Kumquat Harvest

Mid-March is the time to harvest the kinkan or Sweet (Meiwa) Kumquats of the fortunella crassifolia variety. The slow growing medium sized tree at obachan's house bears enough for both families to enjoy eating the tiny fruits fresh and having enough to preserve. We could make them into jam but probably I will just boil them up with sugar and put them in a jar. In winter, we can eat the syrupy fruits to soothe sore throats. Eating them raw is pleasant but they have big seeds, so you kind of chew on them for a bit and then spit it all out. Definitely not the fruit to eat when you are on a date.



Obachan called me over to do this since I am the only one tall enough to reach the top of the tree without a ladder. It was fortunate that today was sunny and warm, since all week it has been cold and wet. Unfortunately, the bees also were out enjoying the sunny day. The kinkan tree is right next to a most lovely variety of camellia that was like a bee magnet. Obachan also has piles of precariously-balanced slippery stones, pots of plants and old wires and other things under the kinkan tree. I'm not sure if she is trying to trap a bear or just trying to kill me off while I pull fruits from the thorny branches. Found out they had thorny branches the hard way - who knew? Task completed, I can sit and chew and spit kumquats.