One of more than a dozen orange trees in my neighborhood ~ How many gallons of OJ could they produce, if they were edible?
A few days ago at a local orchard in Guaymas I bought a large bag (about five pounds) of oranges to make juice. Twenty pesos (about $1.50), a good deal. And yet...
At this time of year, there are dozens of orange trees bearing fruit in my own neighborhood. The landscaping here was done in the 80s, and now the trees are mature and bearing lavishly. But although the fruit looks as perfect as anything you'd find in an upscale gourmet market, it's so sour nobody can eat it. Everywhere, oranges are lying on the ground, but nobody picks them up.
The first time I saw "ornamental" oranges was on a trip to Los Angeles decades ago, where trees heavy with fruit grew in almost everyone's yard. When I exclaimed to my LA friends how lucky they were, to have fruit growing right outside their door, they laughed and said, "Oh, no, those are for looks. You couldn't possibly eat them." Why would botanists develop such a thing, and why would gardeners plant them?
Although I am reminded of some very ornamental people I've met...
A friend found a way to use the oranges here in Solimar, before she moved back to Colorado. She made a fantastic marmelade, very intensely-flavored. She said she had to triple the sugar called for in the recipe. I've never made marmelade or done any other preserving before, and I eat as little sugar as possible, but I'm beginning to think I might try it. Just as a subversive act.