Introduction
Full recipe for orange blossom water with instructions: foodtapasandwine.com/orange-blossom-water-agua-de-azahar/
Commonly used in Europe and the Middle East, orange blossom water adds a delicate floral flavor to pastries, dishes, and even cocktails. It's not difficult to make your own extract that will keep for years.
Recipe for mona de Pascua: foodtapasandwine.com/spanish-easter-cake-mona-de-pascua/
Other blogs:
Oh, The Things We'll Make! : thethingswellmake.com
Cosas Caseras: cosascaseras.com
Homemade natural food coloring: thethingswellmake.com/diy-natural-food-coloring-and-homemade-colored-sugar-crystals/
Homemade colored boba: thethingswellmake.com/naturally-colored-homemade-boba-black-tapioca-pearls-colors/
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/mariachi
*Note: Sorry about the sound issues in parts of the video. My microphone malfunctioned and I had to use the sound from the camera in those parts.
Content
Welcome to food, tacos and wine today, we are going to be making essentia or agua de author.
Now, I'm going to show you a couple different ways to do this abu dhabi comes from the blossoms of citrus fruits bar, generally refers to the flowers of the orange tree right now, our lime and lemon trees are in blue.
And I wanted some aguada to make some homemade monas.
Those are a typical easter sweet, bread, that's, served this time of year, the weather's been pretty cold this year.
So just the last two days, it's been really warm, but my trees are just now starting to come into full blue.
So what I like to do, I don't like to disturb the flowers that are on the tree.
But with all the wind, we've been losing a lot of them.
So I tend to collect the flowers that fall.
The open flowers tend to be much more fragrant.
I also collect the ones that fall before they open, but I find that they aren't.
They don't give the same aroma or the same flavor.
Now, most people here make what they call agua it's.
Basically just a tea and herbal tea made with just the flowers of either the orange tree or other citrus fruits, I like to pull the stems off, because they can add bitterness to it, and then to strain out the flowers.
And then they say to keep it up to six months or a year, but I would never keep a tea that I made last year and try to drink.
It months later, anything that has water in it can build up mold or bacteria that you can't see.
So if you want to preserve this longer I'm going to give you a couple of tips of how to do this now, most people would say straighten this out if you can use an amber colored bottle or one that's darker and then store it in the fridge, but I wouldn't store it more than about 10 days if you're using that method, what we're going to do is we're going to do what I did when I made homemade food colorings on my other blog, using all sorts of different foods and fruits and other things to get natural colors to be able to make naturally colored things like boba.
I don't know if you've ever tried boba the tapioca pearls and things like that.
So if you're interested in that sort of thing, you can check out my other blog, oh, the things we'll make it's also, translated into spanish and corsos caseras.
But today we're going to be preserving it also with alcohol.
So the nice thing about using the alcohol method is it's really simple as you obtain flowers.
If you just get a few every day, you don't have to make them all at once, you can just obtain a few flowers, rinse them off and start storing them in a jar or a bottle.
And as you build up the amount of flours, you just keep covering them with a high proof alcohol, something that has 40 something like vodka or rum are good, and they help extract the flavor while they preserve.
This would basically be an extract of afar when making something like this with alcohol.
The main benefit is that it will heat pretty much indefinitely, but we'll be leaving.
The flowers in there for several weeks, just to make sure that we extract all of the goodness, but then you can remove them and keep the remaining liquid almost indefinitely.
Now, when making it with alcohol, I'd also like to put special emphasis on removing all of the stems because again, they can add bitterness.
I wasn't quite so careful when I was making this water version, but you could see I made this yesterday.
I poured boiling water over the clean petals after removing most of the stems.
I didn't do a great job of removing absolutely every single one, but I I did remove most of them and right now we'll be straining this and taking a look to see what we have left.
You can definitely smell this and try getting a spoon.
But yeah, it definitely has absorbed the flavor of the flowers too.
Now, this is what you would normally find in the store here.
This is called aroma natural I'm, not sure how they obtain the natural scent and flavor.
But those of you who follow my other blog probably know that I'm not a big fan of any sort of artificial color, flavor, not even if it's labeled natural okay.
So let's strain out.
The one I made yesterday, you'll notice that the water has obtained a bit of a yellow color to it using a spoon.
We can press out as much of the water from the petals as possible.
And this will give us a lot.
More smells.
Pretty good.
Give it a taste.
It actually has quite a strong flavor now, we're going to try making the a third extract with alcohol.
Now, as I obtain flowers, I will be cleaning them and putting them in the bottle because this is going to be something that will keep a lot longer than the aguades are made with water I'm going to be a little bit more meticulous about what I choose to put in there.
Now, every day I go down several times near my lime tree, especially that's in bloom right now.
I just went there, and I just gathered three or four more flowers again, that fell, you know, just a little bit of wind, and the flowers will fall to the ground.
So I don't like pulling them off the trees.
I like using the ones that fall on their own.
So now what I'm going to do is I'm going to take these flowers after rinsing them off, and let them dry here on a clean towel and then I'm going to remove any of the stems any little lines that have started to form.
Now I do I'll do the same thing with my orange tree when that goes into bloom, it looks like it's going to start going into bloom, but it is still.
The flowers are all still closed.
The finished extract is much better.
If you can get mostly just the petals.
And when the flowers are open they're, a lot more fragrant than the ones that are closed.
So now that I've removed all of this and allowed it to drain off the excess water, um it's.
They don't have to be perfectly dry it's.
You know, it's, okay for a little bit of water.
I just don't want to lower the percentage of alcohol much.
Okay.
So all I'm going to do is just add the puddles that are dry in here and take apart the petals from these other flowers, leaving.
These are really fragrant, they're, really, pretty sad to pull them apart.
But this is really good you like them.
Once we finish that all we have to do is just cover them in some alcohol.
In this case, I am a bottle of just make sure to cover those.
Now you can leave this in the dark pantry for several weeks and you'll, notice that the alcohol will take up a little bit of the color of the petals and the sun and the flavor it's been several weeks.
Now that the flower petals have been steeping in the alcohol.
I tried a few different types of alcohol with it.
And I really like gin, something about the gin brings out the floral aspect or quality of the flower, petals I'm going to open this up and let's see what we got with the gin.
You can definitely notice that there's a little bit of a citrus quality, some of the alcohols distract from that.
And now I it's interesting because this to me smells like a mixture of floral citrus, bitter.
And yeah, I totally smell like I can tell the scent that they actually add to the bread to give it flavor.
Well, this doesn't smell like bread.
For some reason I can just totally smell one other basket.
Okay, what we're going to do is we're going to strain this out.
Now I have a dark bottle.
This was from a bottle of organic olive oil.
And this glass dark colored bottle, just helps preserve things better.
So I'm just going to use a stainless steel, strainer and use a stainless funnel.
I don't have to be stainless.
I just like working with stainless steel and we're, just gonna pour this right in there.
You can notice that the alcohol has obtained this amber, golden amber color from the petals.
Now, if you wanted to you could probably get even a little bit more out of this or make a fragrant alcohol for using cocktails by just adding a little bit more instead of trying to get every little bit of alcohol out of these petals, you can add them back in here, add a little bit more alcohol.
It won't be as strong, but it will give that just a little bit of a subtle flavor that you can add to your cocktails and drinks.
So that's, just another thing you can do if you know you want to reuse these petals.
And this definitely keeps for quite some time.
You can definitely keep it up for a year, uh, probably much longer than that.
So I much prefer this to the water version now I still have my water one over there.
I can give it a look and show you.
This was the aqua de azar that I made with water.
Now it looks a little cloudy and murky to me while most people would just say, maybe that's, just, you know, flower petal remains or whatever whatever it is to me that's a sign of bacteria that I mean, they might not be harmful bacteria.
But I wouldn't want to take a chance.
And to me this now smells like it's been fermenting.
It smells almost like beer, but it's got kind of a musty smell.
Now I left this outside of the fridge.
I should have left it in the fridge.
If I had really wanted to preserve it, but I wanted to be able to see what would happen to this over time in comparison to this.
They definitely don't smell similar at all.
I definitely wouldn't want to drink this, but this smells delicious.
So there you have it.
Yes.
Well.
The traditional is made with water, it's, really more of a product that you make for one time use and then that's it.
You could freeze orange blossom petals, uh to be able to make it whenever you wanted to, but I think for most recipes having an extracting alcohol works just as well it.
Actually, I think this smells much better than this ever did from even from the beginning.
And it just it just smells fresh and it's perfect for preserving.
So this is my method of choice.
So there you have it.
I hope you enjoyed this and maybe you'll give it a try if you ever get a hold of some orange blossoms or even lemon or lime blossoms as you can see this one was made with lemon.
I do now have my orange treat blossom so I'm going to try again and see if I notice any difference between them and maybe I'll update the post and let you know, but, uh, you know, the flowers themselves are very similar.
And this to me smells exactly like honey pasta.
So I think we've gone in the right direction with this.
So I hope you have a great day.
And if you like the video, I would love it if you would like and subscribe and until next time you.
FAQs
How much agua de azahar should I drink? ›
FOR SALE BRAND NEW AGUA DE AZAHAR (ORANGE FLOWER WATER) 8oz. GLASS BOTTLE FOR BETTER TASTE. DRINK 1 OUNCE WHEN NEED TO EASE STRESS.
What is Azahar natural orange blossom for? ›The texture in oil is ideal to provide your body with the hydration it needs. Its delicate perfume envelops your body providing a sense of immediate well-being. Intensive antioxidant body care for all skin types.
Can I drink agua de azahar? ›Commonly used in Europe and the Middle East, orange blossom water adds a delicate floral flavor to pastries, dishes, and even cocktails.
What does orange blossom water do for your stomach? ›An infusion (tea) made from the flowers is also recommended for mild stomach upset and as an aid to digestion. The flowers may have mild diuretic (promote urination) properties as well.
How much orange blossom water to use? ›Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of orange blossom to a glass of cold water and you have one of the best refreshments.
How long is orange blossom water good for? ›The shelf life of Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water is up to 3 years. The “Best By” date printed on the side of the bottle indicates its expiration.
How do you use orange blossom water for anxiety? ›In the evening, if you're feeling stressed or anxious, stir 2 tablespoons of orange blossom water in a glass of water and drink it before going to bed to quiet the mind. The same formula has long been used as a folk remedy to alleviate headaches and menstrual pain.
Is orange blossom water anti inflammatory? ›Orange blossom water is rich in anti-inflammatory properties, which helps in calming down the skin inflammations and irritations. It is quite efficient in reducing the redness of the skin and treats the sunburns by speeding up the process of cell regeneration.
Is Agua de Azahar good for anxiety? ›Flor de Azahar is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and as a digestive stimulate in traditional Mexican remedies. A tea made from blossoms and leaves is used as a remedy for anger issues known as muina or coraje.
Can I use orange blossom water on my face? ›Calming, refreshing, regenerating orange blossom is a natural toner that works equally well on our face, body, hair and nails. This super gentle ingredient soothes even the most sensitive of skins. Orange blossom is a gentle cleanser that soothes the epidermis and softens skin.
Is orange blossom water good for your hair? ›
It helps to revitalise dry and dehydrated hair so that it is shiny and strong. Orange blossom water has moisturizing, softening and purifying properties, it will soothe the scalp and leave a pleasant smell in the hair.
Can you drink orange flower water? ›Rose water is good for dry and sensitive skin, while orange blossom water is good for oily skin. Can I drink orange flower water? Yes. However, you must dilute it – mix two tablespoons of orange blossom water in a glass of water and drink.
Does orange blossom water need to be refrigerated? ›Orange blossom water keeps a long time when tightly sealed and stored in a cool place. Refrigeration is not necessary.
What are the benefits of Agua de Azahar? ›Agua de Azahar (Orange Blossom Water)
One of its most natural properties is that it is a sedative of the nervous system and it is an antispasmodic, which naturally relaxes muscles spasms and heart palpitations.
Children are given this beneficial flower water as a natural treatment for upset stomach, indigestion and gas. It is known to work wonders, making it a great natural and safe remedy.
How strong is orange flower water? ›When using orange blossom water in recipes, start with a small amount. The water is very pungent and can easily overpower a dish if you add too much!
What pairs well with orange blossom water? ›Nuts (especially walnuts and pistachios), sweet spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, and anise), semolina, coconut, rose, honey, and cream are only a few of its welcome pairings. Orange blossom water disperses especially well in syrups and cake-like pastries, such as madeleines, muffins, and cookies.
How much alcohol is in orange blossom water? ›Unlike orange extract, orange flower water contains no alcohol and is actually created from steaming orange tree blossoms and capturing the flavor in the liquid that is left behind.
Does blossom water go bad? ›Yes, it can go bad, and more likely it will lose potency, but it'll be obvious with a quick whiff.
Does blossom water expire? ›You can keep Ayda organic and 100% pure orange blossom water up to 24 months after the distillation. You may refer to the expiration date written on the bottle. If you keep it until the expiration date, you can rely on the scent.
Does orange blossom water taste like orange? ›
Orange blossom water is made by boiling the petals of the bitter orange tree with water; the steam is bottled, creating this essence. Nearly clear and very fragrant with distinct floral and citrus notes, orange blossom water has a sweet, subtly bitter taste (similar to that of an orange rind).
Does orange blossom lower blood pressure? ›Lowers blood pressure
The study cited above also found that Orange Blossom therapy reduced blood pressure levels in prehypertensive and hypertensive participants. If you're having trouble controlling your blood pressure due to chronic stress, consider giving Orange Blossom aromatherapy a try.
Drinking plain water is associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety in adults: Results from a large cross-sectional study.
What home remedy drink for anxiety? ›Drink chamomile tea. A cup of chamomile tea is a common home remedy to calm frayed nerves and promote sleep. A 2014 study showed chamomile may also be a powerful ally against GAD.
What is the best water to drink to reduce inflammation? ›Hydrogen water also offers a host of other health-improving benefits, but you'll have to experience it for yourself to believe it. If you're suffering from chronic inflammation, you can benefit from one of the best natural anti-inflammatory drinks, hydrogen water.
What kind of water reduces inflammation? ›Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.
What can I add to my water to reduce inflammation? ›Baking soda benefits
Try it: Combine 1/4 tsp. baking soda with 8 to 12 oz. of water. A baking soda and water tonic can provide short-term relief from inflammation, but do not drink it for more than 2 to 4 weeks.
- Lavender.
- Jasmine.
- Lemon balm.
- Rosemary.
- Gerbera daisy.
- Chrysanthemum.
- Snake plant.
- Red-edged dracaena. Studies show that all plants provide mental health benefits. Constantly seeing and being around plants help us feel more calm and relaxed, thus decreasing levels of anxiety.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is a popular herb that's most widely used as a caffeine-free tea. Although chamomile contains a wide range of beneficial compounds, it's well known for promoting relaxation, especially in people with anxiety ( 25 ).
What herbs calm down anxiety? ›- Kava. ...
- Passion flower. ...
- Valerian. ...
- Chamomile. ...
- Lavender. ...
- Lemon balm.
Is there caffeine in orange blossom water? ›
Throughout the Middle East and Levantine cultures, orange blossom water is touted for its digestive properties. In Lebanon, it is common to drink after big meals, where it is called white coffee. Contrary to its name, it contains no coffee or caffeine — only warm water and orange blossom water.
Can I use orange blossom water instead of rose water? ›Since it is precisely the special flavor of orange blossom water or rose water, you are looking for in the recipe, there is no direct replacement. Just skip it if you can't manage to find it. Orange blossom and rose water must be the perfect accompaniment for dishes made in the summer.
What is the difference between orange flower water and orange blossom water? ›The transparent and fragrant by-product of distilled fresh orange blossoms is orange flower water. What is this? It's also popularly known as orange blossom water, so both mean the same thing, and you shouldn't be confused. It's an edible ingredient and also used in many industries.
What is the best infused water for hair growth? ›Hailed as the new rice water, rosemary water is gentle, effective and incredibly good for your hair. It mitigates hair loss and stimulates growth with every use. Not only can you make this product at home using rosemary essential oil or rosemary leaves, but it's also safe for all hair types too.
Does orange blossom smell strong? ›Orange blossom has an incredibly complex scent, with many nuances that vary depending on the type used. I would describe it as having the following facets; citrus, honey, bright floral, indole, orange, sun, green (as in stems), beeswax, clean, soapy, plastic and earth.
How to use orange juice for hair loss? ›For this, you can either use fresh orange juice or dried peel powder, and mix it with honey. Apply this mixture on your shampooed hair, and wash it off after 10 minutes. Trust us, this conditioner will give you a healthy mane you've always dreamt of!
Is orange blossom water safe for babies? ›With soothing benefits, orange blossom water helps babies fall asleep gently. Indeed, for baby to fall asleep well, a few drops in his bath before sleeping will help him relax and thus promote falling asleep.
Is orange blossom water natural? ›100% natural orange blossom water made from traditional distillation the bitter orange flowers. It contains vitamins A, B, C and E, and other antioxidants.
What is azahar water in english? ›Orange Blossom Water ( Agua de Azahar)
Is orange flower water alcoholic? ›The Bitter Truth Orange Flower Water is an essential, non-alcoholic water made out of bitter orange blossoms. A traditional ingredient for drinks and food in North Africa, Middle East and Mediterranean area.
What is the best drinking water for GERD? ›
Carbonated mineral waters that have a high content of hydrogen carbonate may be particularly effective in relieving symptoms of acid reflux. Alkaline water, including coconut water, can help inactivate human pepsin, which helps with acid-buffering capacity in people with acid reflux.
What is the best drink for acid reflux? ›Drinks such as ginger tea, certain fruit and vegetable juices, and plant-based milks may benefit people experiencing acid reflux and heartburn. Avoiding citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and alcohol can also help to reduce symptom frequency and severity.
What kind of water is best for GERD? ›Alkaline water is considered therapeutic by many people who suffer from reflux disease and is associated with reducing symptoms, such as heartburn. The theory is that it reduces the acidity of the intestinal tract and permanently denatures any pepsin that is present.
Is orange blossom water safe to drink? ›Yes, orange blossom water is generally safe to drink. Orange blossom water is a clear, fragrant liquid that is made by steeping orange blossoms in water. It is commonly used as a flavoring in various culinary dishes and beverages. It is also used in some traditional medicine practices.
Is orange blossom water good for your face? ›Orange blossom is a gentle cleanser that soothes the epidermis and softens skin. It brightens dull skin, combats the signs of ageing, whitens nails and boosts growth, strengthens hair whilst giving it a healthy shine and helps make up to set. Orange blossom is an excellent face and body moisturiser.
Is orange blossom water better than rose water for skin? ›It depends on your skin type. Rose water is good for dry and sensitive skin, while orange blossom water is good for oily skin.
What is the best drink to calm anxiety? ›The best stress-relieving drinks include ginger, chamomile tea, valerian, black tea, coconut water, milk, green tea, coffee, lemon balm tea, water, and vegetable and fruit juice. Aromatherapy is another self-soothing practice shown to have benefits for mental health.
Do you refrigerate orange blossom water? ›Orange blossom water keeps a long time when tightly sealed and stored in a cool place. Refrigeration is not necessary.
Is orange blossom water anti-inflammatory? ›Orange blossom water is rich in anti-inflammatory properties, which helps in calming down the skin inflammations and irritations. It is quite efficient in reducing the redness of the skin and treats the sunburns by speeding up the process of cell regeneration.
Is orange blossom water antibacterial? ›With a delicate floral scent that uplifts the mood, orange blossom water (also known as orange flower water) gently tones and rejuvenates the skin. It is also thought to have mild antimicrobial qualities that help keep the skin clear.
Which flower water is best for skin? ›
Flower waters such as tea tree, neem, rosemary and basil waters provide anti-bacterial, antifungal and antiviral benefits to oily and acne-prone skin while soothing redness and bumps.
Which rose water is best for all skin types? ›Vitro Naturals Hydro Distilled Pure Rose Water Spray
With the properties of natural rosewater, it also regulates pH levels, promotes skin regeneration, and soothes sunburns and acne. This rose water from Vitro Naturals is soothing and beneficial for all skin types, including dry, aged, and sensitive skin.