Fig Season is here!

Well the long awaited Fig season has arrived! It's a bit a of wild scene out there once the fruit start getting ripe and real battle between Man and Bird. For about 2 months leading up to ripening the local birds in the know will pop by to tentatively peck the Figs to check how far away they are from being, as we say around here - "Jam". "Jam" is what we refer to when you get a Fig at its peak, juicy ripeness. There is nothing worse than a dry, seedy Fig picked before its prime. But left too long to hang, you risk coming back to a Fig ravaged by the Birds.
Since ancient times Figs have been cultivated by man. They were one of the first plants that was cultivated by humans and are well known throughout the world. Fossilised Figs dating to about 9400BC were found in an early Neolithic village in the Jordan Valley, 13 km north of Jericho.

The unusual fruit grows on a deciduous subtropical tree. Although we think of them as a Mediterranean tree, they are actually native to Western Asia. There are several types of fig available in NZ but worldwide, there are thousands of cultivars that have been developed as human migration brought the fig to many places outside its natural range. Figs have grown successfully in home orchards & backyards since early European settlers first brought them to New Zealand. Figs are deciduous and grow to become very large trees - making them fairly difficult for most suburban gardens where regular pruning & maintenance will be needed.
With an age-old reputation as a sustaining and nourishing food, figs are friendly to the digestive system in either fresh or dried form. This is because they contain an enzyme called ficin that helps the digestive process by soothing your gut. They are also mildly laxative. Dried figs are a rich source of fibre, iron, potassium and calcium, making them a useful food for people with high blood pressure. Weight for weight, a fig contains more fibre than most other fruits or vegetables, so they're great for your bowels and your cholesterol levels. They're also high in polyphenol antioxidants, which can make them a valuable food for cancer prevention. Figs are odd trees - they don't produce flowers - the blossom is inside the fruit, and it's these blossoms with their little seeds that produce the crunchy texture. 

There are two fruiting types of varieties with Figs. One has two crops of figs produced each year the other just one. The first or breba crop develops in the spring on last year's shoot growth (Jan-Feb). The main fig crop (April-May) develops on the current year's shoot growth and ripens in the late summer or autumn. The main crop is generally superior in quantity and quality, but some cultivars can produce good breba crops. Fruit will need picking daily to ensure top quality and to minimise spoilage and bird attacks. The fruit don't age well once picked and will need to be eaten within a few days of picking.

To produce high quality fruit, fig trees will need maintenance and care after planting. By nature the root systems are very inquisitive so be conscious of the proximity of plumbing and services if planting them in the ground. Once planted, trees should produce fruit in 2 years. Then once settled in, they are a seemingly unstoppable tree. They will reach good harvest volumes in 5-7 years. Trees should go on producing for years to come. Some plantings in California are 100 years old and still producing excellent volumes of fruit.
They need a sheltered, north facing position which catches the sun all day. Put them in shade and will they use all their energy finding sun and none producing fruit. They should be planted on flat or gently sloping ground so they are easy to pick and tend.
They prefer soil to be free draining and will not cope with being waterlogged.
Whilst the trees are relatively drought resistant, fruit will not ripen to its prime if the trees aren't watered. If your area dries out, it is advisable to invest in an irrigation system which will supply water during the growing season. This will ensure your fruit is juicy and grows to optimum size.
The main pest you will find with your Fig will be Birds. You will need some protection from birds who will damage the fruit on the trees. Unless if like me you like to share with them & enjoy watching all the Waxeyes & Tui's & other birds enjoying them also. For us, our tree is so old & large there is enough for everyone:)  Figs aren't as prone to disease as some other fruit crops making them a good candidate for organic growers.

  

The fig tree is fast growing and requires pruning to keep it at a manageable height. Pruning also helps to limit shading the fruit, which will delay ripening. I have heard of people trimming off the leaves to help ripen the fruit quicker. Although the tree does start dropping leaves about mid March to help this process. I have seen an orchard which espaliered the trees, set up like a vineyard with wires strung between posts. This would be costlier to set up but would help ensure the fruit was always at an accessible height, making picking less labour intensive in the long run.

  

                                                

Fig Paste

Figs, skins removed & pureed.

Equal amount of Jam Sugar.

​or 2 cups Caster Sugar & 4¼ TBS Powdered Pectin.

1. Combine the Fig puree & Sugar in a large saucepan & place over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Turn up heat & bring to boil. Stirring regularly boil for 4 mins.

3. At this point you can pour into jars as Jam or dry out into Fig Paste.

2. Grease the base & sides of 6 ramekins & divide the paste evenly among the ramekins. 

3. Place in fan-forced oven with only the fan working in a very low oven (90°C) for several hours to dry out.You could use a traditional method for drying the paste in the sunshine or in an airing cupboard

3. Remove from the ramekins & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.

New Citrus: Kiyomi Tangor & Okitsu Wase Mandarin

   

This week i have acquired two new Citrus buddies for the garden with both being able to be ready to eat straight off the tree. 
The first is the Kiyomi Tangor. I chose this guy as i've been FOMOing about the Sumo/Dekopon tree for a while now (check out my post here) and i discovered that Kiyomi is one of the parent varieties of the Dekopon so would be worth a try.
Kiyomi is a Tangor hybrid. It has a parentage of Miyagawa-wase (Satsuma mandarin) crossed with a Trovita orange at the Okitsu Branch, Fruit Research Station in Japan in 1949. It was named Kiyomi after the temple Seiken-ji (清見寺) and the lagoon Kiyomi-gata (清見潟) near its experiment station in Shizuoka city
Fruit are medium-large (150-200 g), flat, seedless, juicy, and orange scented.
The tree bears good crops of large, bright orange fruit with pebbly-textured skin that is fairly easy to peel. Rich and spicy in flavor, Kiyomi are sweet. Sugar content is normally 11–12°Bx and reaches even 13°Bx if conditions are met. Citric acid content is around 1%. It has no seeds. They will ripen about late September in NZ. The flavour is similar to that of a mikan Mandarin, while the aroma is similar to that of an Orange.

  

The second tree i chose this time is the Okitsu Wase Mandarin. I chose this tree as i had read promising things about them via the Fruit Mentor. In his taste test of over 60 varieties, Okitsu Wase was the overall winner:

"Okitsu Wase Satsuma was the overall winner. Tasters reported Okitsu Wase to be sweet with excellent flavor and very juicy. One taster also noted its fragrant skin. On a scale from 1 to 9, Okitsu Wase scored 7.3, a bit higher than “very good” (7)."

Another desirable quality is that Okitsu Wase is an early season Satsuma, in fact is the earliest ripening cultivar so is a good choice to help extend the season.

The fruit is Seedless, Easy Peel, good rich flavour with low acid and high sugar.  The skin has smooth pale yellow peel, and plump, juicy flesh. 

Okitsu is a variety from the Unshiu tangerine group Wase, second most popular and cultivated variety in Japan. It was discovered in 1940 as a Miyagawa' seedling in the Okitsu research station, Honshu. It was bred by crossing 'Miyagawa' with Poncirus. It is most commonly growing in the colder subtropical areas with harsh winters.

'Okitsu' is a big shrub or a small tree, it can grow up to 2,7m and has very wide, spherical crown made of curly branches with small spikes. The foliage is usually very scarce, but the large, pointed leaves resemble those of Unshiu tangerine 'Clausellina'. 'Okitsu' starts producing at very early age and is fairly resistant to cold but also dislikes hot and dry climates and can easily get sun-damaged during hot weather. It is also necessary to thin the fruit shortly after formation, because this variety usually produces much more than it can bring to full ripeness. Pollination is not required to produce high yields. Okitsu fruit is distinctively spherical or slightly flattened, average (5,5-8cm) weighs 120-190g and has a small navel with big neck. Its dark orange rind is soft, smooth, thin (2-4mm) and well attached to the refreshing, juicy (54%) orange pulp, which contains 19% sugars. It is usually divided into 11-12 segments and usually doesn't contain any seeds. 

The fruit is usually harvested in March-April in NZ and contains lots of acids in the pre-ripening phase; it usually ripens 15-20 days earlier than 'Owari'. Almost unripe fruit has to be carefully harvested and put into the storage to let it ripen. It is vital to be careful and not to damage the thin rind or otherwise the fruit dries out.

New Citrus: Seville Orange & Lemonade.

This week i spent some time up in the tropical, far north of New Zealand. On the way home i drove through the Orange-growing mecca of NZ called Kerikeri. I thought it might be cool to stop in to an interesting nursery called Flying Dragon (named after the trifoliate orange dwarfing root stock). Most Citrus plants in garden centres in NZ will come from this nursery and they have many interesting varieties. They have several large greenhouses housing all their rootstock plants growing on and then subsequent budding of the various varieties onto rootstocks. Unfortunately they weren't keen on photos sorry:(

Anyhoo i picked up a couple of new Citrus friends to come home with me: a Seville Orange and a Lemonade (aka 'New Zealand' Lemonade for non-kiwis)

Seville orange is a widely known, particularly tart orange which is now grown throughout the Mediterranean region. It has a thick, dimpled skin, and is prized for making marmalade, being higher in pectin than the sweet orange, and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. It is also used in baking, compotes and orange-flavored liqueurs. Once a year, oranges of this variety are collected from trees in Seville, Spain and shipped to Britain to be used in marmalade. However, the fruit is rarely consumed locally in Andalusia.

Although the Seville orange smells like a true orange, it is quite different. Its rough, thick and bumpy deep orange coloured peel clings tightly to its pale orange translucent flesh, making it hard to peel. The fruit is sour, tart, sometimes bitter and laden with seeds. It is medium size, round, with a slightly depressed apex. It has two primary attributes: the peel contains fragrant essential oils and its flesh, when ripe, is extremely juicy. The tree is attractive, large, vigorous, productive and cold tolerant. It has very few or no thorns. The most common usage for the Seville orange is for the production of marmalade where it can use its peel and juice to its advantage; any sour and bitter flavours can be developed and enriched into elements of depth. Other culinary uses can be to use the zest and juice in flavoured syrups, cocktails, vinaigrette or marinades. Pair with fennel, bitter greens, chicories, olives, other citrus, fresh herbs, aged cheeses, seafood, rice, and Spanish spices. Look here for a great recipe for a Seville Orange Curd Tart or here for Seville Orange Marmalade.
As you can see the Blossoms are large, plentiful and come with the most intoxicating Orange Blossom aroma which wafts throughout the garden, an added bonus to the fruit.

The Seville orange, is also been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nausea, indigestion and constipation. The crushed fruit and macerated leaves will lather when mixed with water and is used as a soap substitute in the Pacific Islands. The Seville orange peel, when dried and concentrated, contains a chemical similar to ephedra and has been used in many modern weight-loss products. 

Sour oranges are native to China. Trade routes brought them to Africa and the Mediterranean. This variety was brought directly to Spain by Arab conquerors in the 10th century from northern Africa via Morocco. Cultivation of sour orange varieties led to the Seville orange of Seville, Spain in the 12th Century, where it would accrue its name. The Seville orange was the only orange variety in Europe for the next 500 years. It was also one of the first citrus varieties brought to the New World where it was naturalized in the Caribbean, South, Central and North America. When sweet oranges were introduced to America, sour orange trees would begin to shift their role as edible fruit to rootstock. Cross pollination of the sour and sweet orange trees also proved to create bitter fruits in sweet orange varieties which forced farmers to reduce production of sour orange trees.

A Lemonade is a natural crossbread between an Orange and a Meyer Lemon, first cultivated in the 1980’s in Northland, New Zealand. It grows to about about 2.5-3 metres high. The fruit has the appearance and shape of a lemon though it is easily peeled, and easily segmented. It is unusually sweet and juicy and has a sweet effervescent flavour with a low acid content, tasting of lemonade. It is devoid of bitterness and can easily be eaten as a fresh fruit, or squeezed for drinks. The Lemonade tree often has small thorns and can bear a heavy crop each year. Fruit is ripe when light green in colour and is consumed fresh, juiced, with mixed drinks, or used to make marmalades with other citrus. It is quite popular as a backyard tree throughout NZ & Australia, with a only a few small commercial plantings.

Peaches

Just thinking of the word “Peach” conjures up an image of yellow, juicy, sweet flesh dribbling down your chin in summer. Peaches epitomise Summer fruits. Its hard to think Summer even exists at the moment, being in the dark depths of Winter. But i have just being spraying my Peach trees with Copper this week and it got me looking forward to this years bounty. Peaches are a tree well worth growing for its delectable fruit, the Peach is also a truly beautiful flowering specimen, with its blossoms bursting into ‘pinkness’ in the early spring which are as good as many Cherry Blossoms. And, being a deciduous tree, it will also produce beautiful autumn foliage after the fruiting is over. I have the below four Peach trees at home; two dwarfs, one full size (Golden Queen) and one in a pseudo espalier (Blackboy). With the full size tree i will have to work hard to shape & prune it over its years as they can grow into being massive trees. Its already is getting quite large and i wish i had pruned him down lower to the ground initially as i will probably now need a ladder to harvest the fruit. There is some great videos here from Dave Wilson Nurseries about pruning with Back Yard Orchard Culture in mind (i.e.: keeping trees at home at a manageable size).

Photo: Scot Nelson

Peaches do need a bit of care throughout the year to combat the dreaded Peach Leaf Curl. Peach leaf curl is a disease caused by fungus. It affects the blossoms, leaves, and shoots of peaches and nectarines, and is the most common disease problem for backyard gardeners growing these trees. The distorted, reddened foliage that it causes is easily seen in spring. When severe, the disease can reduce fruit production substantially.
Peach leaf curl first appears in spring as reddish areas on developing leaves. These areas become thickened and puckered, causing leaves to curl and severely distort. The thickened areas turn yellowish and then grayish white, as velvety spores are produced on the surface by the leaf curl fungus. Later affected leaves turn yellow or brown and can remain on the tree or may fall off; they are replaced by a second set of leaves that develop more normally unless wet weather continues. The loss of leaves and the production of a second set result in decreased tree growth and fruit production. 
The best way to combat PLC is to spray with Copper Fungicide. I would recommend an early treatment when the tree is dormant in early August. It is also advisable to apply a second spray late in the dormant season, preferably as flower buds begin to swell but before green leaf tips are first visible.

Peach Blackboy
A stunning peach with a dark wine coloured outer and inner. The rich, juicy, textured flesh is absolutely delicious. One of my favourites. If there are any left over after raiding the tree (which I doubt) they also bottle well. Deciduous.
Suitable for warmer areas including Auckland/Northland
Flower Colour: Pink
Habit: Upright & Spreading
Estimate Mature Size: 5m x 3m

Peach Bonanza
A genetic dwarf standard Peach tree that will provide you with a bonanza of delicious juicy peaches in summer. The fruit have yellow skin with a red blush and yellow flesh. With pretty pink spring blossom and lush green foliage this tree is highly ornamental as well as productive. Self fertile. Deciduous. Peaches are tolerant of most soils but they do need good drainage and love to be in the sun. 
Suitable for warmer areas including Auckland/Northland
Habit: Compact Standard
Estimate Mature Size: 2m x 1.5m

   

Peach Golden Queen
NZ's favourite peach. As the name suggests this is the Queen of peaches with firm, tasty, golden yellow flesh. Great for bottling or eating straight from the tree. Crops well, ripens in late February/March. Cling-stone. Deciduous.
Suitable for warmer areas including Auckland/Northland
Flower Colour: Pink
Habit: Upright & Spreading
Estimate Mature Size: 5m x 3m

Peach Pixzee
This dwarf standard Peach tree is a real little sweetie. With beautiful pink blossom in spring, followed by fresh green leaves and then delectable full size freestone peaches in summer. The peaches are a warm golden yellow blushed red with freestone flesh that is also golden. Happy in the garden or a container. Mostly Deciduous but can hang on to green leaves right through to late winter.
Colour: Pink
Habit: Compact Standard
Estimate Mature Size: 2m x 1.5m

Bergamot Orange

Photo: Leslie Seaton

I was going through my Citrus Inventory the other day as i had a rare spot open up in the garden for two new trees. I have quite a good coverage of most Citrus varieties and thought it would be a good idea to choose something extra unusual that i didn't have already. So my shortlist was Sumo/Dekopon (something i've wanted for a while now), Meiwa Kumquat, (another) Yuzu, Afourer Tangor, Lemonade, Ponderosa Lemon, Limequat, Serville Orange and Bergamot Orange. I decided after visiting the store to go with Bergamot Orange and another Yuzu. I chose these mainly because Meiwa Kumquats were out of stock. I have more than enough Lemons with my Meyer & Eureka. Sumo/Dekopon is not avalible in NZ yet:( Limequats seem pointless to me, plus i have 6 Lime trees already. I would have got a Afourer but they were also out stock. 

I am excited by my new Bergamot as its extremely rare to see the fruit in NZ shops. So what do you do with a Bergamot Orange you ask? Lets have a look......

My New Friend.

Bergamot has a long history of commercial culture, grown primarily for the distinctive essential oil from its rind. The area for this is mostly confined to a province of Calabria in southern Italy. Bergamots are defined as green gold, the most valuable citrus in the world.

Bergamot oil is an important component of a Toilet Water (Eau de Toilette), which was first developed around 1675 in Cologne, Germany, by an Italian immigrant. Bergamot oil soon became a constituent of high quality perfumes and of men's perfumes, aka "Cologne".

The other main use of Bergamot Oil is to flavour Earl Grey tea which has been made since the 1820s.

Bergamot is about to experience a Yuzu-style renaissance within the Culinary world with many high-end chefs exploring the distinctly nuanced flavour. It can be used in a wide variety of ways such as:

• Using the aromatic rind and acidic (yet sweeter and more delicate and floral than lemon) juice to flavour yoghurt mixed with cucumber, fresh dill.
• It is an excellent partner to fish especially in curing.
• Add bergamot to Asian-style marinades with soy, ginger and rice wine vinegar.
• Bergamot juice can also be substituted for vinegar in vinaigrettes for a perfumed tartness.
• Add bergamot zest to Meringues.
• Bergamot and Mint make for a refreshing sorbet.
• Use in Cakes or Icing.
• Make Bergamot Syrup to add to Prosecco or Sparkling Water.
• Bergamot-cello (Liquore al Bergamotto)
• Cocktails
• Marmalades

Bergamot Sorbet
The refreshing, fragrant flavour of bergamot makes the perfect palette cleanser so try this sorbet at the end of a rich meal.

Ingredients:
4 Bergamots, juiced and zested
150g caster sugar
2 egg whites
300ml water

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat, before gently bringing to the boil for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the bergamot zest, cover and leave to infuse for half an hour.
2. Add the bergamot juice to the sugar syrup, then strain and place in a shallow container. Freeze for two hours until slushy.
3. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy and mix into the sorbet. The sorbet must be only semi-frozen to be able to do this. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Bergamot Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 8 bergamots
• 3 cups Sugar
• 4 cups (1litre) Water
• pinch of Salt
• 
  
1. Rinse and dry the bergamots, then cut each in half and pluck out the seeds.
2. Cut the bergamots into quarters and using a sharp knife, slice the quarters as thinly as possible.
3. Add the bergamots to a pot, add the sugar, 1 litre of water, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the bergamots, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade begins to set using the wrinkle test: turn the marmalade off and put a dab on a plate that’s been in the freezer then check it after five minutes; if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it’s done. If not, continue to cook, repeating this step, until it reaches the desired consistency (about 30 mins).
4. Ladle into clean jars and twist on the lids. Once cool, store in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for at least six months.

Photo: Leslie Seaton

Taste Test: Dweet Tangor.

Well today i decided that it was time to crack open & try one of my Dweet Tangors. They all seemed to have fully coloured up and look about the perfect ripeness to eat. So here we go.......

It was quite a large fruit, bigger than your usual supermarket Navel with a rigid, thick, pebbled rind that was surprisingly very easy to detach like a Mandarin.
Once peeled it had very little albedo left on the segments which were easy to separate for a very easy eating of the fruit.
Taste-wise it was very enjoyable. Very sweet but with just a slight tang at the end. 
Taste was mix of a rich Tangerine/Mandarin with Orange finish very flavourful.
Flesh was orange coloured & very juicy but quite delicate like a Mandarin not dry at all.
There were about 5 seeds present but for its size didn't seem to problematic.
Overall it was a very pleasant fruit to eat, way better flavour than an Orange almost like eating a giant Satsuma. 
Im excited about the up-coming Blood Oranges that are next to harvest. Still about two weeks i reckon so i can try and get some good blood colour going!

  

  

Kumquats

Kumquats are Citrus with edible fruit that closely resembles that of the Orange but it is much smaller, being approximately the size and shape of a large Olive. They differ also by having edible sweet rinds with relatively sour flesh inside. Kumquats are a cold hardy Citrus.

The plants are native to Southern Asia. The earliest historical reference to Kumquats appears in Chinese literature in the 12th century. They have long been cultivated throughout Asia in India, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and China. They were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, collector for the London Horticultural Society, and shortly thereafter into North America. 

They are slow-growing small trees, from 2m to 4.5m tall, with dense branches, sometimes bearing small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green, and the flowers are white, similar to other citrus flowers. Depending on size & maturity, the kumquat tree can produce hundreds or even thousands of fruits each year.

Here are the varieties available in New Zealand:

Nagami Kumquat: is oval in shape. It has a relatively small number of segments (four to five) and contains 2 to 5 seeds. Nagami fruit have a deep orange colour and a distinctive flavour. The rind is pleasantly sweet with very sour juice & flesh. A mature specimen can bear a crop of up to 3500 fruits. Nagami is in season from April to July in NZ. This was the first kumquat to arrive in the Western world. The plant was introduced from China to London in 1846 by Robert Fortune, plant explorer for the Royal  Horticultural Society. I have a Nagami in my garden at home but is currently very small.

Indio Mandarinquat: came about from an open pollinated seedling that sprung up under a large old Nagami tree at UCLA. It is a kumquat-mandarin hybrid with orange bell-shaped fruit much larger than a typical kumquat. The sweet peel is eaten along with the tart flesh for a unique flavour combination. This variety usually blooms during the summer months and produces abundant crops of fruit that stay on the tree during the winter months. Indio looks like a giant kumquat, with similar tangy-sweet flesh and edible rind. A very decorative tree. I have one in my garden at home quite large at 1.5m and is four years old. It is however a very reluctant fruiter and I've only ever had two fruits off him. This spring i'll give him some extra TLC to see if this helps with fruiting. Maybe some Potassium in the form of ‘Sulphate of Potash’ to promote the growth of flowering buds (and therefore fruit).

Meiwa Kumquat: is thought to be a natural hybrid between the oval Nagami and round Marumi kumquats. The most distinctive features of this Kumquat are the short round form, the more numerous sections (commonly seven), the very thick and sweet rind and comparatively sweet flavour, and the low seed content. Many fruits are seedless. This is the best kumquat variety for eating fresh as it has the sweetest juice and is the most popular Kumquat in NZ. I tried one at the Garden Centre the other day & it has surprisingly sweet skin! The flesh is still a little tart though. Meiwa was introduced from Japan between 1910 and 1912. The tree is a dwarf, frequently thornless, the leaves differ from those of other kumquats in being very thick and rigid and partly folded lengthwise & pitted with numerous dark-green oil glands.

Eustis Limequats: are a hybrid of Mexican Limes & a Round Kumquat made in 1909. Trees are more cold-tolerant than a regular lime but not as hardy as the Kumquat. Fruit is used much like a Lime. I tasted one recently and it was like eating a Lime so i don't really see the appeal apart from the novelty factor. Limequats are oval or round, 2-4 cm wide with thin, pale-yellow, smooth, glossy skin with prominent oil glands. Inside the flesh is edible but very acid like a Lime. It is light greenish in 6 to 9 segments, juicy, with 5 to 12 small seeds. Trees are early ever-bearing but mainly in autumn to winter. The tree produces pure-white flower buds and flowers prolifically.

Calamondin: is an acid fruit that is most commonly grown in the Philippines.  It is believed to be a natural hybrid of a Kumquat & a Mandarin Orange. It is also sometimes called a Calamansi.  It is an unusual but beautiful tree, its form is upright & columnar, the leaves are small & dense giving the tree a fine textural appearance.  The fruits are small, round, & orange at full maturity ripening around May. The orange flesh is acidic, juicy, and contains a few seeds. Calamondin trees flower and set fruit intermittently throughout the year, adding to the decorative appeal of these trees.  It can come in variegated form, which i have at home, with yellow & green marbled leaves and striped fruit ripening to Orange colour. The fruit have a thin sweet mandarin flavoured skin and a tart sour-mandarin flavoured flesh. Culinary uses are mainly to add a citrus zing to drinks. Other uses are for citrus flavour in baking & Marmalade.

Making It Rain: Rainmaker Gesha Coffee Project.

A couple of weeks ago Supreme Coffee did their first limited release of a very special coffee, the Rainmaker Gesha from La Soledad in Guatemala. They were lucky enough to be visiting La Soledad in 2013 just as their Gesha trees were first able to produce enough cherries to generate a tasting sample. Fast-forward three years; the coffee trees are maturing and producing more fruit, and they received the first shipment of La Soledad Gesha ever exported. The Rainmaker Gesha is a special coffee for several reasons. Mainly for its excellent flavour profile and exquisite quality. But perhaps most importantly, this coffee gives us a window into the process involved in developing new exciting coffee varietals.

I managed to secure a bag to taste when it was released (which was lucky as it sold out within one day of release!). Taste wise is was pretty amazing. Usually i'm not that great at picking out the different notes of the flavour profiles but this one was very clear Apricot, Brown Sugar & Mandarin. I think because Supreme like to roast on the light side for their filter coffees it really helps the fruity, floral notes to really shine through.

Since this varietal of Coffee is so special, i asked Coffee Supreme when i ordered if they could include a few green beans so i could try to grow seedlings from them. 

This page will be the beginning of a process hopefully of growing these Gesha Trees. I firstly soaked the beans over-night in water and then planted them in potting mix. I'll leave them on my window sill covered in plastic to try & germinate them. Fingers crossed!

Gesha is probably the best-known single variety of coffee, this type has been made famous by plots of it being cultivated on land owned by the Peterson family in Boquete, Panama. The Petersons' farm, Hacienda la Esmeralda, has become a kind of a trademark spot for the coveted plant, which originated near the Ethiopian town of Gesha and was planted in Panama as a Leaf-Rust resistant type in the 1950s. Geshas can also be found in Honduras and Colombia among other origins, and they continue to command exceptional prices on the specialty market. The most striking thing about Gesha variety coffees is that they taste nothing like their Latin American counterparts: Instead of the chocolate and mellow-but-crisp acidity that quality coffees from Panama typically express, these are more delicate and intensely floral, not unlike the heirloom Ethiopian varieties. With notes of Jasmine, Orange Blossom, sweet Clover Honey, lightly toasted Green Tea - well cared for Geshas are a stand-out on a cupping table. Rainmaker's flavour-profile is Apricot, Brown Sugar & Mandarin.

Here is some more info regarding Rainmaker courtesy of Coffee Supreme......

La Soledad is run by Raul Perez, and named after Raul's grandmother, Soledad de Carmen. Raul inherited the reins to the farm from his father, who had worked it for the previous 30 years. While Raul has continued the family’s commitment to producing quality coffee, he has led La Soledad a step further by employing processing techniques and cultivating coffees previously unseen on Guatemalan mountainsides.
Raul’s newest project, the Scorpion Selection, focuses on developing small amounts of diverse and exotic coffee varietals that introduce new flavours to La Soledad’s traditional taste profile. And as expected, the coffee is produced with the same high standard of care and processing the farm is renowned for.

The first fruit to come out of the Scorpion Selection project is the Rainmaker Gesha.

In 2007, at a time when the Gesha variety was still a closely held industry secret, La Soledad was lucky enough to secure about nine seeds of the variety to begin their plantation. From these seeds, Raul and his team successfully grew five trees. It would, however, be another five years before these trees were able to produce usable seeds to expand the farm.

By 2013, La Soledad was able to cultivate enough seedlings from their original tree stock to plant one hectare of land. Selecting the right area to establish the Gesha plantation was the next critical step. Raul selected a plot about 1600 metres above sea level that would shelter the trees from wind and maximise their exposure to early morning sunshine.

Raul also decided that the Gesha plantation would be the first section of the farm to be planted in a new grid system that set an equal distance of three-square metres between each tree. The belief behind this formation was that the trees would be better assisted in growing into bigger and stronger plants that could outlast other plantation’s planting systems.

Each row of the grid is oriented east to west to exploit the available sunlight hours. The more sunlight the trees can absorb, the more energy they will have to produce new cherry and develop the full fruit flavours, complexity and sweetness synonymous with Gesha, but with the added La Soledad character and clarity.

After almost ten years, La Soledad is able to harvest just enough green coffee to be able to share it with their closest allies and friends who have invested in growing strong relationships with the farm.

Taste Test: Kusaie Lime

I've had this Kusaie Lime now for about 3 years. I brought it by mistake as i thought it was another name for Key Lime which i have heard good reviews of. It is however, a different Lime. When i first tried one i used it as a wedge for a Corona and instantly disliked it due to a weird Camphorous flavour. It was then banished to the back of the garden. Today however i noticed the tree is laden with about 20 fruits so i thought i would give him another chance. So i juiced three with my Lime squeezer and made some Lime-onade with the Soda Stream. When just using the juice only, the lime is actually really good similar to maybe a spicy Meyer Lemon in flavour. Sweet, floral and spicy. I think it is the peel that is the source of the medicinal, resinous flavour so i recommend avoiding for lime wedges or zesting. I'll be definitely using the rest of the fruit on the tree now and taste them further. I went on to make a Mescal Margarita that night and it was exceptional! I have to say though, Tahitian Lime is still the favourite for flavour in my opinion. The elusive Key Lime though, is still yet to be sampled. Kusaie is also quite an ornamental fellow if just grown for that purpose alone. Lots of pinkish-white blossoms and then yellow fruits to follow.

Kusaie should be regarded as a yellow-fruited form of the Rangpur and therefore called the Kusaie Rangpur.  The tree is indistinguishable from other Rangpurs and the fruit differs significantly only in colour. Almost certainly this variety originated in India. It was introduced into Hawaii from Kusaie Island, of the Caroline group in Micronesia in 1885. Kusaie is said to have local importance as an acid fruit in the Hawaiian Islands.  Elsewhere in the United States it is a collection item or oddity.