Alcademics

Tag: tuscany

  • All About Orris: Harvest in Tuscany

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

    Iris beneath olive trees Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    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.

    Iris flower 7 Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

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

    Ivano hold roots Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

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

    Replanted iris Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

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

    Peeling closeup Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    The orris is then hand peeled. 

    Pweeling orris root 7 Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    Dried peeled Orris Root Harvest Tuscany with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    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. 

  • Picking Juniper Berries in Tuscany: A Photo Album

    In May I visited Italy to learn more about the botanicals used in Bombay Sapphire. From Tuscany they get both the juniper berries and orris used in the gin. 

    Hills Tuscany Juniper Harvest with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    In the rolling hills of Tuscany at high elevations where there are few trees and many wildflowers are found the juniper bushes. 

    Bush Tuscany Juniper Harvest with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    They're kind of ugly, sprawling little bushes.

    Bush closerup 4 Tuscany Juniper Harvest with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    They're full of clusters of berries- more than I'd expect. We were there during the off season, so not many are the blue color of ripe berries. 

    Tuscany Juniper Picking with Bombay Sapphire harvesters2_tn

    Juniper is harvested by hand, using wide round baskets and short sticks. 

    Tuscany Juniper Picking with Bombay Sapphire wacking bush_tn

    They stick the baskets beneath a branch and whack it with the stick so that the blue, ripe berries fall off but the green, unripe ones do not. 

    Inspecting Tuscany Juniper Picking with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    Some of the needles stick to the berries. Any green ones that get in are sorted out later. 

    Tuscany Juniper Picking with Bombay Sapphire berries in basket_tn

    I tried it, but wasn't very good at it. 

    Camper pose Tuscany Juniper Picking with Bombay Sapphire_tn

    But then again, there weren't actually any ripe berries to harvest at this time of year.