Louisiana Satsuma Mandarin Oranges

[Mayhaw Man]

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

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Greetings Brew Bro,

I hope that things are well with you and yours.

I'm going down there on Sunday on a little fishing expedition. I'm planning to do a fruit survey after I get done slaughtering trout, redfish, and doormats. I'm assuming that it will be better than last year, but we haven't had exactly a ton of rain this year and I really don't know how that affects the production levels. I'll axe around and find out, though. I'll let you know what I find out.

B

[HungryC]

I've seen quite a bit of fruit on trees in orchards in Lafourche parish & in backyard trees in my 'hood. Unfortunately, my (relatively young) backyard trees decided to grow a bunch of new limbs this year so almost NO fruit set in the spring. I have ONE satsuma, THREE LA Sweet oranges, no blood oranges, no key limes (though my neighbor's tree has plenty).

[syoung68]

Rouses has some green ones in stores now. I will stop by the fruit stand in Abita this weekend. She gets her citrus primarily from Becnels. I will see if she has heard how the crop was this year.

[Sarabeth]

Rouses has some green ones in stores now. I will stop by the fruit stand in Abita this weekend. She gets her citrus primarily from Becnels. I will see if she has heard how the crop was this year.

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I have 4 satsumas on my tree. One is starting to change color, but the other three are still green. When is the best time to pick and harvest? This is my first experience with the fruit.. anyone have great recipes for 1-4 satsumas?

[Mayhaw Man]

Rouses has some green ones in stores now. I will stop by the fruit stand in Abita this weekend. She gets her citrus primarily from Becnels. I will see if she has heard how the crop was this year.

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I have 4 satsumas on my tree. One is starting to change color, but the other three are still green. When is the best time to pick and harvest? This is my first experience with the fruit.. anyone have great recipes for 1-4 satsumas?

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Recipe for 4 Satsumas-

Stick your pointing finger into the top of it.

Peel (it will come off in a couple/three pieces).

Gently take a section or two of the fruit and mix put into your mouth

Mix well with your teeth

Swallow

Smile at your most recent culinary learning success.

[TAPrice]

Anyone have any satsuma cocktail ideas?

I suppose they could be substituted for oranges, although I don't know if they're acidic enough to balance a drink.

I tried to make candied satsuma peels last year with Steen's syrup. It was kind of a disaster. The peels were just too thin.

[Sarabeth]

Thank you for reminding me that the best recipes are usually the simplest.

Edited October 8, 2007 by Sarabeth (log)

[racheld]

Looo-siana Satsumas!!!! Now THERE'S a pleasant memory. It's a remembering that comes often, after perhaps twenty-five years since the actual event, and it should be commemorated with choirs, harps, and a flock of little pink hearts---pale pink ones, fraught with longing.

One day at my workplace, everyone had gone to lunch but me---I'm talking DEEP South here, so colloquialisms apply. A lady came into the office with both arms dragging low like a water-bearer, from the weight of two of those orange-net bags into which fruit is sewn for transport. She gave two mighty swings, and plumped each upon the counter in turn. She said, "I've got Looo-siana Satsumas and Grapefruit---any of y'all wanna buy some?"

I took a look at the fruit, quite plump and heavy with juice, but the moldy-green of the surface was a bit aback-taking, to say the least. It was not the green of unripe; it was a mossy, furry green, of the shade that floated on the FARRRR end of the drainage ditch which served the kitchen plumbing of our very rural home. The grapefruit was not quite so algae-ish, so I hefted the bag, realized it was FAR more than the ten pounds she allowed that it was, and said I'd take that one.

She sighed a regretful sigh and reached for the bridesmaid bag. I can turn down anyone with an eyeroll sigh, an angry sigh, a who-do-you-think-you-are hummmmph, but her sad tote that barge resignation at having to lug that thing BACK out into that Mississippi heat and peddle it elsewhere---that was my undoing.

I said I'd take that one as well. Whole kingdoms and bits of history have hinged on less import than that one sentence. I lugged them out to the car after work, counter-threw them myself when I arrived home. After school, the children came in, took one look, and all gave an EWWWWW-flavored, "What is THAT?"

Fruit, I said, mentioning that I'd give it a good wash before we peeled it. I cut the Satsuma bag, dumped a few into the sink-bowl, ran cold water, brush-scrubbed. No swan emerged from the dirty-ducklings, just a fainter nasty green tingeing the peel, but we took life and ptomaine in hand and peeled one. The rind fell away easily, revealing contents that Faberge would have gladly displayed in any egg. The fruit was spectacular, a glorious golden orange with a luminous quality that I'm sure has been enhanced by time and wishes for more.

The segments were sweet, the orangey orange that all oranges aspire to be, with great clusters of the tiny juice-sacs gleaming after the bite. I cannot describe the texture or the flavor or the color of those bits of happenstance---it was the best fruit we'd ever eaten, and for seconds, we all peeled one of our own, then another. Somehow, the five of us consumed half the bag between then and bedtime, finishing off the bag betwixt night and breakfast.

We still speak of it as the Miracle Satsumas, and will ever wander towards Goblin Market, hoping to find more. I looked up expectantly for YEARS, hoping that dusty, heavy-laden woman would re-appear, bearing that marvelous fruit. All the years since, any Satsumas in any market are greeted with a little lift of hopeful anticipation---wishing to find, hoping to taste just one more time.

I hope yours are as magical---I wonder if ANY could ever be as good.

[HungryC]

Mandarins/satsumas make good jam, but you have to bump up the acidity with a little lemon juice to get a good gel set (unless you LIKE runny jam, some people do). Just be sure to peel off the membranes surrounding the segments or your jam will be gross & pithy.

They also make mighty fine orange wine...five lbs of sugar, a bunch of peeled fruit mashed up real good, and a stoneware crock is all you need. Stir well to combine, cover with clean cheesecloth, and put in a warmish corner of the kitchen. It will begin to "talk" to you after a week or two; when the fermentation seems to slow, start tasting it. Bottle when it reaches a nice level of alcohol.

Mandarin vinegar is good, too, but you need a vinegar mother to get off on the right track.

Regarding the "right" time to start picking, it depends on the weather, age of tree, etc. On a loaded tree, it's easy: you pick one, taste it, and keep trying every few days until they're sweet enough. When you're hoarding just a few fruit and don't want to sacrifice any, give 'em a gentle squeeze every week or so. I find that they're sweetest when the skin has just barely begun to separate from the fruit--you'll be able to feel a slight "space" between the skin & fruit, esp on the blossom end. Generally, I start checking a week before Halloween (and incidentally, when I was kid, satsumas were a common trick-or-treat favor).

[FistFullaRoux]

God I miss those. I want some. Where are they shipping from? How much?

I want 'em, I want 'em, I want 'em, I want 'em, I want 'em!!!

[joiei]

I picked up some at my local Wild Oats turning into Whole Foods and was REALLY dissappointed. They were watery with very little flavor.

[HungryC]

Curious about the ones you purchased at Wild Oats: where were they grown?

[joiei]

Curious about the ones you purchased at Wild Oats:  where were they grown?

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THe sign did not say. I must admit that my mouth watered until I tasted how watery they were. so sad

[MikeHartnett]

Satsumas coming to the Crescent City market this week!

[syoung68]

I saw some at Rouses on the North Shore yesterday but did not buy any, so I do not know how sweet they were.

[MikeHartnett]

I just got a couple from Whole Foods to compare with the farmer's market specimens. I'll do a side-by-side comparison. These were grown in Plaquemines.

[Mayhaw Man]

I just got a couple from Whole Foods to compare with the farmer's market specimens.  I'll do a side-by-side comparison.  These were grown in Plaquemines.

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Bought a huge bag of them at Rouse's yesterday afternoon.

They're delicious. As always.

Had a salad with butter lettuce, toasted pecans, and satsumas.

Had a delicious drink made with Meyer's dark, satusuma juice, and Reagan's orange bitters garnished with a maraschino.

Had satsumas and coffee for breakfast

Satsuma updates to follow as appropriate

For now, I'm Brooks Hamaker, your Eye on Satsuma Reporter, reporting from Kville.

[maggiethecat]

For now, I'm Brooks Hamaker, your Eye on Satsuma Reporter, reporting from Kville.

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Report. I've never eaten a Satsuma, but I live vicariously through this topic.

[Mayhaw Man]

Breaking news....

You're faithful reporter has just concocted some satsuma gelato. It doesn't suck.

Film at 11.

[HungryC]

I picked one from the backyard last weekend, and oo-wee, it was still quite sour. Mine will need at least another two weeks. The Meyer lemons, on the other hand, are approaching perfection.

[Mayhaw Man]

I picked one from the backyard last weekend, and oo-wee, it was still quite sour.  Mine will need at least another two weeks.  The Meyer lemons, on the other hand, are approaching perfection.

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Hungry C,

Do you know anyone carrying locally grown Meyer Lemons? I suppose that I could drive down to Belle Chasse this weekend and find some, but would be much easier to buy them in town. I am going to make a HUGE batch of Lemoncello for holiday gifts. I did a small one last year and it was remarkably well received, so I though I would give it another shot.

I have a good source for them (Treme grown Meyer Lemons) but it's pretty limited in terms of amount.

[HungryC]

Whole Foods usually has Meyers for a while, but they're hideously expensive. Haven't seen 'em at any stands or farmers' markets, but then again, I haven't really ever looked, as I have my own.

[TAPrice]

I'm pretty sure that got some at the Crescent City Farmers Market last year. Can't remember which vendor had them.

[RAHiggins1]

I feel lucky, I am going to visit a friend's family in Slidell and they have 6 Satsuma bushes and lemon and limes too. Last year we came back with a boxful, we will this year too!

[Lan4Dawg]

an LSU fan tail-gating next to us on Saturday (52-38) gave a few to us before the game (we did not see him after the game) that he grew in his back yard. I have not been in to them yet but look forward to it.