Panning for Gold Nuggets & Temple Oranges

There's "Gold" in them-there darn citrus groves! Spring is the darn-tootinist time of the year for citrus and we've got different varieties in our FruitCrates depending on where you are in the country. California crates will have Gold Nuggets from the Ojai region (just around the bend from Santa Barbara.) Gold Nuggets are seedless and a sweet and rich cross of the Wilking and Kincy tangerines. This cross was discovered in the 1950s but it wasn't until 1975 when UC Riverside professors noticed this variety and introduced it to growers.

As a general goal, we try and find fruit from the regions closest to the offices we serve. Thus for those of you on the East Coast, Florida is the mother lode of citrus at this time of year. We are highlighting the Temple Orange out of Florida which is a tasty piece of citrus with a fascinating history. There is a great website that tells the story of the temple orange. Click on the letter and read the history of the orange written by the wife of the farmer who found this naturally-occurring new variety. Written in 1964, she recalls how they discovered the orange just before World War I.

As we ease into springtime over the next few weeks, we'll begin to see some regional blueberries and strawberries in California. We're also including some avocados to mix it up a bit as we had some nice feedback from clients last time we did this. Find out just what's what in your crate here. We show you the different fruits by east coast, west coast and by crate mixes.

Enjoy and be fruitful!

chris@fruitguys.com