Etrog hydrosol

My etrog distillation required a ceremony of sorts to shed the ill will that was placed upon it when I first publicly mentioned my work with this beautiful citrus. I was informed that I didn’t have the authentic fruit or know what I was doing. I was also informed that I had no business working with etrog even after the former customer privately confirmed the fresh fruit I’d sent checked out as an excellent authentic specimen. It was tough but I knew I had to close the door to their future orders and a friendship it’s clear I never had.

Etrog holds significant important during Sukkot, a jewish festival of the tabernacles. When purposed for ceremony, a perfect specimen etrog can cost over one hundred dollars a piece. It must have no holes or deviations however, it’s known that a perfectly symmetrical fruit is near impossible so a scratch is acceptable. After the festival, etrog is sometimes considered waste and discarded or repurposed into jam and liqueur. Use of this fruit after the festival is where my interest lies in the name of something I personally hold sacred; sustainability. 

While religious beliefs are important to many and safe space should be held for its expression, I also feel mother nature is not proprietary and it ought to be reciprocated. One misses the point when claiming ownership of these gifts because they are here for all of us in the capacity that fits each. It’s the core of indigenous practices and one that I do my best to practice as a non-indigenous person if only on earth spirit principles. For this, I remained undeterred and distilled this beautiful citrus into an extraordinary hydrosol. While it has been grown under religious direction, that is not my consideration in this capacity. I consider our etrog even more valuable than a perfect specimen because there are no pesticides used, including on the stem where pesticides are typically used to keep from falling naturally from the citrus. The hydrosol itself is beautiful and as effervescent as its history which began with two other original species citrus: mandarin and pomelo in the southeast foothills of the Himalayas. Vitamin C content is high in this ole dinosaur and can be a brightener for dull skin. While my entry into etrog was met with controversy, like every distillation I produce, it ends with love. Love for a citrus with a beautiful history.

Shelf life: approximately 6 months. Refrigerate to prolong freshness.

Packaged in 3.3oz/100 ml tamper proof refillable glass bottles.

Our hydrosols are kept in dedicated refrigeration until shipped.