I didn't make it to the Expo, but I would like to know what was the best tasting citrus you sampled or bought during the weekend?

Personally it was Brown Select mandarin. Most all of the fruit put out for tasting were mandarins (a few others). The research farm had China#1 through China #10, but I only bothered to taste one of them. All in all, if you have ever tasted one mandarin you pretty much have tasted all mandarins. There were no trees for sale due to the quarantine - Millet 3,186

My personal favorite was the xie shan satsuma.. they were all good though.. I never met a citrus I didnt like!

I agree with Stan Xie Shan was definitely a great tasting fruit.

I never made it to that room. Who grew the xie shan ? My guess would be Dr Powell. His Xie Shan two years ago is the best I ever had but John Neighbors Brown Select last year was incredible. Nothing else close for me so far. Tom

Maybe because we were outside in great weather, although Millet did find it a bit chilly for him, but my wife and I really liked a China 9 picked fresh from the tree at the Citrus Research and Extension Center

My favorite was Xie Shan. Millet has mentioned it, as being very good, on previous posts, but I had never had a chance to taste it before the CE. I wonder how productive it is?

Maybe the fruit tasting was at the experiment station. Maybe they grew the Xie Shan. I saw a beautiful China 9 last year but it had too much acid for me. The foliage was a beautiful dark green. Tom

I agree completely. I have some sats about the same age and I agree with your conclusions and hopes. John Neighbors has trees about ten years old and last year the fruit was excellent. Frankly the fruit this year was not nearly as good. Maybe like grapes and variability for different years quality of wine, there will still be some variability that we do not have any control over. This year I thought that perhaps some sats were picked too early. Tom

Among others reasons for puffy mandarins and satsumas, one of the reasons is due to the fruit remaining on the tree too long. - Millet

Millet,

I completely agree with your statement! I had first dozen fruits on Xie Shan. Needless to say, we were sampling them since late September, when they were a bit tart. Fruits picked in late October were excellent but those few that were left on the tree till early-mid November turned puffy and tasteless.

I have been sampling mine every week and they went from tart to tart and juicy to less tart and juicy to juicy and insipid with many being puffy.

Even the few that are not puffy are juicy but insipid.

I think they'll be better next year.

A few pics from October 19, 2013

Xie Shan looks great. I would have bet it was a Meyer Lemon. Everything looks great and I'm sure the pictures don't really do it justice . Tom

Charles, on the 3rd picture up from the bottom, is that sun burn on the fruit? - Millet