Kumquat harvest
We’ve been collecting kumquats as they fall from the tree for a few days now. They’ve been nice snacks but not much more. After 3 months of mandarins, a week without fresh fruit was getting to me so today we decided to harvest enough to actually enjoy as a substantial snack. We only picked what we needed, leaving the rest on the tree to continue ripening. The plan is to pick about this quantity every day for as long as they last (which is a bit of a bother as a ladder is needed to harvest).
Like all kumquats, the inside is very tart (sour and slightly bitter) and the skin is very sweet. The first one gets the jaw muscles clenching and the salivia flowing, but, by the second one, my mouth is used to the sensation and nothing bars my enjoyment of the taste, texture and juiciness of the fruit.
The lemons are definitely ripe and the oranges are close (a bit sour still) so I think we can avoid buying fruit for a while yet.
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 