A lovely addition to cocktails and other recipes, this citrus bitters recipe combines the peels of citrus fruits with aromatic herbs and spices. Makes around 1.5 cups (Around 7,000 drops).
Rinse the oranges well. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the zest from the oranges (or another citrus fruit). Ideally, normally you want to remove the colored layer without removing a lot of the white pith (because the pith is bitter). Because we are making bitters anyway, in this recipe it isn't as important to remove the pith from the zest.
Dry the orange peels in a dehydrator or in the oven with the heat on low.
Add the dried orange zest/peels to a glass jar, and combine with the other spices and the gentian root. Crush the cardamon pods to expose the seeds within them.
Completely cover the orange peels and spices with a strong proof alcohol of your choice.
For the next several days, shake the mixture with the alcohol whenever you go past and remember to do so. Allow the orange peels and spices to infuse into the alcohol for several days to weeks. (I left mine for around 3 weeks.)
Strain out the peels and spices from the now flavorful alcohol tincture. I like to use a stainless steel strainer over a funnel to help strain the liquid into a more convenient glass bottle with a dropper for easy dispensing of the bitters.
Notes
Nutritional value based on using 3 drops when you've obtained 1.5 cups from the recipe after having strained out the herbs.