|
When are Ojai Pixies in season?
How do I select a good Ojai Pixie?
How nutritious are Pixie tangerines?
How long will Ojai Pixies last? Should
they be refrigerated?
How can I order Ojai Pixie Bumper
Stickers?
How can I order Ojai Pixie T-Shirts?
How are Ojai Pixies related to other
varieties of tangerines/mandarins?
Why don't Ojai Pixies have seeds?
How do I grow a Pixie tree?
Where can I purchase a tree?
Can I order Ojai Pixie Tangerines by
mail?
How to Peel a Pixie |
When are Ojai Pixies in season?
Ojai Pixie harvest begins in March and continues into
the early summer or until we run out.
How do I select a good Ojai
Pixie?
Some Ojai Pixies are lumpy and bumpy, others have smooth
skin, some are big and some are tiny but inside they
are all sweet and juicy! In our experience, Pixie tangerines
grown in some areas outside of Ojai may not be of the
same quality, as Pixies are very sensitive to microclimates
and Ojai has the perfect climate to grow perfect, sweet
Pixie tangerines.
How nutritious are Pixie
tangerines?
Pixies have a lower acid content than many other citrus
varieties making them the ideal fruit for folks that
are sensitive to acidic foods.
We have found that Ojai Pixies are one of the easiest
ways for adults and kids to fulfill their consumption
of 5 daily fruits and vegetables that the USDA recommends
in order to stay healthy.
A medium sized tangerine is cholesterol- and fat-free
and has on average approximately 50 calories. Tangerines
are an excellent source of potassium (approx. 180mg),
fiber (approx. 12 percent of the daily recommended allowance)
and are of course packed with vitamin C as well as some
calcium and iron.
Pixies do contain plenty of sugar in the form of fructose,
so don't eat the whole bag if you are sensitive to high
sugar levels!
Step 1 - Pop the top |
How long will Ojai Pixies last?
Should they be refrigerated?
Ojai Pixies last at least several weeks from the time
at which they are picked from the tree. They do not
need to be refrigerated, but should be kept cool. Like
all citrus fruit, Ojai Pixies should not be stored in
plastic bags as plastic makes them sweat and increases
the likelihood of spoiling.
How can I order Ojai Pixie
Bumper Stickers ?
If you are interested in ordering our Bumper Stickers
please email
us your mailing address. Bumper Stickers are free
of charge.
How can I order Ojai Pixie
T-Shirts?
Email us for
information on ordering Ojai Pixie T Shirts.
How are Ojai Pixies related
to other varieties of tangerines/mandarins?
All tangerines are mandarins, but not all mandarins
are tangerines. The name 'tangerine' originated from
fruit grown in Tangiers and has been used in the United
States for many varieties of mandarin. Ojai Pixie Growers
have adopted it for the Pixie.
The Pixie tangerine was developed by Howard B. Frost
at the University
of California Citrus Research Center in 1927. James
W. Cameron and Robert K. Soost later worked with the
Pixie and the variety was released for commercial production
in 1965 which is when the first trees were planted in
the Ojai Valley.
There are several hundred varieties of mandarins in
the world, of which several dozen are grown commercially
in great quantities.
Historically in California we grew the Dancy, which
is a lovely, loose-skinned, comparatively late season,
and scrumptiously delicious tangerine. They don't store
well either on or off the tree, and they have seeds,
which in recent years has made them commercially undesirable,
but their flavor still defines "tangerine"
for many of us.
For many years the Christmas tangerine has been the
Satsuma, a loose-skinned seedless early maturing variety
which originated in Japan.
Spain has been exporting Clementines, which are a family
of tangerine varieties, to the United States for the
past few years; now some growers in California have
planted enormous orchards (one man has planted 500,000
trees!) of some varieties of Clementines. You can find
them in produce stores marketed as "Sweeties."
Step 2 - Push your thumb
under the skin at the top of the fruit, then rotate
it as you gently sprial the skin off the Pixie |
Traditional breeding of citrus has been going on since
citrus has been propagated by humans. Taking pollen
from one citrus tree and pollinating flowers of another
citrus tree can give rise to a new fruit which can be
propagated or crossed with other citrus. Over many hundreds
of years this has led to the diversity of citrus fruits
we have today.
The plant breeders down at UC Riverside are still cooking
up new varieties. As California orange growers have
hit hard times with Valencia and Navel oranges, many
of them are switching to tangerines. This is probably
good for the consumer: within five to ten years you
will have the opportunity to sharpen your taste buds
on a number of new tangerine sensations. We hope you'll
remember the Ojai Pixie Tangerine as all these new varieties
come into production.
Why don't Ojai Pixies have seeds?
The Pixie Tangerine arose from open pollination of
a Kincy (King mandarin crossed with Dancy Tangerine)
in 1927. This pollination led to fruit that is naturally
seedless and was named the Pixie Tangerine. As with
seedless Navel oranges, buds have been taken from this
tree and grafted onto rootstocks to create all the new
Pixie Tangerine trees.
The fact that a fruit or vegetable has no seeds does
not mean that it has been irradiated or genetically
engineered. Pixie tangerines have been neither irradiated
nor genetically engineered.
How do I grow a Pixie tree?
Like all citrus, Pixie tangerines require a frost-free
environment in which to grow. Pixies grow best in areas
with mild winters and hot summers. All citrus should
be grown in areas of full sun. Pixie tangerine fruit
stays on the tree during the winter months and is therefore
quite susceptible to damage by cold weather.
Ojai Pixie growers have been growing Pixies since the
1960's and in our experience this variety of tangerine
is extremely sensitive to microclimates even within
the small valley of Ojai. Another difficulty in growing
Pixies is that they are quite alternate bearing, only
producing a larger crop every other year.
Our advice to people interested in growing Pixies is
to plant a tree, see how it grows and what the fruit
tastes like before planting larger numbers of trees.
Unlike many tangerine varieties the fruit ripens in
late spring not during the winter holidays.
Step 3 - Make sure you
get a few sections before your friends snatch it
away
(2-year olds do this ... ) |
Where can I purchase a tree?
Any good nursery should be able to order a Pixie Tangerine
tree for you. Be sure to give the nursery advanced warning
as it often takes several months to a year for them
to get specialty varieties such as the Pixie! In temperate
northern hemisphere climates it is best to plant citrus
in the late spring or early summer.
You county agricultural extension office or the USDA
good sources for information about growing your own
food in California. Look in your phone book under "UC
Cooperative Extension Service," or online at http://ucanr.org/ce.cfm.
Can I order Ojai Pixie Tangerines
by mail?
There are two ways to mail-order Ojai Pixie Tangerines:
Directly from the farmer, at Friend's Ranches: www.friendsranches.com,
805-646-2871
From Melissa's World Variety, at www.melissas.com,
800-468-7111
|
