Currently In Season: June

With all this cold weather lately we can now say its officially winter. The cold temperatures have also started to colour up all the citrus especially the Oranges which are all starting to be ready to harvest. As they become ripe i will give a review below of the taste & look of each that i try.

Cipo
Cipo Oranges are a unique weeping selection of orange with sweet and juicy fruit with a slight pineapple tang that are ready from late June. Ideal for pots to show off its weeping form. 

I tried one on the 9th June still quite tart and would say they need a few more weeks to sweeten up. Really just regular Orange flavour so far none of the promised Pineapple flavour notes that i could tell. I will try another soon & report back. Fruit size was on the small side but it is its first fruiting season. 
June 29th: Good amount of sweetness now. Fairly normal Orange flavour as you would taste in supermarket Oranges. Will wait another few weeks to see if the flavour develops more.

 

Cara Cara
Cara Cara oranges are a early to mid-season navel orange. Initially they were a cross between two navels and a mutation then occurred on one branch of Washington navel orange tree, it was discovered in 1976 at Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela.  Now, they're largely grown in California.
Cara Caras have the same round shape and bright orange rind as traditional navels. What really sets these oranges apart is what's on the inside. Cara Cara oranges have distinct pinkish-red and orange flesh this is due to Lycopene. It's not just their beautiful color that makes them stand out, they have a remarkable taste that goes right along with it. Compared to traditional navels, Cara Caras are sweeter, slightly tangy, and less acidic, with a hint of red fruit, like cranberry or blackberry. They are also seedless.

I tried the one below on 13th June it has the signature dark orange, slightly pink look to the flesh that you'd expect from a Cara Cara. Taste was still a little tart & puckery these guys will also need to wait a few weeks to sweeten up.
Update: June 28th: Good amount of sweetness now & interesting berry flavours have developed.

 


The next picture is about a lesson i learnt in relation to young citrus trees. We've all heard the nerdy nurseryman telling us to take off all the young fruit in the first year or two. I would scoff at such talk thinking i want to try that fruit as soon as possible! This year my young Cara Cara worked really hard to produce about 6 Oranges for me. Unfortunately the fork in the central leader couldn't bear the weight of them all even though it was staked for support it split the tree in half. A sad day indeed. Now i will have to prune off that whole side & wait for new growth to balance out that side. Luckily i have another larger Cara Cara as a back up for next year. Lesson to be had was let your tree grow to a point that it is strong enough to carry the weight of its fruit. If not you must thin the fruit to a sustainable amount or support the limbs with adequate stakes. I also figure that in its first few years that it would be a better idea for the tree to focus its energy on building its root system and structure than to produce fruit.

Mandarin: Scarlett Burgess
I tried one today as the fruit are almost completely coloured a bright deep orange with only a few tinted green. The fruit i tried was beautifully sweet with good rich mandarin flavour. Only negative would be the seeds: about 3 per fruit. I ate a supermarket Mandarin to compare afterward and it was pale in comparison for its watery flavour and wasn't as crisp & fresh no surprise.

 

Blood Oranges: Moro & Sanguinelli

As at 19th June still yellow in colour looks like maybe late July will be ready.

 

Tangors

As at 19th June still light green

Pomelos: The President of the Citrus Club.

If you've ever been to the supermarket and seen a giant, soccerball sized citrus then you've probably come across a Pomelo. 
Pomelos, or Citrus maxima, are native to Southeast Asia.  They are the largest of the citrus fruits, and most closely related to grapefruits. They may look intimidatingly large but these oversized fruit are mostly all pith (much thicker pith than other citrus varieties) and once peeled are a much more managable size. 
They have a textured rind ranging in colour from pale green to yellow when ripe with pulpy flesh that's creamy white, bright pink, or somewhere in between. They also have a very thick albedo (rind pith) which needs to be peeled away before eating. Like many of its relatives, pomelos can vary between being filled with seeds, to having very few or no seeds. It is a large citrus fruit, 15–25cm in diameter, usually weighing 1–2kg.
 Pomelos are like a mild version of grapefruit (which is itself believed to be a hybrid of Citrus maxima and the orange) though a pomelo is much larger than the grapefruit. They're sweeter and don't carry that occasional harsh bitter tang. It has very little of the common grapefruit's bitterness, but the enveloping membranous material around the segments is bitter, considered inedible, and thus is usually discarded. 
Next to the interesting flavour, what I like about eating Pomelos is that it feels like an adventure. It takes work to get to the sweet, pulpy flesh. Though once you do, the reward is deeply satisfying and worth every second of your efforts. After removing the thick rind and peeling the membrane from around the segments, pomelos can be eaten out of the hand, tossed into salads or salsa, made into jam, or juiced for a cocktail. You can candy the peel it, or use it to make marmalade. My favourite recipe for Pomelos was inspired by my travels to Cambodia a few years back. Here's the recipe:

Pomelo Salad

1 Polemo.

1 Capsicum.

1 Carrot.

1/2 Cucumber.

50gm Peanuts.

1 small handful of Coriander or Thai Basil

1 Radish.

1/2 Spring Onion or Shallot.

1 small Red Chilli.

50gm Fresh Coconut.

1 Avocado

​

Dressing:

1 Lime, juiced.

2 TBS Fish Sauce.

1 TBS Soy Sauce.

1 tsp Palm Sugar.

1. Peel the Pomelo & remove each segment from its outer membrane. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the Fish sauce with the Lime juice & Sugar. Stir to dissolve the Sugar completely. Set aside.
3. Crush the Peanuts into little pieces.
4. Peel & discard the skin off the Carrots & Cucumber. Then make long strips with the peeler.
5. Using a Mandoline thinly slice the Capsicum, Fresh Coconut & Radishes. Thinly slice the Spring Onion. Finely dice the Chilli.
6. In a large bowl, toss ingredients with the dressing. 
7. Arrange a mound on a plate. Garnish with the Coriander & Peanuts.

This recipe is from my book "Cook & Be Cool" its available as a free ebook here: www.blurb.com/ebooks/476025-cook-be-cool

Kaffir Lime

Photo: Will Luo

Kaffir Lime leaves bring an elusive, slightly floral flavour to Thai food. But how do you use the bounty of this thorny brut?

Native to tropical Asia, Kaffir lime is a fragrant member of the citrus family. The tree is small and shrubby with distinctive leaves that have a petiole almost as large and wide as the leaf blade. Both the leaves & pungent, knobbly fruit are key ingredients in the cuisines of South East Asia, particularly Thailand, where they form the sensory backbone of so many curries, soups and spice pastes.

It is best summed up as the elusive, floral and resinous quality lurking beneath the surface of many famous Thai dishes. The two-lobed leaves are added to curries, and the rind of the fruit is used widely in spice pastes. They have very little juice which is bitter & sour, & never used in cooking, but it is said to make a good shampoo which i have yet to try. Both leaves and rind are assertively aromatic with notes of Citron, Damask Rose and Violets.

Photo: Robyn Jay

Fresh Kaffir leaves can only sometimes be found at premium supermarkets or fruit stores. So it is probably best to grow your own little tree for the rare occasion you need some. Fresh, tender young leaves are the preferred choice for salads. To slice the leaves for salads, slice on either side of the stem, which is tough and so best removed. Then tightly roll up and thinly shred. Whole leaves are leathery and largely inedible so remove before serving. The fruit eventually ripen to a spongey, dull yellow but are best used when hard, shiny and green. The riper they are the lower the essential oil content and therefore flavour.

Most garden centres stock the trees these days and given a warm, frost-free & sunny spot they will keep you well supplied with leaves and fruit for many years. They are very thorny trees, so take care where you plant them.

Last time i was in Koh Phangan, Thailand i did a cooking course & learnt how to make Thai Red Curry from scratch. Here's the recipe:

Thai Red Curry

Paste ingredients:

1 thumb Galangal

1 tsp Black Peppercorns

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Shrimp Paste.

3 cloves Garlic

2 Shallots

2 Coriander Roots

2 Lemongrass stalks

1/2 Kaffir Lime, zested.

2 dried Red Chillies, rehydrated.

​

400ml Coconut Cream

4 Kaffir Lime leaves, shredded.

2 TBS Fish Sauce

1 TBS Palm Sugar

3 sprigs Thai Basil

1. Finely chop all the ingredients. Then pound well in a mortar.

2. Fry the Paste in oil.

3. Add the Coconut Cream & Kaffir Lime leaves. Simmer for 3 mins. Season with Fish Sauce & Palm Sugar. 

4. Add in the Prawns, when they are cooked add in the Thai Basil.

5. Move to a serving bowl & garnish with Kaffir Lime leaves & Thai Basil leaves. Serve with Rice.

**Note: The word 'kaffir' is a highly offensive racial slur of colonial South African origins. It was originally directed at black Africans. The popularity of the fruit among these slaves is thought to have led to its common name. It's unfortunate that this name has stuck but if you must use the 'K' word, try to mispronounce it, e.g. 'kaff-eer', never 'kaff-uh'.

Meyer Lemons vs. Regular Lemons

In the depths of winter when there's nothing much happening in the garden except mud & rain, there's a bright yellow beacon of flavour. Lemons, just when you need that vitamin C hit. There are many different varieties such as Eureka, Lisbon, Ponderosa, Yen Ben, Lemonade, Villa Franca. But it is Meyer Lemons that are NZ's most popular. But just what is it that makes these lemons so special? And are they really that different from regular lemons?

If you've ever wondered about the difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons, here's what you need to know.

Regular Lemons

When we talk about regular or common lemons, we're usually referring to Eureka or Lisbon lemons. These are the two most common lemon varieties found in the produce section.

• Appearance - Compared to their Meyer counterparts, regular lemons are noticeably larger in size and pointy-er, with thick, textured, bright, sunny skin, and medium yellow pulp.
• Taste - Regular lemons are highly acidic. They're slightly sweet, but known for a tang that will make your mouth pucker.
• Availability - While there are certain times of year that trees will bear more fruit, regular lemons know no season. You'll find them readily available in the produce section all year long.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons were first introduced to the U.S. from China in the early 20th century by Frank Meyer, from whom they also got their name. This sweet(ish) winter citrus is thought to be a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange. And that's what really sets it apart.

• Appearance - Meyer lemons are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. The skin is more fragile to tears also. The differences are very distinct, especially when you see both varieties side by side.
• Taste - While they're moderately acidic, Meyer lemons don't have the same tang as regular lemons. Instead, they're much sweeter. Their rinds also have a more complex scent than regular lemons — a spicy bergamot fragrance that tastes and smells more herbacious.
• Availability - While regular lemons are readily available all year long, Meyer lemons are more seasonal in the shops. At home on an established tree though, you will seldom be without a lemon as they are prolific croppers. They are also more tolerant of cold than other lemons.

Bearing this in mind i have both inground at home. A Eureka & a Meyer Lemon. The Meyer i have enjoyed many Lemons so far but the Eureka is just fruiting the first time this Winter.

In Season: YUZU!

There’s been a lot of buzz about Yuzu recently. The exotic flavour of this tiny Japanese citrus fruit supposedly adds a welcome and potent zing to everything from dressing to desserts. Yuzu is a healthy, delicious and unique fruit that provides a surprising burst of complex freshness. 

But unless you have a Yuzu tree in the back yard, finding fresh Yuzu fruit can be a difficult task. So about 3 years ago i brought a tree from my local garden centre to see what all the fuss was about. And it is only now that i have finally been able to taste the elusive YUZU! Just tonight i tried my first Yuzu and was thinking how shall i try it? So my first idea was a Yuzu Lemonade so using my lime squeezer i juiced it into a glass with 2 tsp of Caster Sugar and some water. Very little juice can be extracted from the fruit, since it has a thick rind and large seeds relative to its size, but the juice that is available has a concentrated flavor, and juicing it this way releases the fruit’s aromatic oils from the peel also. At first taste i thought "meh, it's not that dissimilar to my Meyer Lemon". But as i kept sipping i found it has an unique floral zestyness unlike any other citrus that was surprisingly moorish. It’s bright & tart and a little bit bitter, as if a grapefruit and a lemon were mixed together.

Yuzu is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda. The fruit looks somewhat like a grapefruit (though usually much smaller) with an uneven blotchy skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Yuzu fruits typically range between 5-8 cm in diameter, but can be as large as a grapefruit (up to 10 cm or larger).

Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has thorns. Leaves are notable for a large petiole, resembling those of the related kaffir lime, and are scented.
The Yuzu originated and grows wild in central China. It is unusual among citrus plants in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy C. ichangensis ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters at least as low as -9 °C where more sensitive citrus would not thrive.

Yuzu is highly prized in Japanese Cuisine. The yuzu's flavour is tart, closely resembling that of the Meyer Lemon, Grapefruit, with overtones of Mandarin. It is rarely eaten as a fruit, though in the Japanese cuisine its aromatic zest is used to garnish some dishes, and its juice is commonly used as a seasoning, somewhat as Lemon is used in other cuisines. It is an integral ingredient in the citrus-based sauce Ponzu. It is also used in a variety of foods such as Marmalade, Cakes, Liquors, Yuzu Mayo, Cocktails and Drinks. 

Another use of Yuzu is on Winter Solstice, or Toji. A hot bath is drawn and whole or sliced Yuzu fruit is added to the water. Bathing in this water is said to ward off colds and flu during the winter, and to rejuvenate dry, chapped skin as the aromatic oils are released into the water. The nomilin in the fruit’s oils is said to give a relaxing effect and increased circulation. That said i don't think i'll have any to waste on such an extravagance until my tree gets bigger (it's only 1 metre tall).

Main Photo courtesy of  Edsel Little

Coffee from Tree to Cup.

 

When i'm not blogging my usual job is that of running a busy cafe in Ponsonby. Naturally this spawned an interest in growing my own Coffee beans as an interesting experiment. So in March 2013 i purchased my first of two Arabica Coffee trees. Coffee trees will grow fruits after three to five years, and will produce for up to 100 years. 
It is only just now that my tree is starting to flower and starting to grow edible red fruits called "Cherries". In April the white starry flowers form in clusters along branches having a strong Jasmine like fragrance, followed by green, coffee cherries. The coffee cherries turn bright red for Christmas, ready to harvest. The fruit takes about 9 months to ripen. Coffee trees are also self-fertile.
The cherries contain two seeds, or "coffee beans", which are not actually beans. In about 5-10% of any crop of coffee cherries, only a single bean, rather than the usual two, is found. This is called a Peaberry which is smaller and rounder than a normal coffee bean. It is often removed from the yield and either sold separately (as in New Guinea peaberry), or discarded.

When grown in the tropics, coffee is a vigorous bush or small tree that usually grows to a height of 3m. Most commonly cultivated coffee species grow best at high elevations, but do not tolerate freezing temperatures. My tree is currently 1.5m tall.

Arabica accounts for 80 percent of the world's coffee production. The other 20 percent is Robusta, It is high in caffeine but is generally regarded as an inferior cup quality to Arabica. It is used by many commercial coffee companies as a basis for instant coffee.

  

How to process your Beans.

1. Harvest your Cherries.

2. Collect the deep red Cherries and soak them in water overnight. This allows the Cherries to give up the beans, easily the next morning.

 

3. Removing Slippery Layer: Back into the water to ferment where natural enzymes break down the slippery layer and remove it. This will take a couple of days.

4. Drying the Beans: The beans are dried on a paper towel in a sunny window. The beans need to loose 90% of their moisture. Test this by biting into a bean and if it is still soft and chewy place back in the sun to dry until hard and dry. This usually takes 14 days.

5. Removing the Parchment: Next remove what is called the Parchment, a thin paper skin. A little labour intensive with your fingers.

6. Roasting the Coffee Beans: Once the parchment is removed you have beans with a silver skin on them and this does not need to be removed to be roasted. At this stage you can store your beans in a sealed air tight container and roast as required. To roast use a cast iron frying pan and put on with the extractor fan. Once the pan is smoking in go the beans. Kept them moving and slowly they will change colour and start to make a cracking noise.

Tangors, Tangerines & Tangelos

An interesting Citrus hybrid group are the "Tangs" - Tangors, Tangerines & Tangelos. I'm only really just discovering the difference in them recently but i think i'm getting the jist of it. Tangerines are Mandarins from Morocco & North Africa. Tangors are a hybrid of Mandarin & Orange. Tangelos are a hybrid of Mandarin & Grapefruit. Varieties i have at home are Dweet Tangor, Kiyomi Tangor, Seminole Tangelo & Ugli Tangor. I am also interested in getting a Minneola as i like the look of the protruding neck, and also a Afourer as i hear they are very flavourful & juicy.

Tangerines:
Tangerines are reddish-orange coloured citrus that is a type of Mandarin. They're smaller than an Orange, easy-peel & sweet. They arrived in Europe in the 1800′s by way of Morocco in the North of Africa, where a large varietal was grown. The name comes from Morange "tangierines" which were grown at Palatka, Florida by a Major Atway. Major Atway was said to have imported them from Tangiers, Morocco, which was the origin of the name "tangerine". These Tangerines produced a seedling which became of one of the oldest and most popular American varieties, the Dancy tangerine. The Dancy is no longer widely commercially grown; it is too delicate to handle and ship well, it is susceptible to fungus, and it bears more heavily in alternate years. Dancys are still grown in home gardens.

Tangors:
Tangors are a hybrid of a Mandarin and a sweet Orange. Hence the name, the "tang" of a tangerine/mandarin and the "or" of Orange. The fruit is medium/large in size, obovate in shape, maybe with a slight neck and has a pebbled, dark orange, easy-peel rind. The flesh is orange-colored, tender, and exceptionally sweet & juicy. Dweet Tangors are ready to eat in August. Varieties include Dweet, Ugli, Kiyomi, Afourer, Murcotts.

Tangelos:
Tangelos are a hybrid of Tangerine/Mandarin and a Pomelo/Grapefruit. They are the size of a small orange. They generally have thin, loose skin and are easier to peel than oranges. The peel colour, when mature, is a bright-reddish-orange colour. They often have a characteristic "nipple" at the stem. Varieties include Minneola & Seminole. The fruit mature in August. The sweet, intense flavor of tangerines comes through in a tangelo but is tempered by the tart and tangy, floral taste of grapefruit. This results in a fruit that is sweet-tart, exotic in flavor and extremely juicy.

Photo: Edward Peters

Winter means Mandarins!

  

Lately i've been getting more interested in Mandarins. They are always rewarding with their tangy deliciousness when i have one, but i often overlook them when thinking of new trees for the garden. Another merit is that they fruit in winter when there is not much else out there in regards to fruit. 
I have had a currently have six Mandarins inground and one in a pot. The varieties are Satsuma, Scarlett Burgess, Miho, Silverhill, Encore, Clementine & Okitsu Wase.
The Satsuma is around 4 years old but is achingly unproductive & slow to grow. He is unfortunately planted under the canopy of my fig tree so during the all important growing season of spring & summer he is in shade. To add to his struggle he is on dwarf rootstock too so may never get to a decent size (I might have to move him). The fruit however is nice & sweet and of a medium/large size & very easy peel.
The Scarlett Burgess is a tree i transplanted from my old house. He is about four years old & on dwarf rootstock so is a fairly modest size (1.5m) but produces well. He is planted along the side of my house in my so-called "Citrus Hedge" along with about another ten trees. He gets good sun for most of the year and is pretty happy in his current position i would say. It is a rich-flavoured variety with highly coloured, aromatic, medium-sized fruit. Fruit ripens around mid July. It has a thin skin. The only issue with this tree is that its fruit tends to split it's skin in the autumn when the rain starts after a dry summer. The way to avoid this is to ensure consistent watering in the latter end of summer. This gradually stretches the skin of the juvenile fruit as it is growing to avoid too rapid expansion of the inside flesh as it swells with new rainwater, which in turn rips the skin apart.

 

The Miho is a Satsuma manderin it is a medium size tree with heavy crops of sweet juicy, easy to peel fruit, generally seedless fruit. This one has only been in the ground for about 1 year so is not yet very productive.
My Encore mandarin is a recent purchase that is a late season fruit so i can extend out the mandarin season. It is an easy peel, sweet juicy fruit, ripening early summer. Heavy producer, with the fruit holding on the tree over a long period.
My latest purchase was a Silverhill Mandarin. It is still in its pot it is an easy peel, smooth rind and attractive, flat shaped, seedless fruit. The fruit is low in acid and therefore really sweet and juicy. Ripens June.
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. Fruit size is fairly large for a Mandarin. Fruit is ripe & ready to eat late May.
Clementines are a hybrid between a mandarin and a sweet orange. The Clementine is not always easy to distinguish from varieties of Mandarins (although they are a more sphere-like), but through sampling you can clearly taste a difference.  Clementine oranges look like tiny versions of regular oranges, and they have a tart, tangy and rich sweet flavour.  The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. They tend to be easy to peel. Clementines are a type of citrus called zipper-peel, which means the skin comes off very easily. They are almost always seedless when grown commercially (without cross-pollination)It ripens in NZ around June-July. It has good sized, sweet juicy fruit with very few seeds and a tangy flavour. Peels easily and cleanly. Generally crops well.