Citrus Growers Forum

citrange · Posted: Sun 31 Oct, 2010 3:41 pm

I recently came across an article from 1932 about what was probably the first Trifoliate Orange to be grown so far north in the USA. I have made it available at
http://www.homecitrusgrowers.co.uk/wheretoseePTusa/PTArnoldArboretum.pdf (2.7Mb download)
Poncirus trifoliata is currently growing at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston - or at least it was when I visited in 2003.
Mike/Citrange

citrange · Posted: Wed 10 Nov, 2010 6:53 pm

I've always been somewhat puzzled by the occasional comments on this forum about the disgusting, rank smell of Poncirus trifoliata fruits. I rather like the smell and will happily carry a fruit in my pocket and scratch it now and again to release the fragrance. I was beginning to think I was a bit odd - but the article stopped me worrying! It says
"They are very aromatic and a few of them will scent up a whole room. To many people the odor is quite pleasant, suggesting Eau de Cologne; others find it rank and disagreeable."

ivica · Posted: Thu 11 Nov, 2010 7:05 am

Also, talking about taste:
Mistake which people does is mixing PT with sugar. That is no-go, per my 'tongue'.
Use it raw or with something else but not sweetener, salt maybe...
I prefer them fresh, eating a few per season, using spoon and eating whatever I can dig out (not seeds - too many of them, not outer skin - too strong flavour, white flesh is the best part) saved me from cold in several ocassions.
I wonder what tequila could taste with a bit of PT added Question

I'm assuming here that tequila do not contains sugar, I did never taste one though.
Any volunteer out there, to report on 'tequila test' ?

_________________

citrusgalore · Posted: Sat 04 Dec, 2010 11:56 pm

in the area I grew up, they were commonly known as 'smelling oranges'.

Go Figure!! Very Happy

_________________
A small piece of land with fruit trees and a garden allows one to live as kings and queens in times of trouble.

buddinman · Posted: Wed 03 Oct, 2012 11:47 pm

IN North Mississippi they were known as smell oranges. The last time I was in North Mississippi I was shown a large one. Collected a few fruit for the seed.

cristofre · Posted: Thu 04 Oct, 2012 12:41 pm

citrange wrote:

I've always been somewhat puzzled by the occasional comments on this forum about the disgusting, rank smell of Poncirus trifoliata fruits. I rather like the smell and will happily carry a fruit in my pocket and scratch it now and again to release the fragrance. I was beginning to think I was a bit odd - but the article stopped me worrying! It says
"They are very aromatic and a few of them will scent up a whole room. To many people the odor is quite pleasant, suggesting Eau de Cologne; others find it rank and disagreeable."

I quite like the smell of them myself, actually , I have some of the dried fruit on my desk at work, in my car, around my house.
None of my trees are fruiting yet, so I am having to get PT fruits from a tree on private property in the middle of town. I stop my car in the road, run over and grab a few fruit, and take off!

I really don't see much if any edible use for them, but I think they have definite possibilities in aromatherapy or made into incense or something like that.

Once my trees start fruiting I plan to do some experimenting.

cristofre · Posted: Thu 04 Oct, 2012 12:50 pm

ivica wrote:

I wonder what tequila could taste with a bit of PT added Question

I'm assuming here that tequila do not contains sugar, I did never taste one though.
Any volunteer out there, to report on 'tequila test' ?

hmmmm... I have some tequila at home, and there is some ripe PT fruits on a tree near where I live....

Interesting point- the 1932 article linked above was written during the last year of alcohol prohibition in the USA which lasted from 1920- 1933.

Maybe alcohol could be made FROM PT fruit? I wonder if anyone has ever tried?

Sanguinello · Gest

alcool can be made from EVERYTHING that contains sugar or starch, but the taste will be poncirus then ...

cristofre · Posted: Mon 08 Oct, 2012 1:38 pm

Just for the heck of it, I did try a shot of tequila with a squeeze of fresh PT juice over the weekend.

I wouldn't recommend it.
Adding something bitterly sour to the burn of high-proof alcohol somehow didn't make it better.

Chucky · Posted: Wed 17 Oct, 2012 12:04 pm

cristofre wrote:

Maybe alcohol could be made FROM PT fruit? I wonder if anyone has ever tried?

Yes you can make alcohol from Poncirus trifoliata fruit.
But not only from the fruits.
They simply do not contain enough sugar to get a reasonable quantity of alcohol out of it.
A friend of my brother-in-law has made 3 years ago a "European crab apple / Poncirus trifoliata" schnapps. *)
(two-thirds crab apple; one third PT)
I personally did not find the taste as bad at all.
Since after the burning only the resinous taste remains from the PT.
And he reminds approximately of a "Zirbengeist". **)

*)
European crab apple => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malus_sylvestris
Edelbrand => http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edelbrand
I did not really find a translation for "Edelbrand" - only "schnapps"....

**)
Zirbengeist or Zirbenschnaps:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirbenlik%C3%B6r (http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zirbenschnaps&redirect=no)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Pine
http://zirbengeist.info/

Sanguinello · Gest

Jo mei a Burgenlandler .. Wink

(o my a castle Landle)

Edelbrand = Fine Brandy made of fruits only.

Zirbengeist is a brandy that is not only delicious, but also a medicine.
I would NEVER compare anything of Poncirus with that ...

Sanguinello · Gest

Smelling Orange (Bouquetier/Arancia die Profumo/Duftorange) is Citrus aurantium.
It is used to produce parfumes.