OJ – With Real Oranges!
Oranges are ripe here in sunny Florida. Ripe and starting to fall off the tree. There is an orange tree in my dad’s back yard. It was a Christmas present to me many years ago. Yep – I used to ask for some rather odd presents.
Here, where citrus is so common, people often let fruit rot on the tree or on the ground under the tree where it falls. We suffer from citrus glut – it’s everywhere so we don’t value it so much. Ungrateful little snots, we are!
HOWEVER, my father wastes NOTHING. But wait – it’s better than that. The way he wastes nothing is to give it to me. Then I am responsible for making sure whatever it is that he doesn’t want to waste gets put to good use. Right now – its oranges. Daddy brought me a grocery bag FULL of ripe oranges yesterday, so guess what we made in class today? Yep – orange juice.
I have an electric juicer at home. I could make their lives simple. Last year I did. But this year, I decided to make the go “manual”. One little orange plastic juicer, one set of hands, one half an orange at a time. Work for it, folks! Sweatin’ to the Juicer – our new workout. Here’s how that went….
“Miss! These oranges look bad – are you sure they’re OK to eat?” (they’re only familiar with the shined up spiffy orange oranges that come from the store – not the “organic” style that come off the tree in Daddy’s yard)
“Are there more oranges? Can I make more juice?”
“Do you have a microscope? I’m pretty sure this stuff floating here isn’t supposed to be here.”
“This can’t be safe – we buy our orange juice from the store. This isn’t the REAL stuff.”
“Can I have another one?”
“This is SOUR! Where’s the sugar?”
“Are they SUPPOSED to have seeds?”
“Why is this one green?”
“Hey! Watch out for my fingers!”
And my all time favorite…… “Miss! What is this stuff in my juice? Pulp? Isn’t that the stuff that comes out when you squeeze your pimples?”
Class dismissed.
OH GROSS! That last one really got me. Ewwwwww! Pulp? Do have a dictionary and a thesaurus in your classroom? *Snickers* It amazed me when I lived down in Florida that ripe oranges aren’t necessarily bright orange when ripe. I especially loved the fresh lemons and limes. Lemon meringue pie never tasted so great with fruit right from the tree!Mmmmmmmm, yummy! I bet that was a hoot! (((Too)))
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LOL, it’s amazing what a little peek out from the shelter they’ve been living under can do, eh??
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When I came to Az I was so looking forward to growing my own citrus, only to find that this complex I live in is a killer of it. Those poor kids, I feel sorry for them.
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LOL, too funny. Which reminds me, I better take care of those oranges that my dad sent home with me from florida when I get back home from my sister’s! LOL 🙂
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ha, kids need to experience a bit more of nature! i have one orange tree in my yard and it has a few oranges on it now. the recent rains/strong winds blew a few off. when my own kids were growing up there was a nearby store, the guy sold oranges from his farm by the 15/20+ lb bag. i would buy a big bag and make fresh squeezed OJ for the family.. (c)
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the store is still there, i haven’t been in many years, maybe next time i drive by i’ll stop in. so much of the regular store bought fruit is nothing like the fruit i remember when i was a kid. i grew up with a yard of apricot, plum, avocado, fig, persimmon and peach trees. nothing beats tree ripe stuff~
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You are sooooo lucky…I was just talking to my mom about this the other day..we are orange junkies and I was saying how cool it is for those in florida to go out back and just pick one..I have to go to the store. Lucky you and too weird that you wrote about what we just talked about the other day!
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Next up, milk. Try running THAT past them!
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I bet the kid swould love Key lime pie. Those limes sure make good pie
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Eouuuuw. Pimple pulp. Don’t ya just gotta love um?
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Your kids are sofa king funny! Hahaha… Clever you, taking the oranges to school.
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My son used to be affronted if he found “strings” in his orange juice. I still remember an extraordinary glass of fresh-squeezed oj at a little restaurant….it was ORANGE and had a big chunk of orange flesh, and was the best I ever tasted. I think kids in our society are too used to “sanitized” food and balk seeing it in it’s natural state!
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re: your dad not wasting by making you figure out what to do with stuff: My ex-MIL was like that, but always gave me her old clothing and slightly broken appliances! She’d buy so many clothes it was a shame, and then pass them off to me to wear. Yeah, I was 30 and she was 65, just my style, LOL! She once gave me an electric skillet w/a broken plug. I guess MY house should burn down, not hers!
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Oh, YUCKKKKKKKKK!!! I don’t think I’ll drink orange juice again for a long long LOOOOOONG time! THANKS, SW! LOL!!!!
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aaahhh the “convenience” age…what would we do without it! LMAO Hugz
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RYN: It’s a Fanta in my panta!
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Sometimes I wonder how you live to fight another day. LOL. Pimple juice!Arrgh. RYN: Thanks for the note. I sure have the “maturity” thing down pat. Old-ness does have one or two advantages but you’ll notice that I didn’t mention the glory of running? 🙂
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I got to admit, when I’m eating oranges I remove all the puss… I mean pulp from the outside but I love floaty things in my juice!!
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Eating an orange as I read your entry. Aren’t kids great?
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ROTF cute cute soo glad to hear that things are going well for you this year. Lael
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Fresh oranges. Mmmmmm. I have peach trees in my yard. With a smile…
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3 quick questions, your birthday, since we are both 47, you don’t have to tell me the year, unless it’s 56, cause I’m 1957.. 2nd. what grade do you teach.. 3rd, what part of Florida..
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Were did you go?
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*grin* I’ll ignore that last comment; I’ve always really enjoyed freshly squeezed orange juice and I refuse to be put off it by anyone or anything!
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