SIDE HILL SATSUMAS SMALLER CROP THIS YEAR

Side Hill Citrus Satsumas herald in the citrus season! Grown in Lincoln, California by 4th generation farmer Rich Ferreira. Rich started with only 75 satsuma trees back in 1975. Rich has been certified organic since 1991 and now has over 3000 trees.

The combination of a higher elevation of 600 feet, nutrient filled organic clay soil, warm summer days and cool nights and using a Satsuma Owari rootstock from Japan all contribute to growing consistently delicious Satsuma Mandarins year after year.

Rich is expecting about 1/3 of his normal Satsuma crop this year and is off to a slow start. Weather is to blame with multiple days of brutal 115 degree heat in August 2022 putting the trees into shock and save the tree mode. Extreme heat over an extended period of time can cause the fruit to stop growing and in Fall 2022 Rich harvested mainly small fruit that never sized up. Compound 2022 hot summer days with a cold and rainy weather 2023 spring and many of Rich’s trees took a break from growing fruit and didn’t bloom. The trees that did bloom do not have a lot of fruit on the trees.

Health Benefits: A 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture study said Satsumas have six to seven times as much synephrine, a natural decongestant, as other citrus. Four or five Satsumas have enough synephrine to equal the effect of a Sudafed tablet, the study said. Satsumas are also naturally low in calories and a single fruit contains 34 percent of the USDA daily recommendation for vitamin C.

Satsumas have a loose peel that slips off effortlessly like a glove, with no mess and no seeds to deal with.  Satsumas are a perfect snack size that you can eat anywhere without the difficult peeling and complication that comes with eating a valencia or navel orange.

Rich’s dog Tug loves Satsumas! When Tug devours the Satsumas, Rich knows they have the perfect balance of sweet and tart and are ready to pick!