , sell on juniper berries , any contacts/links/advice you could give would be appreciated..
cheers Ecosse man in France

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July 25, 2011

Camper English

Keith – I don’t have any good contacts for this but maybe someone will see this posting. Good luck…

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February 26, 2013

Levi

Would you know (other than liquer flavoring) Tuscans using Orris for any dishes? The Morrocan spice mix is the only thing I could find that uses it.

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February 26, 2013

Camper English

I don’t know, sorry.

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August 13, 2016

tyson

Were can you buy aged 3 year Italian orris root.

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February 7, 2018

marie gunderson-briggs

Hi Camper
Super interesting – do they harvest in early June afer the first flowering? or through out the summer?
I would be interested to know
cheers

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February 8, 2018

Camper English

I’m afraid I don’t know.

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June 3, 2020

christina

Who wouldn’t love to be in an Tuscany olive grove underplanted with Orris (Iris pallida) . I hope the ancient olives are surviving.

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