Our citrus trees have really started to fruit well. It takes a few years for fruiting trees to really get established and ours are kicking into gear well. Suddenly I fell the pressure to be using and sharing all this abundance. Challenge leads to creativity and this year I have had a go a few new recipes.

The big hit has to be the dried oranges.

We received a gift of these in a Christmas hamper last year. I have to admit I was skeptical – myself and the family are not the biggest fans of citrus peel in things like fruit cakes. However – we are total coverts and have now dried enough orange to enjoy the zippy zing all through summer. I am imaging (once lock downs are hopefully a thing of the past) hikes in the mountains and dipping into a scroggan mix  with oranges and chocolate.

We dried the oranges on top of our fire place. They were sliced thinly, placed on top of a cake rake which is raised a bit above the top of the fire place. It took about 2 days to dry completely. I had to be careful that the fire wasn’t so hot that they burnt.

I have had a go at dipping them in chocolate as well  – not master chef stuff but very tasty.

I have also had a go at make limoncello – an Italian vodka based drink. I have since learn that there are vodkas and there are vodkas. If this is not nice it will be a good citrus cleaning agent! It is time for me to go and top up the compost under the citrus now as very soon their buds will burst. Then it will be a chance to dry some citrus flowers – delicious in herbal teas.