Louisiana Satsuma Mandarin Oranges

[patti]

We've had our satsuma tree for a little less than six years and this is the second year to get a really plentiful crop. They are sweet and juicy and delicious. Even our golden retrievers, who don't usually like fruit, love to be hand fed sections of satsuma.

I haven't used them to make juice or anything at all; we're too busy eating them out of hand and giving them out to friends and co-workers.

Our lemons are nice and lemony, but ugly as hell. Don't know why. <shrug>

[Jason Perlow]

Even our golden retrievers, who don't usually like fruit, love to be hand fed sections of satsuma.

Same deal with our mini poodles... hate any kind of citrus, but LOVE the satsumas.

[Mayhaw Man]

Orange report from Plaquemine Parish-Basically, there aren't very many and there won't be for a while.

[Jason Perlow]

On hearing about these shortages, Brooks, I feel like a unconscionable glutton, being now on my SECOND 40lb box of these things. But if my buying them helps Simon stay in business, I'll buy even more.

Other than Simon, I can't seem to find any independent farms selling Louisiana Citrus on the web. Does anyone know of any other that direct ship? I'd like to try some fo the other offerings from the state if possible, if the crop exists to sell.

[Jason Perlow]

For those of you who haven't ordered any yet, here's what you are missing:

[Gifted Gourmet]

Okay, okay, okay! Ordering a half bushel for the two of us ... not that an extreme closeup of Satsuma citrus played any part in my decision, mind you ...

[Jason Perlow]

Still not convinced?

Satsumas: The Video (Requires Windows Media Player)

EDIT: Here is the "Prequel" Satsuma video! an eG exclusive!

Google Video: Satsuma Peeling: Episode 1, The Mandarin Menace

[Rachel Perlow]

How to keep 40 pounds of satsumas from going mouldy before you eat them all...

By the time you get halfway into a 40 pound box, you are probably going to run across one with some mould on it. Throw it into your garbage disposal, citrus always freshens the disposal nicely.

Most of your other satsumas don't appear to have mould on them, but there are now spores all over the box, especially on the fruit next to the mouldy one. They will begin to get mouldy very quickly.

You have to wash them thoroughly. I clean out my kitchen sink with scouring powder. Then fill the sink with cool water and add a tablespoon of bleach and/or scouring powder. Put the satsumas in the sink one at a time, checking for any others with mould, or partially smushed ones (eat the good parts of smushed ones right away). When you've loaded the sink, swish them around for a few minutes, then remove to a colander to drip dry (over a plate/tray/other sink). DO NOT RINSE THEM.

You cannot use the zest for anything after doing this, but it will wash off the spores and keep most of them from going mouldy before you get to eat them. Do not put back in original box. In fact, keep them in the colander for air circulation if possible.

[ruthcooks]

OK, I ordered some too--part for me and part for a Christmas gift for my SIL, who eats Clementines by the case.

[joiei]

Suggestions for what to do with some of those Satsuma's that you have hanging around the house, Satsuma Cane Syrup Pecan Pie, I may have to whip one of these puppies up tonight. I have some fresh pecans to use. Yummm.

[Jason Perlow]

Here's a Flourless Satsuma Cake we made using Nigella Lawson's Clementine Cake recipe:

This uses whole satsumas, cooked for 2 hours in a pot of water, then blitzed in the food processor with eggs, almonds and sugar and butter and baked in a springform pan.

[Rachel Perlow]

I think next time, we'll use commercial almond flour instead of grinding our own almonds. I was concerned about over processing the almonds, so the cake has a very nutty texture. If anyone tries this with commercial almond flour, please let us know how it turns out.

[pennbrew]

I just tried to place an order for tomorrow's shipment, but the website says the season is over! No more satsumas!!

I'm bummed...

[Jason Perlow]

Wow, that was quick.

[Carpetbagger]

Any Northern NJ residents looking for a quick satsuma fix will find them at a store called the Orange Farmer's Market on Main St. in Orange (just past the intersection of Main St. & Northfield in West Orange).

[bavila]

More satsuma pics from my trip to Lousiana last week.

The table's set for breakfast:

But who can wait for breakfast?

[pennbrew]

Bumping this in juicy anticipation of satsuma season.

Brooks, any reports on this year's crop?

---Guy

[pennbrew]

I emailed Simon Citrus Farm, here's the response I got:

Hey Guy

Thank you for your interest!

Our trees were a little stressed from the hurricane winds of last year. We expect the season to be short (not too much fruit on the trees.)

The fruit is still quite green. We expect to test it for sweetness in about 2 weeks and hope to begin shipments late October or early Nov.

When the satsumas are good to ship, I'll open the website.

Thanks again for your business,

Belinda

Simon Citrus Farm

[pennbrew]

Woo hoo! The season is open! I just got this email:

Thank you for your interest and inquiries. Our website is now open and we will begin shipping satsumas on Monday!

Our season was delayed this year (probably from the stress of last year's storms). And the season will be short. Not a large crop this year - again probably stress.

Thank you,

Simon Citrus Farm

So go get 'em, y'all!

---Guy

[HungryC]

My backyard tree also has a light crop, due mostly to the fact that my area of LA has a year-to-date rainfall deficit of +20 inches. All of my citrus set quite a bit of fruit, but it didn't stay on the trees through the hot, unusually spring. I haven't picked any yet--the first blush of yellow-orange is beginning to appear through the green. I'm waiting a few weeks more before harvest.

[pennbrew]

2006 crop report

Not a very promising report for the future of the industry.

---Guy

Edited October 26, 2006 by pennbrew (log)

[HungryC]

While Plaquemines lost quite a few trees & producers, other southern parishes have decent-sized crops...here's the LSU Ag Center's take on citrus production in Lafourche & Terrebonne parishes: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_livest...l+But+Sweet.htm

[patti]

We picked our first bag of satsumas this weekend. Still gorging on them, so have not begun sharing them with friends. Maybe next week.

[Mayhaw Man]

I was down in Plaquemine Parish on Sunday working on a story (soon to be published in a paper that you can buy in your town) and the crop, at least around Belle Chasse and Happy Jack is looking good. I bought navels, satsumas, tangerines, and a few grapefruits (they're the best in the world, but it's a bit early for them, so there were only a few available). I'll post some pictures tonight. All is not lost. Really. It will just take a while for things to get back to normal. According to the folks that I talked to, getting the fruit picked is harder than growing it. Why would you pick fruit for 7 bucks an hour when you can make two or three times that doing reconstruction labor?

Those people down there (humorously, many of them named Becnel-there are a gillion fruit growing Becnels all related in one way or another) are farmers with paid for land. Many of them also are involved in other businesses in the parish, but the one business that they love and understand is the fruit trade. They're not going anywhere-not anytime soon anyway.

For those of you coming to New Orleans in the next few months, the ones of you that have a car available, I highly reccomend a drive over there. It's an easy, scenic trip and not a bad way to see what happened here. As you are driving down, try to imagine your car under 16-20 feet of water. In many places, the storm surge was that high. Just the simple fact that they are back and have ANYTHING to sell is a testament to their determination and grit. Buy something from them. Right now, aside from the citrus, there are stupendous tomatoes, eggplants, greens of all sorts, squash, bell peppers and all kinds of other produce. It's all delicious-as good as you will ever buy-and when you buy you will know that you are supporting some folks who really, really care about what they do and know, innately, that it's an important part of who we are here in the lost Republic.

At the end of that row of oranges you will see the levee that holds back the Mississippi River. Had I turned around and taken a photo in the opposite direction, you would have seen an marsh that is, at this point, part of the Gulf of Mexico. The strip of land that these fruits are growing on is less than a mile wide and runs, generally, down the West side of the river from New Orleans to the mouth of the river-though the road only goes as far as Venice.

[pennbrew]

Anyone have an idea how the crop's looking this year? Last year I blinked and missed the season...