As I walked around the Saturday morning market last week, one thing stood out the most: There was so much citrus! Every other stall seemed to be overflowing with oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, lemons, and more. It was a citrus-palooza! So I’ve decided that this week’s newsletter will be dedicated to those sweet-and-sour fruits. Learn all about them now, then pop by the Chico Certified Farmer’s Market and stock up!

We’ll start with nutrition. Of course, the very first thing everyone learns about citrus is that it’s a fabulous source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is important in making collagen, which is a protein found in connective tissue, bone, and cartilage. Of course, it also plays an important role in boosting immunity. What else is great about citrus? They’re super high in fiber, low calorie, and have a multitude of other vitamins and minerals in them that help to keep your body healthy and happy. The best part? There’s a citrus for everyone!

There are so many wild varieties of citrus fruits to try. It’s not all oranges, lemons, and limes. Try mandarins or tangerines for an easy-peel snack, or a Mellowgold grapefruit for a sweeter breakfast. If you’re into baking or cooking Thai, pick up some key or kaffir limes to work with. Or, if you’re looking for the taste of homemade orange juice, but don’t want to do the work, pop by the OMG Orange Juice stand for a pint or a quart. Or, if you are up to a little juicing, pick up some Meyer lemons to make lemonade. If you want to get extra adventurous, pick up some kumquats to try.

Kumq-what??? Tiny but mighty, kumquats are a lesser-known citrus that you should 100% become acquainted with. They’re bite-sized, and 100% edible, seeds and all! You’re actually meant to eat them whole. Because of that, you get even more nutritional benefits, like increased fiber. If you aren’t too keen on eating them as is, you can always try using them to cook or bake. A simple and delicious way to make them more appealing to picky eaters is by candying them. Once candied, you can put them on or in practically anything, and who doesn’t love candied fruit?

Candied Kumquats

Prep Time: 10 min.        Cook Time: 30 min.         Total Time: 40 min.

• 4 cups roughly chopped kumquats (roughly 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups sugar

Instructions:

1. Roughly chop the kumquats, discarding the seeds as you’re able (it’s okay if you can’t get all of them, as they are edible). You may leave any really small ones whole.
2. Heat the water and sugar over high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
3. Add your kumquats and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Over a bowl, drain the kumquats through a sieve. Set the kumquats aside.
5. Return the drained syrup to the stove, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Combine the kumquats and 1/4 of the syrup* on the stove together. Serve or jar and store in the fridge. Store for up to two weeks.

*You can also keep the extra syrup you made for use in cocktails, coffee, or baking! 🙂

Bottom line: you should buy some citrus fruit from the market while you can. This time of year is when they’re at their best, so make it count!

See you at market!