Harvest to Table

Grapefruit can be sweet and a tad bitter or loud and sour. Grapefruit is well matched with avocado, Campari, Champagne, crab, fresh ginger, honey, lemon, lime, fresh mint, pomegranate, and brown or white sugar. To simply eat grapefruit out of hand with a spoon try one of the following toppings for each grapefruit half:   [...]

Citrus trees are largely self-shaping, requiring little pruning. Occasional pruning to shape leggy branches or to give a citrus tree a desired shape can be done any time of the year except winter. Pinch back tips of new growth to help round out citrus trees. Cut back erratic new growth or trunk suckers not wanted above the graft union. [...]

Lemons are used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes. They are too tart to be eaten alone. Lemons are rarely eaten raw because they are too tart for out of hand eating. Use lemons to flavor everything from salads to fruit desserts. Lemon is used to enhance the flavor of fish, shellfish, and meat [...]

Sweet oranges are great for eating out of hand, but oranges can also be cooked. Here’s a guide to cooking oranges: Bake. Remove the orange peel and all white membrane then cut the orange in half crosswise. Glaze and bake until hot (15 to 25 minutes depending on size of fruit). Grill. Cut the orange [...]

There are differing peak seasons for oranges depending upon variety. Valencia oranges are in season from late spring to mid summer. Navels are best from mid winter to early spring and blood oranges are at their peak from early winter until early spring. Sour oranges are harvested beginning in late fall and the harvest continues [...]

Oranges can be divided into two broad categories: sweet oranges and bitter oranges. Sweet oranges have a sweet and juicy flesh and are found in both savory and sweet dishes. They are eaten out of hand, as a breakfast fruit, snack, or dessert. They can be sectioned and served in fruit salads or compotes, chicken [...]

Blood oranges are popular for eating out of hand, juice, and garnishes. Their sections can enliven any fruit mixture or salad. Blood orange sections are easily matched with savory or sweet dishes. The Moro blood orange has a rich citrus flavor and a deep raspberry aftertaste. It is juicy but firm and has a seedless [...]

Mandarin oranges are smaller than oranges and less acidic. They are perfect for eating out of hand or for cooking. There are more than 200 varieties of mandarins. The most popular are the swet Satsuma, the smooth juicy Clementines, and the spicy red-orange Dancy. Mandarin cultivars–crosses with sweet oranges or grapefruits–include tart Temple tangor and [...]

Mandarin oranges are mostly small, easy to peel, and perfect for snacking out of hand. You can choose a mandarin for a sweet treat or a mandarin for a sweet-tart treat. Mandarins can be sectioned and added to fruit, green, chicken or seafood salads. They can be juiced to flavor sorbets, marinades, and dessert sauces, [...]

Limes, lime juice, and lime peels can be used in marmalade, jam, sorbet, chutney, pickles, salad dressing, and desserts. Limes can be important additions in sauces, fish and meat dishes and in punches and cocktails. Lime juice in small amounts accentuates the flavor of other foods. In any recipe that calls for a lemon, a [...]