HISTOIRE DE PROVENCE

Orange Blossom

Timeless Provence

 

Orange blossom, or bitter orange blossom, is the fragrant white flower of the bitter orange tree, the raw material for orange flower water (not to be confused with orange flower essence, essential oil obtained from sweet orange blossoms (Citrus sinensis) and neroli essence.

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The essential oils obtained by expressing the zest of these fruits, combined with orange products (orange blossom, petitgrain, neroli), make up the family of hesperidic notes. Fresh and invigorating, they most often contribute to the composition of Eaux de Cologne and Eaux fraîches, as their presence adds lightness to the perfume.

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Bitter orange trees bloom in early spring. The flowers open successively over a month. The harvest of flowers begins from March to April. The floral buds are picked in the morning, after the dew, by hand, using ladders, as the tree measures between 3 and 6 meters high, or collected in sheets spread on the ground.

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Only the blossomed flowers are harvested. The pickers leave the buds for subsequent harvests, up to 5 per tree.

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After removing the leaves and other residues from the branches, which could alter the scent of the essential oil derived from the flowers, they are gathered in bags that leave the fields to be processed.