esrosedotblog

BUMPER CROP

The stores always have tangerines this time of year.

When I was a kid there was always a tangerine in my stocking (parental cheating).

All my life, the holiday season has meant tangerines.

There is a good reason for this.

Somehow, through the miracle of genetics (phototropism?), the tangerine's blossom to fruit cycle ends in December, wherever it is grown. We have Israeli tangerines in our stores now!

And, in our backyard, we have the same thing happening. The tangerine tree is filled with fruit which is ripening fast and will be at its peak just about in time for 1225 and the New Year.

The tree is loaded this year. It alternates; fat year, lean year.

I think about sending the fruit to all my friends but reality bites.

There are a lot of tangerine trees here in the valley. Everyone is getting their crop in.

And we cannot really ship them.

The first year we were here, we were all excited about sending our citrus back east.

The shipper guy told us 'no dice'. They would not do it.

The fruit will freeze.

Yeh, I know that they do it from Florida and all but those are professional packers, highly insulated. And most of all, none of the shippers here want to be bothered with it. Hard to pack. No insurance.

We gave up.

So there they are. We will eat some. A few people who we know don't have a tree will get some.

In the meantime, they are great to look at.

Very very orange.