Single Tree News: December 2024

The Oranges are On!

As expected, the orange trees in the neighborhood yielded a massive crop this year. The first fruit I was offered 181 were tangerines (some of them pictured here) from a tree belonging to the recently deceased mother of a friend of mine. Here nickname “Birdie” appears on the tangerine jam label, “From Birdie’s Tangerine Tree.”

Turning 181 tangerines into jam was a busy time, and right before I was done with that, I was given 87 Valencia oranges from Twila’s tree. And before I was done with that, I was given about 160 tart oranges from Bill’s tree. I’ve been drowning in oranges for weeks! In order to get them all turned into jam before they spoil, I’ve been consistently making two batches per day, using from 15-20 per batch. In order to not completely take over Shellie’s kitchen, I make a morning batch before lunch, and an evening batch after dinner. Still, Shellie tells me that the smell of all that orange jam is beginning to affect her sinuses, and she hopes this is over soon. What she does not realize is that the tangelos on Bill’s tree are nearly ready to be harvested. What else can I do? I have to make jam while the oranges are on!

Orange Marmalade? No, It’s Jam.

Since you won’t find orange jam at the store, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised when people don’t understand what it actually is. Some are confused to learn that I don’t use a juicer, others by the fact that it’s not marmalade. Even my explanation of what goes into the jam can be confusing for some. Think of it this way. If you were to sit down with an orange, would you just take a bite? Most people would remove the peel, separate the insides into segments, and eat the segments (spitting out any seeds they encountered). That’s exactly what’s in Single Tree orange jam. One orange at a time I remove the peel, pull it in half, and scrape off all the white stuff from the middle and outside that I can. Then I slice into each segment and remove the seeds. Everything that remains goes into a food processor and is made into jam. Disclaimer – it is nearly impossible to remove every single seed. Should you encounter a tiny piece of a seed in your Single Tree orange jam, just know that I really did try to get them all.

Oranges are naturally high in pectin, so it is tricky business getting it to just the right consistency when cooking it. Cook it too little and you have orange sauce. Cook it too much and you have an orange brick. Since Single Tree jam is homemade in small batches (6-8 jars at a time) so the consistency will vary somewhat from batch to batch. If your jar of jam is thicker than you would like, simply stir it up. If you want it even thinner, just stir in a few drops of water. Better too thick than too thin!

Single Tree Orange Jam

And how does it taste? So far, I have three varieties of orange jam. There are similarities and differences, so let’s talk about the similarities first. Since all of the inside of the orange is used, these jams have a really nice texture to them. Their flavors are obviously orangy and sweet, but not too sweet. They are great on buttered toast, bagels, and English muffins. They are also wonderful on crackers with soft cheese.

And how are they different from each other? The tangerine jam has a strong, tangy flavor, while flavor of the orange jam from Twila’s Valencia oranges is more mild. The jam from Bill’s tart oranges is just that: nice and tart. And when I have tangelo jam, expect that flavor to be a little bit grapefruity. Now, how to choose? Not too surprisingly, the owners of each tree seem to think that the jam from their tree is the best. When people at the market taste them, some like one more than another. Personally, I like them all!

In Other News…

• The Tallahassee Downtown Market is done for the year, except for this Saturday and I won’t be there for that one. Please order your Single Tree jams and granola online util the market reopens next March.
• It appears that Hurricane Helene may have impacted the Georgia pecan orchards. Since a light crop is expected next year, I stocked up on pecans. If you like our Maple Pecan granola, now would be a good time to order it before pecans become scarce.
• Single Tree jam and granola make great Christmas gifts! We already have several orders for orange jam. I still do free delivery in Tallahassee. I use priority mail outside of Tallahassee, which only takes a few days, so it’s not too late to place your orders before Christmas. You can order HERE.