I inherited a Chinotto tree with this property in the Marlborough Sounds. For the first 5 years I had no idea what it was. The small hard orange fruits were a mystery as they tasted inedible- well to us at least- the wekas like them. They are so bitter and hard, but the sweet orange fragrance was enticing.

It wasn't until I went on a trip around Sicily and Puglia that I realised my tree by the front door was the fruit that makes two of Italy's most famous drinks: Chinotto soda and Campari.

Unfortunately I don't have the means to make Campari so the Negronis are on hold, but I have had a go at making my own Chinotto syrup that can be added to sparkling water to make something similar to the famous Italian soda. This year my tree has a prolific amount of fruit on it, so I am sharing it with the wekas and probably the possums too.

But a small bowlful of the fruit was enough to make quite a bit of syrup. Here's how: Slice up the Chinotto. Don't be too fussy about thickness, but not too thin or they will burn too easily in the oven.

Lay them out on an oven tray that has been lined with baking paper. Then sprinkle over your spices. I used a couple of cinnamon and cassia sticks, green cardamom, a grating of nutmeg, a good grind of black pepper and a good spoonful of coriander seeds.

Pop them into a 190˚C oven and let them cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the slices start to caramelise and the edges start to burn a little.

Meanwhile make a simple sugar syrup by heating up equal parts sugar and water in a pot, until the sugar has dissolved. How much you need will be determined by how much chinotto you have and the size of the jars you will put them in. You need enough to fully submerge the chinotto in the jars. Pop your roasted chinotto slices into a tall jar, leaving space at the top for the syrup.

Then pour in the syrup so that it is above the chinotto slices. You will probably need to pop in a little saucer or bowl or another weight to push the chinotto slices right down into the syrup.

Put the lid on tightly and pop the jar in the fridge. Leave it there for at least 2 weeks and then start to use it. Just decant off a little syrup and mix it with some cold sparkling water for a refreshing Italian soda!