Daytona Farmer's Market

Today we ventured to the local farmer's market, which we frequent every Saturday. We find the quality and selections far more pleasing than the typical chain grocery. We also like supporting the local farmers and building relationships with the people we see every week.

Late fall through winter is the best time to find great citrus in Florida! We haven't had a good cold snap up here . . . yet, but if it does ever drop to the low 30s, the oranges and orange juice will be savory, liquid sunshine! For now, the fresh-squeezed O.J. tastes like orangy goodness, but it's not as sweet as it CAN be.

We try a different bag of oranges each week. The red navals are a cross between grapefruit and navals. They taste sweet and tropical. Last week, we had the small orange navals that resemble key limes, but taste fully orangey and sweet. Don't let the green peels fool you! One of the most fun things about the farmer's market is that you're encouraged to sample the wares of the produce before you purchase. Our favorite stands (like Jackson's Groves) have experts like Melanie who know which fruits and honeys taste best from week to week. She gives recommendations and she's usually right on target for the best of everything. We always know when to buy peaches, oranges, plums, mangoes, watermelon, or squash, thanks to Melanie!

The canned goodies and honeys are from Florida and North Carolina. We go through honey as if it's water. We use it in oatmeal, tea, and cooking. I prefer orange blossom honey; Steve savors sourwood honey. For Christmas, we're sending relatives the best of what Florida has to offer in the wintertime, citrus and honey.

My mom just moved to NY from Los Angeles. She had a lemon grafted orange tree in her backyard; I guess that makes it a lorange or lemange tree. She knows what good oranges taste like. She thinks oranges in NY are too expensive and taste terrible. We'll have to remedy that when we visit in December.