Louisiana Satsuma Mandarin Oranges

[Jason Perlow]

While many of the South Louisiana citrus farms have been devastated by Katrina, I just spoke to Lynn Simon, owner of Simon Citrus Farms in Kaplan LA, in Vermillion Parish, and he told me that while the Satsuma season is going to start a little later than usual, he only lost 10 percent of his crop to wind damage. According to Lynn, just about every farm that was south of him was totally ravaged by Katrina. So if you want your Satsuma fix this year, you'll probably want to order from him.

Lynn told me that while the website is not taking orders yet, it definitely will next week. The Satsumas are still green and some are a bit bitter right now, but he will be able to begin taking orders and shipping them out soon. So watch this space for details.

http://www.satsumafarm.com

Satsumas as Artillery

[Mayhaw Man]

It's as bad as it gets. It's so hard to find a bright spot.

So I guess I am glad to hear that there are some in Acadiana. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, left in lower St Bernard or Plaquemine to save. Start over or get out. Not much in between. Sadly, I suspect that many will just get out.

I had some Alabama satsumas last weekend. They were delicious. They are grown on high ground between Moss Point, MS (which got jacked) and Mobile (which got double jacked) but only the coastal parts of the area were destroyed. The growing areas seem to have faired ok, with just minimal wind damage.

[FistFullaRoux]

Mom got 3 feet of water in her house in Vermilion Parish from Rita, and didn't lose a single satsuma from the tree in her back yard. Funny thing this...

[HungryC]

While the groves in Plaquemines Parish were devastated, several commercial-scale groves to the south & west of NOLA in Lafourche Parish are picking right now & have bumper crops. My first satsuma of the season was a little dry (we've had little significant rain since Rita), but quite sweet. I just purchased a tree for my newly sunny backyard (thanks to Katrina!)--can't wait to harvest its three meager fruits.

[Jason Perlow]

Simon Citrus farm just opened their e-commerce site with Paypal for the season this last sunday -- 40 pound boxes of freshly picked satsumas are $59.00 with shipping included, UPS ground. You can also get the 20lb box as well, but you don't get as good a deal per pound. Trust me, even 120-140 satsuma mandarins will not last you very long, you can eat six in a single sitting, easy. The peel literally flies right off and you can pop an entire fruit in your mouth practically.

Note that they only ship orders on Mondays. So if you order on a Monday afternoon or evening they will not ship them to you until the NEXT Monday.

Simon Citrus Farm (click)

[Jason Perlow]

The satsumas are here and my oh my are they fantastic. Exploding in your mouth juicy sweet. The peel literally flies off these things.

Run to their website now and order up a bushel or half bushel. You won't be disappointed.

Note that the natural ripe color of these fruits is a mottled orange and green. Don't worry about that -- that's what they are supposed to look like when they are juicy and sweet.

[Mayhaw Man]

They are good. I just ate about 6 of them and smooshed a bunch this morning for juice in order to construct a satsuma poundcake (that I am cooking in someone elses oven, dammit-though I am now the proud owner of some new refrigeration devices-seperate Kenmore Elite Freezer and Kenmore Elite Refrigerator. They are huge, shiny, and beautiful. I love them like I love my children. Now all I need is a kitchen to put them in (gotta get a roof first, and I'll be rolling, boy!)).

I like them better when they are closer to green than orange. They are small and as they turn orange they tend to be not as juicy.

[Jason Perlow]

I like them better when they are closer to green than orange. They are small and as they turn orange they tend to be not as juicy.

Right. Which is why its absolutely critical everyone order them NOW, post haste.

[Jason Perlow]

Brooks, you got a recipe for Satsuma Poundcake that you can put into Recipe Gullet?

[Mayhaw Man]

Brooks, you got a recipe for Satsuma Poundcake that you can put into Recipe Gullet?

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Recipe Gullet? What's that?

[Jason Perlow]

Brooks, you got a recipe for Satsuma Poundcake that you can put into Recipe Gullet?

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Recipe Gullet? What's that?

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You're asking for Marlene and Snowangel to come and kick your ass, right? Post the damn recipe.

[pennbrew]

I got my 40 lbs. of Satsumas this week thanks to you guys. They are great! I'm not sure I agree with you about the green/orange thing, it seems they are sweeter the more orange they are.

Anyway we'll never eat 40 lbs. before they go bad so I did this:

Great stuff!

---Guy

[Jason Perlow]

We're almost done with our 40lbs. I'm going to order another bushel shortly.

They are definitely more sweeter the more orange they are, but the downside is they have less juice in them the more orange they are.

[richards1052]

Jason: Thanks for that recommendation. I'll check it out. UPDATE: Bummer! They don't sell to WA. or CA.

But I want to find citrus that is harder to find than satsumas: oro blancos (a grapefruit pomelo mix). Would you have any suggestions on where I might find them mail order?

I think they're mostly grown in CA, though there's no reason they might not also be grown in the SE. I live in Seattle & don't know much about citrus outside the west coast.

I'm dying for a mail order oro blanco source. So pls. let me know if anyone has a recommendation.

Edited November 21, 2005 by richards1052 (log)

[richards1052]

Great stuff!

What a tantalizing pitcher of shimmering gold...It's almost dead winter here in Seattle but boy am I feeling thirsty!

[Jason Perlow]

Jason: Thanks for that recommendation.  I'll check it out.  UPDATE: Bummer!  They don't sell to WA. or CA.

But I want to find citrus that is harder to find than satsumas: oro blancos (a grapefruit pomelo mix).  Would you have any suggestions on where I might find them mail order?

I think they're mostly grown in CA, though there's no reason they might not also be grown in the SE.  I live in Seattle & don't know much about citrus outside the west coast.

I'm dying for a mail order oro blanco source.  So pls. let me know if anyone has a recommendation.

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Why can't they sell to Washington State or California? Some wacky law?

[HungryC]

I believe that the shipping restrictions are due to various citrus pests (citrus canker being an especially virulent one), which also affect other fruit trees. I've tried to order citrus trees from out-of-state plant nurserys and have encountered limitations on shipping destinations for the trees as well.

[John S.]

Why can't they sell to Washington State or California? Some wacky law?

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They don't have to. We have a large Satsuma crop here and early to market. They are .80 per pound at Safeway, cheaper if you get them in their growing area: Newcastle, Penryn, etc.

John S.

[robyn]

I believe that the shipping restrictions are due to various citrus pests (citrus canker being an especially virulent one), which also affect other fruit trees.  I've tried to order citrus trees from out-of-state plant nurserys and have encountered limitations on shipping destinations for the trees as well.

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Don't know where you live. I live in Florida. It's illegal to import citrus trees from other states here. Fruit is usually ok - unless it's been restricted by the federal government. Here's a website which discusses the rules.

I'm sure that all states with animal and plant interests have laws protecting what's in those states.

By the way - I live here in north Florida where satsumas are grown. There's a town called Satsuma which isn't too far from where I live. Robyn

[Jason Perlow]

Robyn, would you happen to have any online sources for ordering Florida satsumas?

[bavila]

Just received a delivery of satsumas from a Lafayette friend who drove them in. I saw these buggers as hard little green baby fruits in the spring at her mother's house. Mine are completely orange, though, Jason. And the fruit is rockin'. The membranes are supple and the scent of the peel is heady. May try some juice out in a mimosa.

[Jason Perlow]

I just ordered my second batch, I suspect by now they will be orange this time as well, and with even looser skin.

[Mayhaw Man]

I just recieved this note from Poppy Tooker, Beautiful Maiden of the Callas and local Slow Food big cheese:

Lester L'Hoste has some of the VERY few Louisiana Satsumas (which were

recently boarded onto the US Slow Food Ark of Taste) available AND the ONLY

organic ones.

Lester DOES mail order - and will ship 11 pounds of satsumas or navel

oranges for $30 ANYWHERE in the US (except California - where of course, you

can't ship citrus.)

The fruit can be ordered by phone @ 504-231-9625 or by mail at

L'Hoste Citrus

6397 Hwy. 39

Braithwaite, LA 70040

Unfortunately, he doesn't have internet access again yet.

[robyn]

Robyn, would you happen to have any online sources for ordering Florida satsumas?

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Sorry - I don't (although you could probably find something on Google). Don't know how the orange crops did this year. My Meyer lemon crop (from my one tree ) wasn't too terrific (couple of windy storms and too much rain at the wrong times resulted in a less than terrific harvest). Robyn

[Jason Perlow]

The second 40lb box of satsumas have arrived. They are now all orange, larger, the peels are looser, and really, really sweet.