Our house is on a half acre lot with several mature citrus trees. We planted a couple more small trees recently to supplement the oranges/grapefruit - a lemon (zest for me) and a lime (margaritas for my husband). Both trees are getting lots of water and doing great.
We are taking a risk planting a Mexican lime in Borrego Springs. It needs protection from temperatures below 40 degrees, which Borrego Springs can hit in the winter months. Record low temperatures are in the 20's so wish me luck!
We are taking a risk planting a Mexican lime in Borrego Springs. It needs protection from temperatures below 40 degrees, which Borrego Springs can hit in the winter months. Record low temperatures are in the 20's so wish me luck!
Something I learned... citrus tree trunks need to be protected. If a trunk gets too much sun, the tree can die. Letting the branches grow low to the ground serves two purposes. It protects the tree trunk and also keeps water from evaporating from under the tree. When branches are trimmed and trunks exposed, I've seen them painted white, which must help reflect the heat.
I read that over 2,000 acres of citrus (mostly grapefruit) are grown in Borrego Springs and shipped all over the world. When you visit, you'll notice a few grapefruit stands around town where you can buy inexpensive bags of Borrego Pink Grapefruit, introduced in Borrego Springs with other fruits in the 1950's. At least one of the stands operates "on your honor". You grab a bag of fruit in exchange for putting a few bucks in a money slot.
The Borrego Mojito (makes four generous drinks)
Juice of four limes
Two cups of fresh squeezed Borrego Pink Grapefruit juice
Six ounces rum - light or dark
1/4 cup mint simple syrup (recipe below)
Soda water
Ice
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Mix lime juice, grapefruit juice, simple syrup and rum in a small pitcher
Fill four tall glasses with ice then fill glasses 3/4 full with juice mixture
Top off with soda water
Garnish with mint
Mint Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 1 cup mint leaves
Heat in saucepan on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved
Add mint leaves, cover and let seep for 30 minutes to 1 hour
Strain out mint
Store syrup in refrigerator (keeps for several weeks)
