One of the really cool things about living in California, for me, a midwesterner, is that you can grow citrus. Right in your yard!! Outside!! Guess when its ripe? At Christmas!! Who knew?
I guess I led a pretty sheltered life, at least fruit-wise, but before I moved here I didn't realize (or much care) that citrus was ripe in the Winter. I guess that's why I didn't much care for it, I would buy it in the summer. When it was yukky. Having lived here for a while now, I am not only aware that the fruit is ripe in winter, but that there are some super fabulous varieties that are better than candy. I'm generally not a fruitarian (you people know who you are), but I do love a good clementine orange (or tangerine, whatever you want to call it). A few years ago, I calculated that what I was spending on boxes of clementines every year would handily outstrip what it cost to put in our own little tree, which I did. And they're ready! Right now!
I sent the Things out to harvest the clementines after school today, in the last two weeks they've all gone from mostly green to mostly orange (!), and we've been waiting and waiting. Its always amazing to me that they're actually good. And they came from my yard. The yard I don't actually do much of anything to any more. I really owe that clementine tree some TLC, its looking unhappy in a way I'm going to have to fix. But the clementines are fantastic. And if you are related to me, there will be clementines in your Holiday Boxes. And lemons.
I can't understand why everyone doesn't just plant their own. I've gotta get a kumquat tree.
Yum!
I guess I led a pretty sheltered life, at least fruit-wise, but before I moved here I didn't realize (or much care) that citrus was ripe in the Winter. I guess that's why I didn't much care for it, I would buy it in the summer. When it was yukky. Having lived here for a while now, I am not only aware that the fruit is ripe in winter, but that there are some super fabulous varieties that are better than candy. I'm generally not a fruitarian (you people know who you are), but I do love a good clementine orange (or tangerine, whatever you want to call it). A few years ago, I calculated that what I was spending on boxes of clementines every year would handily outstrip what it cost to put in our own little tree, which I did. And they're ready! Right now!
I sent the Things out to harvest the clementines after school today, in the last two weeks they've all gone from mostly green to mostly orange (!), and we've been waiting and waiting. Its always amazing to me that they're actually good. And they came from my yard. The yard I don't actually do much of anything to any more. I really owe that clementine tree some TLC, its looking unhappy in a way I'm going to have to fix. But the clementines are fantastic. And if you are related to me, there will be clementines in your Holiday Boxes. And lemons.
I can't understand why everyone doesn't just plant their own. I've gotta get a kumquat tree. Yum!
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