Citrus Countdown- #5 Of Best Citrus Choices
Thanks for coming by to find out my top fruit tree choices for San Diego. It is tough to narrow the choices down to a mere five selections; please don't despair if your favorite didn't make the list. Let me give a brief rationale for my selections.
Have you noticed that homes and land are just a little expensive in San Diego? Lot sizes become smaller all the time. For most people, growing space, or rather lack of growing space puts a huge crimp in the plant selections for their yard. If you have an acre of land, you have the luxury of space, and could plant trees in fifty flavors. If like many people, you can plant five total...or maybe fewer, you must be far more discriminating. When space is at such a premium, I want to utilize my space investment to its fullest potential. My rule of thumb on what to plant can be extrapolated to all edible plant choices when you have a tiny space.
Farmer John's rules for choosing edibles:
1) I want to grow what is rare.
2) I want to grow things that are very expensive if purchased.
3) I want to grow things that are vastly superior when allowed to ripen on the plant or tree; allowed to reach their fullest potential.
4) I want to grow things that are very productive, that is, giving high yields. (I don't want to work all year for three little apples)
To flesh this philosophy out a little, let me illustrate. I do not want to raise onions in my small garden, when onions are a) inexpensive b) there is little discernible difference between a store purchased onion and one grown at home c) onions are readily available. On the other hand, I want to raise Cascadia sugar snap peas because a) I can't buy them at Sprouts, or even the farmer's market b) snap peas give a very high yield in minimal space c) sugar snap peas retail for $5.00 per pound d) sugar levels drop 25% in the first day after picking. Once you have feasted on Cascadia sugar snap peas 30 minutes after picking them, you will want them in your winter garden forever! Trust me there is a vast difference between fresh and anything you will ever buy.
These are the criteria I am applying to my choices. I hope you enjoy them.
Drum roll please...
Number five:
Oro Blanco:
You will notice, I did not call this Oro Blanco grapefruit. It is widely described as such, but this is not actually a grapefruit. True, it is a citrus hybrid that has a grapefruit as one of the parents. It is a cross between a seeded white grapefruit and a green fruited seedless pomelo.
It is a result of breeding done at the UC Riverside citrus experiment station. (The UC Riverside citrus station is occasionally open for tours. I can not recommend highly enough this rare opportunity. When tours become available again, do yourself a favor and go!) It was developed in a breeding program begun in 1958. It became a patented variety in 1981.
That last sentence should strike your attention. Developing this wonderful fruit was a twenty-three year investment of time and research. If you want fruit trees, please plant them now! In these days of instant gratification as a divine right, something that takes so much time to develop seems alien to us. Citrus take at least five to seven years to begin bearing fruit.
I still remember the first time I tasted a tree ripened Oro Blanco. It was at breakfast on a kibbutz on the Sea of Gallilee in the nation of Israel. It was one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten on a host of levels. The bread was hot and fresh from the oven, There were six or seven kinds of cheese: soft, semi-soft, and hard. There were at least four kinds of smoked fish, and creamed herring. There was also an assortment of fresh fruits including bananas from the kibbutz. But the standout fruit was the fruit they called "Sweetie", grown there on the farm. And oh, how sweet it was. That Oro Blanco, or as they called it, "Sweetie" was the star performer in one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
For the biologists, here are some interesting facts. Oro Blancos are a result of polyploidal breeding; a diploid (2x) acidless pomelo crossed with a tetraploid (4x) white grapefruit, resulting in a triploid (3x) hybrid. If you have forgotten your biology lessons, a polyploid type has multiple sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. The letter "x" is used to signify a single set, so a diploid has a double set of chromosomes; a tetraploid has four sets of chromosomes. The resulting cross in Oro Blanco has three sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. The resulting extra sets of chromosomes create extraordinary size and vigor in this marvelous tree. This hybrid is vastly superior to either of the parents. It retains the seed free, sweetness of the pomelo, and brings in the complexity of flavors from the grapefruit.
You can find these at most supermarkets these days for around a dollar a piece, but if you are able to get one from a really good friend that owns a tree, get one that has ripened a long time on the tree. Oh my goodness, these taste good!
Here is my assessment on why this tree is so fantastic.
1) One of the most vigorously growing citrus trees available...actually THE most vigorous citrus I have grown. It grows like Jack's beanstalk; I halfway expect Jack to climb down the thing with a goose and a harp.
2) Bears at a young age (remember that word precocious?). A five year old tree can easily have 20 or so fruits.
3) The flowers are HUGE! The flowers are large (2") and deliciously fragrant, and the fruit tastes like the flowers smell...which is delightful.
4) The fruits are incredibly large, and yields are high. When I describe these fruits as large, I am not at all exaggerating the point. I have had fruits a foot across. It is almost unreal to see fruits so large on a backyard tree.
5) The tree is almost always pest free. The vigor of this tree extends to its ability to seemingly repel many of the pests other citrus seem to suffer from.
6) Oro Blanco grows well and ripens perfectly on the coast. Grapefruits do not do well in coastal conditions. Have you noticed where grapefruits are from when you have shopped for them? They come from Texas, Arizona, and the deserts of California. They need high temperatures to grow well, and for the fruit to ripen. Oro Blanco likes it near the beach, and heat is unnecessary to make the fruit taste good.
7) The fruit is absolutely scrumptious! The fruit of Oro Blanco is seedless, juicy, sweet and yet very complex. It will make your taste buds dance for joy in your mouth. If you like grapefruits, you will love this one that needs no sugar to sweeten it up. If you don't like grapefruit, be open minded and give this one a try, I think you will like it.
8) It is delicious fresh, but also great as a part of more elaborate dishes. It is one of my favorite fruits to use as a component in salads, appetizers, and complex presentations. I have included some links to give you ideas of what can be done:
Mixed Citrus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-mixed-citrus-salad-with-lemon-vinaigrette/
Oro Blanco, Pomegranate & Fromage Blanc Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
http://www.saffronlane.com/blog/?p=2866
Citrus Salad with Whipped Mascarpone Cream
http://www.digthisjive.com/vittles/recipe-citrus-salad-with-whipped-mascarpone-cream/
Give an Oro Blanco a chance in your garden, I think you will enjoy it.
Have you noticed that homes and land are just a little expensive in San Diego? Lot sizes become smaller all the time. For most people, growing space, or rather lack of growing space puts a huge crimp in the plant selections for their yard. If you have an acre of land, you have the luxury of space, and could plant trees in fifty flavors. If like many people, you can plant five total...or maybe fewer, you must be far more discriminating. When space is at such a premium, I want to utilize my space investment to its fullest potential. My rule of thumb on what to plant can be extrapolated to all edible plant choices when you have a tiny space.
Farmer John's rules for choosing edibles:
1) I want to grow what is rare.
2) I want to grow things that are very expensive if purchased.
3) I want to grow things that are vastly superior when allowed to ripen on the plant or tree; allowed to reach their fullest potential.
4) I want to grow things that are very productive, that is, giving high yields. (I don't want to work all year for three little apples)
To flesh this philosophy out a little, let me illustrate. I do not want to raise onions in my small garden, when onions are a) inexpensive b) there is little discernible difference between a store purchased onion and one grown at home c) onions are readily available. On the other hand, I want to raise Cascadia sugar snap peas because a) I can't buy them at Sprouts, or even the farmer's market b) snap peas give a very high yield in minimal space c) sugar snap peas retail for $5.00 per pound d) sugar levels drop 25% in the first day after picking. Once you have feasted on Cascadia sugar snap peas 30 minutes after picking them, you will want them in your winter garden forever! Trust me there is a vast difference between fresh and anything you will ever buy.
These are the criteria I am applying to my choices. I hope you enjoy them.
Drum roll please...
Number five:
Oro Blanco:
 |
| My own five year old tree 10 months after transplanting, loaded with fruit. |
It is a result of breeding done at the UC Riverside citrus experiment station. (The UC Riverside citrus station is occasionally open for tours. I can not recommend highly enough this rare opportunity. When tours become available again, do yourself a favor and go!) It was developed in a breeding program begun in 1958. It became a patented variety in 1981.
That last sentence should strike your attention. Developing this wonderful fruit was a twenty-three year investment of time and research. If you want fruit trees, please plant them now! In these days of instant gratification as a divine right, something that takes so much time to develop seems alien to us. Citrus take at least five to seven years to begin bearing fruit.
I still remember the first time I tasted a tree ripened Oro Blanco. It was at breakfast on a kibbutz on the Sea of Gallilee in the nation of Israel. It was one of the best breakfasts I have ever eaten on a host of levels. The bread was hot and fresh from the oven, There were six or seven kinds of cheese: soft, semi-soft, and hard. There were at least four kinds of smoked fish, and creamed herring. There was also an assortment of fresh fruits including bananas from the kibbutz. But the standout fruit was the fruit they called "Sweetie", grown there on the farm. And oh, how sweet it was. That Oro Blanco, or as they called it, "Sweetie" was the star performer in one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
For the biologists, here are some interesting facts. Oro Blancos are a result of polyploidal breeding; a diploid (2x) acidless pomelo crossed with a tetraploid (4x) white grapefruit, resulting in a triploid (3x) hybrid. If you have forgotten your biology lessons, a polyploid type has multiple sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. The letter "x" is used to signify a single set, so a diploid has a double set of chromosomes; a tetraploid has four sets of chromosomes. The resulting cross in Oro Blanco has three sets of chromosomes in the nucleus. The resulting extra sets of chromosomes create extraordinary size and vigor in this marvelous tree. This hybrid is vastly superior to either of the parents. It retains the seed free, sweetness of the pomelo, and brings in the complexity of flavors from the grapefruit.
You can find these at most supermarkets these days for around a dollar a piece, but if you are able to get one from a really good friend that owns a tree, get one that has ripened a long time on the tree. Oh my goodness, these taste good!
Here is my assessment on why this tree is so fantastic.
1) One of the most vigorously growing citrus trees available...actually THE most vigorous citrus I have grown. It grows like Jack's beanstalk; I halfway expect Jack to climb down the thing with a goose and a harp.
2) Bears at a young age (remember that word precocious?). A five year old tree can easily have 20 or so fruits.
3) The flowers are HUGE! The flowers are large (2") and deliciously fragrant, and the fruit tastes like the flowers smell...which is delightful.
4) The fruits are incredibly large, and yields are high. When I describe these fruits as large, I am not at all exaggerating the point. I have had fruits a foot across. It is almost unreal to see fruits so large on a backyard tree.
5) The tree is almost always pest free. The vigor of this tree extends to its ability to seemingly repel many of the pests other citrus seem to suffer from.
6) Oro Blanco grows well and ripens perfectly on the coast. Grapefruits do not do well in coastal conditions. Have you noticed where grapefruits are from when you have shopped for them? They come from Texas, Arizona, and the deserts of California. They need high temperatures to grow well, and for the fruit to ripen. Oro Blanco likes it near the beach, and heat is unnecessary to make the fruit taste good.
7) The fruit is absolutely scrumptious! The fruit of Oro Blanco is seedless, juicy, sweet and yet very complex. It will make your taste buds dance for joy in your mouth. If you like grapefruits, you will love this one that needs no sugar to sweeten it up. If you don't like grapefruit, be open minded and give this one a try, I think you will like it.
8) It is delicious fresh, but also great as a part of more elaborate dishes. It is one of my favorite fruits to use as a component in salads, appetizers, and complex presentations. I have included some links to give you ideas of what can be done:
Mixed Citrus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/minimal-monday-mixed-citrus-salad-with-lemon-vinaigrette/
Oro Blanco, Pomegranate & Fromage Blanc Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
http://www.saffronlane.com/blog/?p=2866
Citrus Salad with Whipped Mascarpone Cream
http://www.digthisjive.com/vittles/recipe-citrus-salad-with-whipped-mascarpone-cream/
Give an Oro Blanco a chance in your garden, I think you will enjoy it.
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