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Last Summer Sun Sweetens Fruit at Plum Orchard Apartments
The leaves at Plum Orchard Apartments are beginning to turn. It’s a sign that fall is coming soon, and harvest time has passed for many fruits and vegetables. But if you walk around, you can still find some bright spots of fruit in the trees! Our loquats, oranges, lemons, and grapefruit look fantastic right now.
Loquats – Delicious Mix of Peach and Apricot
Loquats are the sweet fruit of trees that grow in warm climates. Loquat trees can be found growing natively throughout East Asia, but you can grow them at home as well – as we do at Plum Orchard Apartments. Loquats grow on evergreen trees in almost any climate and tolerate hotter or colder weather with ease. Loquat trees are deciduous and typically produce yellow flowers before developing their orange-red fruit.
The loquat fruit is round to pear-shaped. It grows in clusters and has edible yellow or orange skin. It is sweetest when soft and orange in color, with an intriguing flavor of mango, apricot, citrus, and peach. Loquats taste a bit like a cross between apples and peaches. They are sweet but not too sweet.
The fruit of loquat trees can be eaten raw, but they also make a tasty addition to salads and desserts. Loquats have a high vitamin C content and are also rich in potassium. Loquats can be dried or canned to preserve their fruit for extended periods.
Loquats contain antioxidants that can fight cancer, relieve stress, and reduce inflammation of the skin. Loquats can help to prevent heart disease and promote healthy brain functioning as we age.
We have one Loquat tree right in front of our Stoddard building – come check it out! Oh, and one last thing: loquats should be enjoyed in moderation, some experts say, as eating lots of loquats has a proven noticeable sedative effect that lasts up to 24 hours.
We Invite Our Residents to Pick Their Oranges at Plum Orchard Apartments
Orange trees can reach up to 15 feet tall in ideal conditions if they are pruned so that the tree has one trunk instead of several stems from ground level. Oranges tend to be firm when ripe, and oranges peel easily for eating or juicing.
Oranges are not just another great source of vitamin C – they also contain more potassium than bananas – which is essential for heart health. They taste delicious, too! Oranges can be juiced to make refreshing drinks or baked in loaves of bread (or cake!) Fancy an Orange Bar? Check out this recipe from “I am Baker” – they are tasty, easy to make, and only require one fresh orange!
Oranges are flavorful and nutritious. They contain antioxidants that help fight cancer, lower cholesterol levels, relieve stress, and reduce skin inflammation.
They also help prevent heart disease while promoting healthy brain functioning as we age. They’re not just for vitamin C, either! Vitamin A in oranges enables you to see better by keeping your vision healthy.
If you’ve never plucked an orange from a tree, living at Plum Orchard gives you the chance to do so! We share all our fruit with our neighbors living here!
Plum Orchard’s Persimmon Trees Are in Bud Again!
A persimmon tree looks a bit like a fruit-bearing shrub in the middle of summer when it’s full of green leaves and flowers. In wintertime, when its leaves are gone, the tree looks naked without them. But even in wintertime, you can see buds on its branches — little green knobs waiting to push out leaves and flowers in the spring.
In late December, persimmon trees at Plum Orchard Apartments will be brightened by a winter sun that’s lower in the sky than it is during other times of the year. The late-year sun brings out persimmon flavors and colors, too.
When the persimmons are ripe, they look like little orange tomatoes hanging on trees that still have leaves of green and purple-red. Many people don’t know how to tell when a persimmon is ripe. It’s easy, though – if you look closely enough.
A ripe persimmon feels soft and a bit mushy when you touch it. When you pick one from the tree, its stem will pull off easily. If you taste the fruit, persimmon pulp is firm at first but quickly turns mushy in your mouth and has a sweet, fruity flavor.
Recipes for persimmons include desserts like persimmon pudding and fruit salads that contain citrus fruits, apples, grapes, or pears. Persimmons also make good jams and jellies.
So right now, if you look closely, you’ll see the persimmon buds waiting for the late-year sun to help the fruit grow!
What to do With All These Lemons, You Ask?
Lemons are one of our most versatile crops at Plum Orchard Apartments because lemons can be used in almost any dish. Lemons have a sour taste that adds flavor to dishes ranging from savory pasta sauces to sweet loaves of bread or cakes!
Lemon juice contains vitamin C, which helps to boost your immune system. We all know that citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C!
Like oranges, lemons also contain potassium and calcium to help reduce high blood pressure levels while keeping bones healthy. They’re great for adding flavor, too. Lemons go well with almost anything you want to add them to!
Lemons are great for cleaning, cooking, and baking. This citrus fruit helps to prevent cancer by fighting free radicals in the body. They also improve brain function, relieve stress, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce skin inflammation.
Did you know that lemons are incredibly effective against acne when used as a facial scrub or rubbed into your scalp?
Plum Orchard Residents Enjoy the Grapefruit Trees on Our Property
Grapefruit trees in California produce fruit year-round, but their harvest peaks during the winter months. The citrusy fruits are rich in vitamin C and other nutrients, making them a healthy treat for those in colder climates. The late-year sun can sweeten fruit at Plum Orchard Apartments so that our residents can enjoy fresh grapefruit juice daily.
There are some easy recipes for the use of fresh grapefruit, with just a few ingredients:
- Grapefruit Tart
Ingredients: Pastry for a single-crust pie, grapefruit juice (or orange or pineapple), sugar, flour, lemon juice.
- Grapefruit Salad
Ingredients: grapefruits, mayonnaise (optional), salt, and pepper to taste.
- Grapefruit Pound Cake
Ingredients: grapefruits, lemon juice, sugar, flour, eggs.
This truly excellent fruit offers delicious possibilities for winter dishes. Grapefruit trees at Plum Orchard Apartments are providing residents with a healthy and appetizing treat.
Want to know the best part about loquats, oranges, and lemons? First, they’re in season right now. Secondly, you can find them at Plum Orchard Apartments. Finally, our residents are invited to pick and enjoy them. Come by today! Schedule a tour and see for yourself. If you already live here – take a walk and enjoy what nature in late summer has to offer!