As previously explained, we are coastal tree-fruit growers; our Santa Paula ranch, where we grow all of our Farmers’ Market & direct restaurant purveyed citrus, is 10 miles from the ocean.
And is there a difference between Coastal & San Juaquin Valley citrus? Absolutely. San Juaquin Valley citrus matures earlier, sizes bigger and is sweeter yet not quite as potent in flavor. Conversely, coastal citrus has a stronger sweet/tart flavor and continues to hang on the trees, sometimes well into the summer. While San Juaquin Valley citrus is largely harvested in December & January and then continued to be sold out of storage, much of the coastal citrus harvest starts in mid-February and can continue for the next few months. And due to the milder outside temperatures, the fruit can be left on the trees until the completion of harvest; it never gets sold out of storage. For example, by the time that our blood orange harvest starts in mid-February, San Juaquin Valley bloods have already been sold out of storage for 4-6 weeks. And the Tango Mandarin harvest doesn’t even start until July, while still maintaining that just-picked citrus firmness. Clients who prefer full flavored fruit notice the difference. And what coastal proximity does to our citrus allows us to purvey fruit of the highest quality, well after San Juaquin Valley production has ceased, and up until the cherry & stone-fruit harvests start.

MANDARIN SEQUENCE
KISHU & CLEMENTINE MANDARINS

Grown in Santa Paula, the Kishu & Clementine Mandarins are the first that we harvest of the season, usually from December through the beginning of February.

The Kishu is a very small, truly seedless mandarin that has a pleasant, semi-firm texture, has a strong sweet/tart flavor & delightful aftertaste and is easy to peel. It’s a niche mandarin variety that is very sought after by retail & restaurant clients.

The Clementine is a classic heirloom variety that was once referred to as an Algerian. It is very juicy, sweet & tart, has a few seeds, is firmish in texture and is semi-easy to peel. It also presents a golden orange color and is very nice to look at. Clients delight in them for their quintessential mandarin flavor. One season, Michelin Starred Lazy Bear bought numerous cases of them weekly, as they had a Brokaw Clementine Soda on their tasting menu; they gave a couple of bottles to my wife & I and they were amazing!

The Clementine is a superb “staple” mandarin and we’re fortunate that it introduces the beginning of our citrus harvest season.

DAISY & NOVA MANDARINS

These unknown varieties are the bi-products of UC Riverside variety trail plots that we hosted on our Santa Paula ranch. Upon trial completion, the host rancher often has the option to continue growing the trees, which was the case for these 2 varieties. The ideal Daisy & Nova harvest windows are very similar to that of the Clementine. So while we usually harvest Clementines, Daisys & Novas in that order, December tastings sometime indicate that one or both of the latter 2 varieties are more developed and that they should be harvested & purveyed first. Both varieties are very juicy, strongly sweet & tart in flavor, very few in seeds, firm in texture, not easy to peel and beautifully deep orange. Since they’re not amenable to rapid peeling, I like to cut them into 6 wedges, which allows them to be peeled much more cleanly, and then serve them peeled in a bowl.

Daisys & Novas are loved by retail & restaurant clients alike and they bridge the harvest time-window between the Clementine and the flagship Gold Nugget variety.

GOLD NUGGETS MANDARINS

This is another variety which we inherited from a UC Riverside variety trail, situated on our Santa Paula ranch. When we first started purveying them in the mid-90s, before they were named & patented, we called them “Pixie-Like”; this is because, like a Pixie Mandarin, its harvest window was very late in the season. Eventually the “Pixie-Like” was patented and named The Gold Nugget. We liked this mandarin so much that we kept the original trial plot and added more acreage.

In my opinion, this is absolutely the best mandarin that has ever existed. It is larger in size, has a firm skin that is semi-easy to peel, has a very potent sweet/tart flavor, is juicy and is completely seedless. But its most distinguishing characteristic is its texture. When bit into, the juicy & firm flesh yields a delightfully refreshing crispiness; this pleasurable phenomenon is difficult to explain and must be experienced firsthand.
Since this variety already harvests late, and since we grow it within 10 miles of the ocean, Gold Nuggets store beautifully on the trees and we can harvest them from mid-February through mid-June with consistently excellent results.

So The Gold Nugget literally has everything; no wonder we refer to it as our flagship variety.

W. MURCOTT & TANGO MANDARINS

These are both extremely late harvesting varieties that we grow in Santa Paula.

We start the W. Murcott harvest in mid-June and it lasts until late July. This is a softer, easier-to-peel mandarin with a strong, juicy flavor and very few seeds. While they’re delicious, purveying them is a little awkward as high-quality stone-fruits are also available within that time window. But for those who require a freshly harvested mandarin of excellent quality mid-summer, the W. Murcotts splendidly fulfill the bill.

In late July, we start harvesting the Tangos. These are so late in maturing that they’re a little spooky. Who would expect that in August an unpicked mandarin would present with that freshly matured citrus firmness and taste so delightfully sweet, juicy and full of flavor? And they’re completely seedless to boot. By their harvest time, many clients have gotten their fix of stone-fruit, which is starting to get a little “tired” and towards the end of their season. Fear not as freshly harvested & excellent quality Tango Mandarins are available and will continue to be well into September.

ORANGES
MORO BLOOD ORANGES

This heirloom variety is one of the most common and is grown in all California citrus regions. While those of the San Juaquin Valley often develop a solid crimson colored flesh, coastal grown ones tend to present more of a color continuum, dark burgundy at the blossom end, gradually giving way to a lighter orange at the stem; this color gradient displays beautifully when the fruit is cut in half, stem to blossom end.

We grow them in our Santa Paula ranch, and harvest them from mid-February, usually through early May. While the fruit is not as large or as superficially dark red as their San Juaquin Valley counterparts, it distinguishes itself with its juiciness, gentle but conspicuous aroma and crisp & refreshing flavor & tartness. Given that we compete with so many San Juaquin Valley Moro growers, who are usually sold out by the time that we start our harvest, Brokaw Moros make up the “second wave” of seasonal blood oranges and are very sought after by citrus loving Farmers’ Market retail & direct restaurant clients.

SEEDLESS WASHINGTON & LATE NAVELS

The Washington Navel is thee California heirloom navel variety. They grow reliably in all California citrus regions and are one of the first to mature and be harvested within a season.

We usually start our pick in late January, but sometimes as early as December. Washington Navels present a classic deep orange color, are large & round and are absolutely beautiful to look at. And, though their tight skin is firm, it actually peels fairly easy by hand and is one of the nicest oranges for hand-to-mouth consumption.
Brokaw Washingtons, are very sweet & juicy and render a strong orange-tart taste. Grown in Santa Paula, this is one of the first citrus that we harvest, usually from January until late-March.

Late Navels usually refer to a series of varieties that originated in Australia and tend to mature later than does the Washington. The varieties that we grow in Santa Paula are called Chislett & Rhoda. Like the Washington, they’re big, round & beautifully orange. And those that are coastally grown present that signature sweet/tart crisp flavor. Chisletts & Rhodas are the second and third of our Navel series and their March through May harvest window starts right after completion of the Washington harvest.

VALENCIA ORANGES

This is the juice orange counter-part of the Washington Navel; it’s a California heirloom variety that has been around forever. My father had always said that it was hands down the best flavored orange.

It harvests much later than do navels, is messy to peel and seems to be structured specifically for juicing. When subject to a reamer, it renders a deep orange, rich sweet/tart juice and leaves behind a minimum of pulp. The Valencias’ juice/per orange yield is extremely high and it easily incorporates into a classic California breakfast.
We start picking our Santa Paula Valencias once we complete our late navel harvest, usually in June, and it continues through August.

MEIWA KUMQUATS

Kumquats refer to a very small citrus fruit which is eaten with the skin; it’s said that the flesh is tart and the skin is the sweet part. The traditional kumquat variety is called the Nagami; it’s deep orange and oval shaped and, despite the sweeter skin, tastes pretty tart overall. In Santa Paula we grow a different kumquat variety called the Meiwa. It’s not quite as dark orange as the Nagami, is rounder and has a more delicate rind. But the biggest difference is the taste; the Meiwa is sweeter and more palatable yet still very strong in tart citrus flavor.

The Meiwa is delicious and considered much nicer to eat than the traditional kumquat by the vast majority of retail clients. What surprises me, however, is how coveted they are by our restaurant clientele. Not knowing the first thing about back-of-the-house restaurant operations, I’d always assumed that tarter fruit would work better for pastry & bar applications. Yet, season after season, chefs & mixologists alike wait in anticipation for the Meiwa Kumquat harvest, which starts in mid-February and continues through late-May.

Besides for their taste, the thing I appreciate most about Meiwa Kumquats is their convenience; unburdened by having to peel, it’s by far the best citrus for hand to mouth consumption.

STAR RUBY GRAPEFRUIT

When I think of red grapefruit, Texas grown Ruby Reds are the first thing that comes to mind. I’m not a fan of hot, hot weather but red grapefruit seem to bask in it. While the hotter San Juaquin Valley can produce tasty specimens, we from coastal avocado country seem to be at a disadvantage; or that would be the case were it not for the Star Ruby variety.

The Star Ruby is a beautiful, redish-yellow colored grapefruit, of average size and that sweetens delightfully in our coastal Southern California climate. Its flesh is medium to dark amber in color, very juice & strong in flavor and sweet enough to consume by itself.

We grow the Star Rubies in Santa Paula and harvest them from April through July. Their skin a little thicker but the attractive flesh and the juicy & crisply refreshing flavor make it more than worthwhile.

EUREKA & MEYER LEMONS

Eurekas & Lisbons are the consummate heirloom lemon varieties; we happen to grow the Eurekas. This variety is very tart & juicy, as one would expect from a lemon. For any application that requires a strong acid component, lemonade, margaritas, lemon meringue pie, lemon bars, ect, the Eureka is the variety that you want to use.
We grow ours in Santa Paula and harvest them year-round. What is evident when handling our lemons is their healthy firmness; this is because they are always freshly harvested. Conventional wisdom has led many consumers to look for softer lemons, because they’re supposedly more juicy, but this is a farce. Freshly harvested firm lemons are at their very juiciest; what makes lemons soft is an accumulation of storage time. My advice is to stick with the firm citrus.
We also grow Meyer Lemons in Santa Paula. This is a thinner skinned & sweeter lemon and has specific culinary applications that make it popular among many consumers. Due to its lack of acidity, I consider it to be more of a designer citrus rather than a bona fide lemon.