citrus season

 

 

 

Fall in Louisiana signals the beginning of the local citrus season. In the past, there would be plentiful supplies of the small orange like fruit called satsuma.  It separates easily into small sections that are handy to eat, and the skin comes off easily.

Many years ago my family had an old home that was "down the river". We would drive there to pick satsumas and scavenge for pecans in the tall grass. My great aunt lived alone there and was not able to keep up the farm that had been in the family for several generations, but the trees persisted, and we were usually able to find something.  On the way home we cracked pecans, peeled satsumas and stuffed ourselves.

Christmas was the season for navel oranges, which are larger, and have a small protrusion like a navel on them. There was always one in our Christmas stocking.

Today the citrus industry is struggling in Louisiana. Since it is in the "toe" of Louisiana and surrounded by the sea, and the Mississippi River runs through the center ---it is often flooded as it was this year and is being affected by the salt water that is encroaching on its water table. A few weeks ago Isaac shook most of the crop from the trees.

I included a photo of the satsuma and kumquat tree that we had for a few years, but the drought and severe freezes killed the satsuma.

I was happy to find a few local satsumas in the market yesterday.