We pull into the driveway everyday and take stock of the oranges.There isn’t much of an Autumn around here, so we use their slow and steady progress as our winter barometer. The real cold won’t come for a few more weeks.
When it comes, our three trees will sag with more fruit than we ever eat in a season. I’m going to try to avoid some of that waste and make marmalade from a few of the crates we pick, even though marmalade lost the popularity contest some thirty years ago. Maybe I can bring it back, like sexy.
On a philosophical note, isn’t seasonal produce amazing? At the first hint of winter, the oranges, squashes, and root vegetables come along with their mega doses of vitamin A and C. They’re immune system boosters offered to us just when we need it most. And when winter is over and we are ready once again to play outside, here comes spinach, asparagus, and other greens full of bone-friendly vitamin K. It’s God’s way of saying, “Take it easy, slugger. You’ve got to make it through Summer, too.”
Elisa @ What the Vita says
Wow, very true about the nutrition in the seasonal fruit/veggies. Everything about nature is beautiful AND full of purpose. Thanks for the reminder!
Kara says
I LOVE marmalade and think it would make a great holiday gift (hint, hint).
Giada has a great recipe where you spread it thick and gooey (can’t you hear her voice right now!) over sugar cookies, drizzle chocolate (if you want or not) and then add roasted almonds….The chocolate/orange combo is very Italian, according to Giada… YUM!
Hope your day is great!
XOXO -K
Deanna says
Another marmalade fan – I use it a lot in marinades for pork or turkey…but those cookies sound yummy too!
Annie says
What a great way to look at the creativity and necessity behind seasonal food. God is so good at what He does!
NotoriousMLE says
Sexy maramalade comeback. Love it.
Kirsty says
I love the picture. I got “orange” even though I saw green!
Ani says
Paddington Bear loves marmalade and so do I!
(What’s with the green picture?)
Jules says
Because the oranges aren’t ripe yet. I give it another week or two. That’s our winter barometer. When they turn orange, the cold is here to stay. It may not be as accurate this year, since our summer was unseasonably cool.
Ani says
Oops. I guess here in the soon-to-be freezing cold northeast, I have no clue that they are green until they’re orange! I do feel a bit silly.
Jules says
No problem. :) Oranges are old hat around here, so maybe it’s my bad in assuming everyone knows what they look like when they aren’t ripe. You know, there is a picture on my blog from the summer (or maybe last summer) that shows an orange blossom with what looks like a green grain of rice in the middle. That’s the beginning of an orange. :)
Miss B says
I bet you can single handily bring marmalade ‘back’! I am so looking forward to December and Clementine’s (cuties) my fave I could eat them by the create full and buy them that way.
Kathy says
Mmmmm…oranges and orange blossoms are so amazing. That’s the one thing missing from Oregon…yummy citrus! I love how seasonal fruits/veggies/plants help portent the future weather! It makes such a difference.
joolz says
ina garten has an amazing recipe for marmalade, and it’s not even that hard to make. :)
Amy says
God is somethin’ … isn’t He?!
melanie says
I’m so jealous you have fruit trees. Our farmer’s market bag was full of butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes and beets this week. We roasted them, ate some of them, and then made soup with the leftovers. I felt very homemakerish.