I've got both on order, and plan on keeping them in containers, so wondering what folks do with the fruits of these sour oranges? I like marmalade, so we'll be trying to make some with both, as well as Bergamot Limoncello as well, and drying some of the Bergamot peel for adding to tea. Does anyone use the juice of either of these varieties for anything? Can you make a lemonade or cook with the juice? Seems most of what I'm finding online with regard to using either of these varieties has to do with either the peel (oils) or the flowers (essence and oils). And, I think that I might order some Bouquetier de Nice à Fleurs budwood from UCR and graft a few trees for their fantastic flowers (as well as some Xie Shan mandarin budwood that will be going on some C35 rootstock). Since again, I would like to keep the Bouquetier small, what rootstock would you suggest I use? I'm probably going to use a trifoliate, if this is compatible (should be), and likely to go with Flying Dragon at this point, unless someone has a better suggestion?

Hi Patty !

All classical orange recipes were originally created for the Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium).
For instance Duck Orange.

The classical English Breakfast marmalade is made of the bitter orange and Fanta Italia had many years 2 version, one with Sweet and one with Bitter Orange ...
Still lots of juices and lemonades of bitter orange are in the italian supermarkets.

I ate several of them also out of the hand fresh, they are just a bit more bitter, than a grapefruit.

So you have a lot of uses for your comming fruits.

Best rootstock are own roots or bitter orange seedling.
They are cold hardy till - 12 ° C.

Bergamots are a cross of Bitter Orange and Lemon.
They are almost not bitter at all ... much much less than Grapefruit and have that special parfume smell and taste.
I love to eat them fresh or use them as a substitute to Lemon, Orange or Grapefruit.
Depends how ripe they are, fully ripe they are even a lil sweet ...
There is also a diet cure which use a daily drink of Bergamot juice.
In Italy and swiss are juice, lemonades and marmalade made from it to buy.

Same about the rootstock as before.

Molte grazie! My Italian grandmother I know used to use sour oranges, but she's no longer with us, so I can't ask her how she used them. Very interested in incorporating them into my cooking, and definitely looking forward to Bergamot Limoncello, I think that will taste exceptionally good! I will also try lemonade with both as well.

Da niente Cara !

As I said, you can just use orange recipes using bitter orange - or, as I do just mix with sweet oranges.

If you like the Grapefruit taste, then you can use them pure.
I like it sweet or sour, but not really bitter.
Just duck orange, for the bitterly duck meat fits perfectly to the bitter orange taste.

By the way, Earl Gray uses the FLOWERS of the Bergamot, not the rind of the fruits, but that will taste also very well.