It amuses me greatly that my mom insists on sending apples and oranges in my St. Nick's stocking. Okay, it amuses me that my mom sends a St. Nick's stocking at all, since I'm over 30, but even besides that -- they are California oranges. California oranges that have made the trip to Wisconsin and have now been mailed back to California.
I'm not sure if I've ever had a Florida orange -- though I've had some amazingly expensive orange juice that promised it was made from 100% Florida Orange Juice(tm), hand-squeezed by a stable of virgins(*), which was pretty amazing.
Best orange I've had to date is one I picked off the first orange tree I ever saw, in a Palo Alto back yard. Who knows if it was actually a /good/ orange, for that matter. It was just the first orange I knew had actually grown from sun shining on a tree planted in the earth. Up until that point, oranges were some magical fruit that came from boxes in a supermarket. ;)
* : Okay, okay, maybe the carton didn't say the bit about the virgins.
As far as I can tell, most Florida oranges end up in juice. Evidently they're better suited that than California oranges, or they're better as juice than as things for eating. I can't remember which. So, yeah, if you've had a Florida orange it will almost certainly have been in juice format.
There really is something amazing about a piece of fruit that has come off a tree rather than out of a grocery store, isn't there? My first homemade banana was the most incredible thing I'd ever tasted. It was as unlike grocery store bananas as a banana could possibly be. It was much sweeter, with a far stronger, richer flavor, and it was tiny in comparison. I'm sure a large part of that was the fact that it was allowed to ripen on the tree rather than being picked and shipped at the earliest possible moment, but a good part of it was the knowledge that it had never been inside a store. It was fabulous.
Oh, how cool is that?! I would totally go see the oldest traffic light.
I am determined to see more of the Midwest than I managed to see of the South. Last year I went with The fontosaurus to see the world's largest ball of twine. I'm voting for Carhenge this year.
If you get really crazy, you can swing up north of the border and visit such exciting attractions as The World's Largest Pysanka (Ukranian Easter Egg), The World's Largest Nickel, and The World's Largest Perogie On A Fork. ;)
Well, and being Canuckistania, I'm sure we've got The World's Biggest Beaver kicking around here somewhere, too...
I'm sure we've got The World's Biggest Beaver kicking around here somewhere, too...
Actually, I know her, and she lives in the States. ;)
I'm going straight to hell for that, no doubt.
Seriously, though, I'm not sure whether I've been to Canada. If I have, I was too young to remember it. I'd so love to visit. When I finally do, I'm so going to ask you for a list of attractions!
Florida oranges are better than California oranges. :)
More of them end up as juice because different varieties grow better in the different climates. I don't mind seeds, because we could get Florida oranges in Jacksonville, so that's what I grew up eating. Give me an Indian River valencia over a California navel any day.
The really cheap juice is often made of Brazilian or Argentinean oranges.
The seeds don't bother me, either. I prefer not-seeds, but it's not all that strong a preference, really.
I love Indian River oranges. I don't remember seeing them in grocery stores, though. I think I mostly saw them in fruit and veggie stands and that sort of thing.
I don't think I've ever had Brazilian or Argentinean orange juice. I've always made a point of buying Florida, so at least I'd be consuming Florida oranges in some format, you know? Does the South American stuff taste good?
Yeah, I thought you might have meant more than just "inexpensive." My current favorite is Simply Orange, which is apparently made of oranges grown near Apopka. Yay!
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Does the orange juice in California come from California or Florida oranges? As far as I can tell, most Florida oranges end up in a juice carton.
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I find this absolutely hilarious, as I couldn't find a Florida orange in a grocery store in Tallahassee to save my life.
Would have found it funnier if you'd found Minnesota oranges in Tallahassee. ;)
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Best orange I've had to date is one I picked off the first orange tree I ever saw, in a Palo Alto back yard. Who knows if it was actually a /good/ orange, for that matter. It was just the first orange I knew had actually grown from sun shining on a tree planted in the earth. Up until that point, oranges were some magical fruit that came from boxes in a supermarket. ;)
* : Okay, okay, maybe the carton didn't say the bit about the virgins.
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There really is something amazing about a piece of fruit that has come off a tree rather than out of a grocery store, isn't there? My first homemade banana was the most incredible thing I'd ever tasted. It was as unlike grocery store bananas as a banana could possibly be. It was much sweeter, with a far stronger, richer flavor, and it was tiny in comparison. I'm sure a large part of that was the fact that it was allowed to ripen on the tree rather than being picked and shipped at the earliest possible moment, but a good part of it was the knowledge that it had never been inside a store. It was fabulous.
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I am determined to see more of the Midwest than I managed to see of the South. Last year I went with The fontosaurus to see the world's largest ball of twine. I'm voting for Carhenge this year.
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Well, and being Canuckistania, I'm sure we've got The World's Biggest Beaver kicking around here somewhere, too...
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Actually, I know her, and she lives in the States. ;)
I'm going straight to hell for that, no doubt.
Seriously, though, I'm not sure whether I've been to Canada. If I have, I was too young to remember it. I'd so love to visit. When I finally do, I'm so going to ask you for a list of attractions!
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More of them end up as juice because different varieties grow better in the different climates. I don't mind seeds, because we could get Florida oranges in Jacksonville, so that's what I grew up eating. Give me an Indian River valencia over a California navel any day.
The really cheap juice is often made of Brazilian or Argentinean oranges.
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I love Indian River oranges. I don't remember seeing them in grocery stores, though. I think I mostly saw them in fruit and veggie stands and that sort of thing.
I don't think I've ever had Brazilian or Argentinean orange juice. I've always made a point of buying Florida, so at least I'd be consuming Florida oranges in some format, you know? Does the South American stuff taste good?
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We had an awesome produce market in OP when I was growing up, so we always got seasonal stuff there instead of Publix.
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