Fall Favorite

     Fine Cooking magazine in the October/November issue introduces us to Satsumas, one of the first citrus fruits to ripen.  Along with tangerines and clementines, they are a part of the Mandarin family of small oranges with loose skin.  Known to many as "honey citrus" for their sweet flavor, they are the ultimate fruit: tender, juicy, easy to peel, seedless and full of fragrant flavor.

          Taking the name of a former province in Japan where they have been grown for over 700 years, they made their way to America when a general's wife sent a tree home in the late 1800s.  Not long after that single arbor arrived more than a million trees were shipped to the Gulf Coast.  The cold-hardy trees can withstand the region's occasional cold snaps better than other citrus varieties, so they're well suited to large-scale commercial farming there, as well as in Northern California.  But their thin, delicate skin makes them difficult to ship, so the majority of satsumas are sold canned.  However, improved shipping techniques have permitted them to show up across the country so many more can enjoy them fresh.

     They are just now about to be harvested, so start looking for them in the produce section of your favorite market.