Oranges are one of the most popular citrus varieties. A lush glossy leafed evergreen – oranges have been cultivated for over 4000 years for their fruit as well as oil derived from the leaves and intensely perfumy small white flowers.

Originally from Asia, oranges spread slowly throughout the world. When demand increased, they spread rapidly during the seventeenth century as European and later American trade developed. In the United States today, oranges have become an important crop for California, Florida and Texas.

Orange varieties can be categorized into two different types; bitter and sweet.

Seville oranges are the most well known of the bitter varieties and best used for marmalades and preserves.

Of the sweet varieties there are three types: juice, navel and blood oranges.

Valencia is the premiere juice orange because of its sweet tart flavor and juiciness. Valencias are usually thin skinned, very juicy and have few seeds.

Hamlins are another juicing variety that is much sweeter than Valencias but lack the tartness.

Another sweet variety is the navel orange, characterized by its thick easy to peel skin and has no seeds. Navels are a favorite for eating out of hand but can be used for juice too.

Lastly, blood oranges are known for their red flesh and intense berry like flavor. Blood oranges are much more common these days as many citrus growers have added them trees to their orchards. You can easily find blood orange trees in your local nursery.

It’s been two years and we’re still waiting for our blood orange tree to start producing so patience is a virtue when it comes to starting your own citrus grove.

Care for citrus trees is pretty minimal. Citrus do not like to have constant moist roots so only water when the soil is starting to dry and then water deep. Our very mature lemon tree in the back yard rarely needs water between the rainy season. If you do water too much your citrus tree will tell you…it’s leaves will start to curl or yikes, fall off. I know as I almost killed our lime tree which we have planted in an oak barrel in the back yard.

As far as fertilizing, here is a handy chart that tells you when and how much.

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The sight of Persimmon trees bring back fond memories of Fall from my childhood.  Growing up in a Chinese family, persimmons were as common to our Fall table as apples.  It was always a big treat to see Mom bring out a plate full for the rare occasions we had dessert. We enjoyed both the Hachiya and the Fuyus, the two most common varieties you will find. Though now there are dozens of varieties that can be found in specialty grocers and your local farmer’s market.

Persimmons were originally from China and, as with many fruits from around the world, was eventually  introduced to California where it thrives today.

In the old country, the fresh fruit was used to treat constipation and hemorrhoids as well as stop bleeding.  Those that over indulge should not be surprised then if the runs come to visit.
However, the cooked fruit was used to treat dysentery and diarrhea…so there is your antidote should you eat a few too many raw fruits…

The trick to persimmons is knowing when to bite into one.  There are two types of persimmons but all start out green and turn a very deep orange when ripe.  The difference in the two types is that one is classified as astringent and the other…non-astringent.
Fuyu’s, which are flat and shaped like a tomato, are non-astringent and eaten when firm like an apple. 
Hachiyas, which are elongated with a pointy end, must be soft before you can eat them. It’s the high tannin content in unripe fruit that causes extreme astringency making them totally inedible – the tannins do however breakdown during the ripening process.

When ready to eat, a ripe Hachiya should feel like a water balloon.  Any firmness under the delicate skin will only pucker up your mouth and make you feel as if you stuffed your mouth full of cotton balls. Patti found this out the hard way a number of years ago when I brought home a big bag full from my Mom with a plan to bake a few persimmon pudding cakes. She had only eaten the sweet crispy fuyu’s in the past and didn’t know these were not edible til soft. Before I could stop her from eating a crisp firm slice of the Hachiya…wow, what a look on her face…

You can speed up the ripening process by storing them in a warm place with some apples. Some recommend tossing them in the freezer – now, while they are very soft upon thawing, I’m skeptical that all the tannins have sufficiently been broken down.

Once ripened, the pudding like pulp can be easily scooped out by a spoon and eaten as is or used in cakes, muffins and puddings. This time of year, many families have their secret holiday recipes.  One of my favorites is Persimmon Pudding. There are many versions out there that are steamed but I have always enjoyed a baked version from the Stars Dessert Cookbook -which I have misplaced, but here is a very similar recipe.

In China, Japan and Korea; Hachiya’s are preserved by drying. The dried fruit darkens to a deep caramel brown and has such high sugar concentration the sugars crystallize into a powdery white coating – the taste is reminiscent of dates.

Last year, we decided to plant a fruit tree in our front yard. After much pondering, we decided to plant a persimmon…a Fuyu of course! It has grown so much since then and this year we have – count them – 2 very nice sized persimmons. I’ve been keeping my eye on them the last few weeks as they slowly ripened. With the heat wave we are having, we may be able to pick them this weekend.

If you decide to plant a persimmon tree, keep in mind they do best in full sun and do not like being located near eucalyptus trees.  Optimal soil conditions include: well draining loamy soil with a pH from 6.5 to 7.5. Persimmons have a long tap root so digging the planting hole extra deep would be helpful.  Persimmons are light feeders so don’t need much fertilizing – beware that too much nitrogen may cause the fruit to drop! As the tree grows, skillful pruning by someone who knows how to optimize fruit production is a must. Pests are few but do keep an eye out for ants which may infest the tree with mealy bugs and scale.

Fuyu’s are great eaten out of hand or sliced and added to fruit salads or green leaf salads. No doubt our 2 Fuyu’s will be savored and enjoyed how ever we decide to prepare them.

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While we don’t have a fig tree in our own yard, our generous neighbors have four huge fig trees (one green Calmyrna and three purple Black Mission) – they let us help ourselves every year. This is the time of year you may find us marching down the street with a 12 foot ladder.

A childhood favorite, figs were popular in my family whether in the form of fig newtons in our lunch boxes or fresh off Mom’s tree in our backyard. 

For the rest of human kind, figs have been enjoyed for over 5000 years.  Figs have been found in Egyptian tombs to provide a healthy snack in the after world.  The Greeks and Romans used figs fresh, roasted, dried and as a sweetener before sugar was discovered.   It was the Romans who were instrumental in introducing figs to other parts of Europe.  In turn, during the late 1700’s the Spanish missionaries introduced figs to California.  Today, you will find fig trees growing all over California.

Figs, a soft super sweet fruit with numerous edible blossoms and seeds encased in a thin edible skin, are a member of the Mulberry family and has two fruiting seasons.  A short one in the Spring and a longer more abundant one mid to late Summer lasting into Fall.  Some common varieties you will find are the green ‘kadota’ and ‘calmyrna’, the brown ‘brown turkey’, and the purple ‘black mission.’ The best way to enjoy a truly ripe fig is to grow your own; have generous neighbors, family or friends; or purchase at your neighborhood farmer’s market.

It is important to pick only ripe figs as figs do not ripen off the tree. Figs are ripe when they are plump and soft. I find the ones with fine lengthwise cracks in the skin are the best tasting – literally bursting with flavor. To harvest, gently cup the fig in your hand and grab the stem with your fingers. Then give a twist – the fig should come right off the tree.

We love figs fresh but with such an abundance of figs we use our American Harvest Food Drier to dry most of the harvest.

• First we wash the figs then cut off the stem and slice in half. 
• We lay in a single layer on the trays and dry at 115F to 120F. Note that raw foodist like to keep the temperature at or less than 115F to keep the temperature sensitive enzymes viable.
• Dry until the figs are…well, dry. This will usually take 24+ hours depending on the initial moisture content and the size of the fruit.
• Store in glass jars with tight lids or in well sealed plastic bags. To extend the shelf life further you can freeze.

Other ways we enjoy the figs are sliced in salads; marinated in balsamic vinegar, honey and mint and grilled or broiled; in muffins; in Lamb Stew; stuffed in chicken breast; or on crostini.

Nutritionally, figs beat out some well known foods…ounce for ounce figs have

• more fiber than prunes
• more potassium than bananas
• more calcium than milk

One thing I have noticed about gardeners is that no matter the season – generosity is always in abundance. What better way to get to know your neighbors than sharing the bounty of the garden…kind of like breaking bread only better for you.

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Look! Here are some fruits she gave me from her garden…

Bartlett Pears from a tree my Grandmother gave my Mom

Blushing Blenheims with Purple Plums

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