If you liveinYolo County, I suggest you plant citrus. I grow navel oranges,caracara oranges, Eureka lemons,satsuma mandarins, and ruby red grapefruits in my backyard. Most of these fruits can be eaten just as they are, and provide abundant winter gifts for family, neighbors and friends. There is never too much citrus, because it can always be juiced. And unlike fragile summer fruits, citrus can be harvested over a two-to-three month period, providing a bounty of fruits for the whole winter season.
My Eureka lemon tree by Lorie Hammond, adapted.
Among citrus, lemons are special. Their season extends most of the year, and their culinary usefulness is unsurpassed. My lemon tree has hundreds of lemons at this time of year. This article describes some of the things I make with my Eureka lemons, but Meyer lemons work as well. Some recipes incorporate oranges as well as lemons.
Sweet recipes
Orange lemon marmalade: The story of marmalade dates back to the fifteenth century in Portugal when the word “marmelo” referred to a sweet paste made from quince. This word derived from the Greek words meli (honey) and melon (apple). Later, bitter quince began to be replaced by bitter Seville oranges. But the first marmalade maker who popularized this product in the British Isles was a Scottish explorer named James Keiller. The story goes that he bought a shipload of oranges in Spain, hoping to sell them in Scotland. To his surprise, he discovered that his shipload was bitter Seville oranges rather than the sweet ones he expected. With his wife, he saved the fruit by boiling it with sugar and jarring it as Dundee Marmalade, which became iconic in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Since then, marmalade is most often made from Seville oranges but can be made from any mix of citrus and sugar.
Marmalade relies on a bitter-sweet quality derived from bitter citrus peel, pulp and juice mixed with sugar. Marmalade differs from jam in that the peel, pulp, and fruit of the citrus are included, whereas jams generally involve only the juice or meat of fruits. The proportion of sweet to bitter citrus (oranges vs. lemons), and the amount of pulp and peel, determine the bitterness of the product. This is a matter of taste. A marmalade without bitterness is not a marmalade at all.
At my home, making orange-lemon marmalade from our trees, and canning it for the year, is a holiday event. The first step is to chop an equal amount of whole navel oranges and Eureka lemons into tiny pieces by hand. The larger oranges create a sweet product, which is balanced by the acidity of the lemons. The chopping must be done the day before the marmalade is made. It is more fun to do with a holiday group.
How many fruits do you need? We use marmalade all year, and give it as gifts, so we dice about thirty oranges and twenty lemons. Then we squeeze and add about a quart of fresh squeezed orange juice. I use a heavy duty Mexican-style squeezer for this purpose. An optional teaspoon of baking soda can be added to help the rinds soften faster when they cook. Cover the large bowl of chopped fruit with a dishtowel and allow it to sit overnight.
My daughter Alex boiling fruit to ladle in jars by Lorie Hammond, adaptedMuch smaller amounts can also be made. For example, six oranges and four lemons can make a single recipe of marmalade. Measurements do not matter since you will balance the fruit with the right proportion of sugar when it is ready to be cooked.
While cutting the fruit, sterilize the jars and lids. This is necessary whether they are re-used jars from the pantry or newly purchased ones from the store. Some dishwashers have a “sanitize” cycle. For effective sterilization the water temperature needs to reach at least 180 °F. We prefer half-pint jars, which hold a cup of marmalade. But some people like to use small jars (quarter pint) for gifts, or pint jars for a big family. Place sterile jars face down on clean dishtowels until they are filled. Rings can be washed in the dishwasher or hot soapy water. Lids should be boiled for ten minutes in asmall pan of water and placed directly from being sterilized onto newly filled jars.
The next day, measure eight cups at a time of the fruit mixture into a large, heavy pot and bring it to a boil. Add one teaspoon of butter to reduce the foam. Stir in four cups of sugar (for a tart marmalade), or up to six cups of sugar for a sweeter effect. Simmer for about forty-five minutes, until the mixture thickens. Test the marmalade for thickness by placing a spoonful on a plate in the freezer. If it holds its shape, it is ready. Commercial low-sugar pectin can also be used to reduce cooking time. Follow instructions on pectin box. If you are making a lot of marmalade, you may need to do several batches. If you want to double the recipe, be aware that smaller batches are easier to boil quickly, which lessens the danger of the pulp sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Ladle the marmalade into jars, filling to ¼ inch from the top, and process jars for ten minutes in a boiling water bath. Marmalade will keep for up to a year if properly prepared.
Delicious home-made lemonade: Squeeze lemons to fill a pitcher ¼ full of juice. Boil a simple syrup of one cup sugar to one cup water, cool, and add to the pitcher. Fill the pitcher with water. Add one thinly sliced lemon and refrigerate. When serving this “concentrate”, place ice in glasses. Add lemonade mix and still or bubbly water to taste. If you like, add a sprig of mint from the garden. It is delicious!
Savory recipes
Preserved lemons: These are salted lemons which can be used in many recipes, including middle eastern dishes, meat marinades, pasta dishes, and more. Preserved lemons are simple to make and can be a nice present for friends. To use them, wash off the extra salt, dice them, and add them to foods for enhanced flavor.
Wash and dry eight lemons. Cut each into eight wedges and place them in a large bowl. Add two cups of kosher salt. Pack into two one-half pint jars, pressing down so that lemon juice covers them. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one week, shaking occasionally. They should be softened. Move them to the refrigerator where you can keep them for up to a year. Multiply this recipe as many times as you like if you want to give them away.
Lemon salad dressing: This dressing is delicious served on a simple salad of winter garden greens with oranges and mint or cilantro on top. Juice one lemon. Place juice in a half pint jar and add a whole clove of garlic. Add one quarter cup of seasoned rice vinegar and one quarter cup of olive oil, then add salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture in the refrigerator all day or over-night. Remove the garlic clove and serve.
Where does citrus come from?
In the United States, the only states which commercially produce citrus are parts of California and Florida. While citrus trees were originally propagated in warm parts of Southern California, such as Riverside, most varieties can be grown in Yolo County, which includes climate zones 9a and 9b. Some protection from winter frosts may be necessary, and trees should be placed in sheltered spots on the south side of buildings.
Citrus fruits are native to the foothills of the Himalayas and have been grown for four thousand years in Southeast Asia, China, and Australia. Oranges and lemons were introduced in California by Father Junipero Serra at Mission San Diego in 1769. The citrus varieties that we know are hybridized from four original fruit types which we would not recognize.
References:
Hammond, Lorie. Growing Whole Children in the Garden: Over 100 activities, recipes, and nature-based projects for teachers and parents to do with children. Chapter 12. 2020.
Pittenger, Dennis R., Editor. California Master Gardener Handbook, Second Edition. University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources. 2015. Chapter 17.
Schmitt, Sally. Six California Kitchens: A Collection of Recipes, Stories and Cooking Lessons from a Pioneer of California Cuisine. Chronicle Books. 2022. p. 251.
