Reading this makes my mouth water.
I too grew up in Southern Calif with citrus growing in the back yard, along with avocados and guavas.
I just found a new tea that comes in a jar and looks like marmalade. It is Citron tea. Very high in vitamin C and very tasty. After drinking the tea I get to eat the pieces of rind and pulp.
Have to go make a cup of Citron tea now. : )

Tee, What a wonderful article! Thanks you so much for this enjoyable reading! I've lived in Florida (land of Grapefruit, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons etc.) since 1967 and I love citrus and it's usually in plentiful supply down here. I have a good friend who's husband has both orange and grapefruit trees and they don't eat the grapefruit because of it interfering with their medications so they always give me tons of grapefruit every year. I MUST try the broiled grapefruit recipe; I've never heard of preparing it that way and it sounds really yummy! I have an elderly friend who always shares oranges, grapefruit and tangerines from her trees. My dear mother in law had a lot of citrus trees on her property and would make orange and grapefruit juice and freeze it. I like making iced tea and putting sliced oranges in it and I might have to try it with grapefruit some time!

I wish there was a citrus tree hardy to 6b. One of the very few things I miss from Arizona is the citrus bloom every spring - it was divine.

Sheryl: The fragrance of citrus blossoms is divine!. When my family moved to Florida in 1967 there were citrus groves everywhere in Central Florida, it was at the height of bloom season and I couldn't get over how awesome the fragrance was! I've always loved Vanilla, but Orange Blossom is at the very top of my list of favorite fragrances!

Love the Texas Ruby Reds! Need to try that receipe you included.

Great article, Tee. I would love to have a conservatory off the back of our house! I can remember having a half grapefruit (what seemed like) nearly every morning growing up, but now that I take Lipitor to control cholesterol, can't have grapefruit anymore. I still love to smell them! I have a Meyer's Lemon that has been in a very large pot for about 10 yrs. I wrap the pot in the winter because it's too large to ever move, and cover the branches with sheets and row cover. I freeze the juice in ice cube trays. I haven't tried planting any of my citrus in the ground. We do get the occasional ice storm. I bought a dwarf lemon this spring and in spite of the drought, I harvested more lemons than we could use, so I shared them with my neighbor. They were smaller than a lime, so I wasn't about to try squeezing them.

Lin, that Citron tea sounds delish! So many great citrus. I think I particularly enjoy them this time of year after all the holiday sweets and indulgences. I'm on a hunt for your Citron tea now. Hope I can find it here.

Sheila, those Texas Ruby Reds are awesome. It's wonderful that something so pretty is also so good for you. ♥

I just bought a big bag of Florida tangerines yesterday. I like them for holiday and winter decorations before I eat them. They don't last long though.

I almost bought a pineapple yesterday just to set on the table for awhile for decoration. I have a molcajete in the middle of my dining room table and I put all kinds of things in there for "viewing" before we eat them. I just think citrus are beautiful!

Sandi, aren't those dwarf Meyer lemon trees prolific? ♥ That's a good idea freezing the juice in ice cube trays. Great for using in sun tea (or whatever) in the warm weather months as well.


Sheryl ... me too. Sigh!

Thank you Tee for yet another wonderful article.

I was lucky enough to grow up with the entire array of citrus "as you step out the door"; along with avocado, mango, guava & coconuts. As kids we never lacked for a snack while we were out playing. If we got hungry there was no need to go home, we just grabbed something off a tree. Then washed the sticky off in the river. What a life!
I can tell people about calomundin. It is THE most sour thing you can possibly imagine. HOWEVER, some sugar or honey & it's TO DIE FOR! The flavor can't be described really. It will also take the place of lemon or lime if you desire. The fruit is small, about 1 1/2" round with very thin skin thinner than tangerine & almost no pith. You can put it all in a food processor (minus seeds) & put it into cakes, icings etc... It makes a wonderful preserve too.

What a life, indeed! The things we take for granted at times.

Tee where did you get your molcajete . Was it passed down to you or did you buy it and season it?

I bought it and seasoned it, Lynn. My family, being from the South, had mortars and pestles. When I moved to So. CA with all it's wonderful Mexican food, I was hooked for life.

Song, does your molcajete have the carved design around its outside?

Sharon, no carving. It is solid granite carved in one piece with a granite pestle but just plain on the outside.

It's very beautiful, Tee. I love granite. I have a marvelous granite slab just about the same color.

The very ancient ones that were made of clay or carved from stone often had heads of animals around the outer rim. Mostly pigs, I think. I've never found nor seen one, but with all your travels cross country, I thought you might have struck gold.

Great article girl....Enjoyed it....

Thank you, Charleen. Do you and Charley grow any citrus of any kind? I'm not sure where Barnesville is located in GA. I see you are zone 7b.



When I was a child, I always got an apple and an orange or tangerine in my Christmas stocking without fail every year.

GREAT article Tee - I'm so fortunate to have a sister in FL that sends us citrus for Christmas. Grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, blood oranges, tangelos. YUM!

I'm a huge advocate of grapefruit seed extract. I get it at the health food store and add a few drops to my smoothie every morning. Sorry about the flash.