Don’t get me started on citrus. Anyone who has been so unfortunate to ask me a simple question concerning citrus knows how I can elaborate. When I worked at Menlo Growers - Dwarf Citrus, approximately forty cultivars of citrus were in production. I enjoyed them all, particularly the grapefruit!

Getting back to citrus (I will be brief), grapefruit, oranges and lemons are now seasonable. These types of citrus are not as perishable as other types of fruit and may be left on the trees for a considerable time. This facilitates harvesting the fruit because it may be removed from the trees in small groups through the season as it can be consumed. ‘Eureka’ and ‘Meyer’ lemons actually continue producing minor quantities of fruit throughout the year so that a fresh lemon can be found even when lemons are not in season.

Limes that will be seasonable later may not be left on the trees as long because they are used prior to ripening. If left on the tree too late, they ripen and begin to resemble mild lemons. Mandarin oranges and tangerines that are no longer seasonable are more perishable that other citrus. The rind is not so firmly attached to the fruit which may consequently become oxidized and insipid, although the fruit may be appealing on the trees.