| | Louisiana satsuma. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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Pick up Louisiana citrus at roadside stands and in local markets and groceries from now through January. The 2011 crop of Louisiana citrus is good, says Alan Vaughn, LSU AgCenter agent in Plaquemines Parish, the leading citrus-producing parish in the state.
“The satsuma crop is early, sweeter and plentiful. I think these will be the sweetest since Katrina,” said Paul Becnel, a grower in Plaquemines parish.
Paul Becnel sells retail, wholesale and online. He can ship to any state except California.
We got involved with the LSU AgCenter MarketMaker program about three months ago and we’ve already had some hits,” Becnel said. “Not so much about the fruit, but questions about how to care for the trees. So it’s been a good tool for us.”
MarketMaker is an Internet-based program that provides sellers of food products – especially small and medium-sized operations – an efficient means of communicating product availability to potential buyers.
Becnel plans to use MarketMaker to sell fruit, but after the harvest he plans to use the free service to sell trees.
We have satsumas and navels as our biggest sellers, but we have from 15 to 18 different varieties in production, and I have about 30 varieties of fruit trees including limes and grapefruit,” he said.
Becnel said he’s involved with fundraisers for schools, churches and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in addition to his regular customers.
About Satsumas
A tasty treat is a satsuma mandarin grown in Louisiana. Satsumas have a distinctive, sweet flavor and a loose skin that makes them easy to peel – especially for children. Early-season satsumas are usually green with a hint of yellow in the peel. Later varieties are orange.
About theWashington Navel Orange
The most widely available Louisiana-grown fruit is the Washington navel orange. This seedless variety begins to ripen in November. The large Louisiana navel has a deep orange color and a thin skin. These oranges are easy to peel and really juicy.
Along with navels and satsumas, Louisiana orchards also offer lemons, grapefruit and kumquats. So enjoy the entire spectrum of Louisiana citrus throughout the season.
About the Louisiana Citrus Industry
Most of the state’s growers are small-scale, part-time operations while a few commercial growers have many acres. Many of the smaller growers sell directly to the public through roadside stands at or near their orchards as well as from the backs of trucks parked alongside the highway. A few larger growers sell to grocery stores, where their produce is in competition with products from across the country and throughout the world.
Citrus Tips
–Look for firm, heavy fruits with smooth skins free from soft spots.
–Don’t let color be your only guide. Even skins with light green color can hide ripe fruit.
–Citrus will keep several days at room temperature or for several weeks in the refrigerator in vented plastic bags or vegetable bins.
–Small fruit can be just as juicy and sweet as larger fruit.
–Navel oranges make excellent juice, but acids make the juice bitter within four hours. Drink it fresh!
–Lemon juice frozen in ice cube trays and stored in plastic bags will provide “fresh” lemon juice for many months.
Read more about a new citrus disease.
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.