TRT for Men in Tangerine, FL

The Tangerine Drop on New Year’s Eve was a well known Hernando County event. A fiberglass tangerine was dropped at the Jerome Brown Community Center. The last time the tangerine was dropped was the 2008-2009 New Year.

Wayne Vutech, the Tangerine Drop committee chairman in an article at the time said the event ended because of diminishing funds and a lack of volunteers. He recently said that he would be amenable to restarting the event if volunteers and sponsors could be found.

The Tangerine Drop was a local twist on the famous apple that is dropped in New York City. It had become well known and was included in many lists of interesting things that are dropped in the last seconds of New Year’s Eve.

The orange/tangerine industry played a major role in the history of Hernando County. The first bank in Hernando County was the Brooksville State Bank and was established in 1890. The bank was highly reliant on the Citrus. Citrus was the area’s major cash crop and at the time had an estimated 300,000 trees planted in the area. The winter of 1894 to 1895 was very cold and much of the citrus was lost. These losses contributed to the the bank closing in 1897.

A few years after the freeze several small groves were started. In 1905, J. J. Bell established a small orange packing plant. In 1908, Bell and other prominent orange growers decided to establish the Brookville Citrus Growers Association. This association built a packing facility on South Main. The marketing and growing of tangerines in the area was pushed by the association. This association lasted until a big freeze hit in the winter of 1984 to 1985.

Oranges were part of the inspiration for the editor of a daily Czechoslovakian newspaper Joseph Joscak, to start a column that advocated moving to warm Florida which led to the creation of Masaryktown. Many of his readers were working in mines and factories in the north and read his column which extolled the virtues of moving to the warm climate and the farming.

There was a time when almost all the prominent citizens of the county had groves, whether they were doctors, lawyers, businessmen, ranchers, or farmers. Brooksville billed itself as the as the ‘Home of the Tangerine.’ Florida Cracker Kitchen has one of the old signs proclaiming this.

Mike Walker the Parks/Facilities and Recreation Director at the City of Brooksville checked on the status of the Tangerine that is dropped. It needs to be cleaned and repainted, but should be good to go.

This year there were few New Year’s Eve events in the county. The tangerine drop was known as a family friendly event. There were three hours of performances by bands and activities for kids. One activity that was remembered were glasses that distorted contestants vision while they attempted to complete tasks. This was an attempt to help kids become aware of effects of drinking and how it would affect their driving.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the Tangerine Drop New Year’s event please contact rocco@hernandosun.com and I will get your information to the right people.

An article in the Tokyo Shimbun prominently featured The Hernando Sun newspaper. The Tokyo Shimbun is a major Japanese newspaper with a circulation estimated to be around 3 million daily. They are part of a larger group the Chunichi Shimbun which has a circulation around 5 million.

The article dealt with so called news deserts, areas where the local news coverage was not well established. They were interested in speaking to The Hernando Sun after reading our articles online describing that we founded The Hernando Sun after the closing of Hernando Today, because we felt that Hernando County without a local newspaper would become a suburb of Tampa.

On Nov. 29, 2018, Alexander Hassanein, reporter for the Tokyo Shimbun, contacted us about doing a short phone interview. The founders of The Hernando Sun, Julie and Rocco Maglio, discussed the starting of the Hernando Sun with Mr. Hassanein, during the phone interview he mentioned that he and a correspondent might want to fly to Florida and interview us in person. On Dec. 6, we received an email informing us that the reporters were planning on flying to Florida from the Tokyo Shimbun New York Bureau to interview us in person. On Tuesday, Dec. 11, the Hassanein and correspondent Hajime Akagawa from the New York Bureau arrived at our home office and interviewed us for a couple of hours. Mr. Akagawa met Julie at the Post Office the following day and took pictures as she dropped off The Hernando Sun newspapers to have them delivered.

The phrase Big in Japan was usually used to describe musicians who succeed in Japan, but not necessarily in other parts of the world. Some examples of this were Neil Sedaka who had a hit in Japan with “One Way Ticket” and Jimmy Osmond (Typically known as one of the Osmond Brothers) who had several gold records. This led to claims that a musician was big in Japan as a means of promoting them in the United States.

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The article was published on Jan. 1, 2019 in Japanese in the Tokyo Shimbun. It is the beginning of their serialization on “Media and the World.” Now more people in Japan have heard of The Hernando Sun than people in the United States. We are kind of a Big Deal in Japan.

Below is the link to the online article.

http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/world/list/201901/CK2019010102000109.html

For FLORIDA TODAY

Floridians celebrate the holiday season in slightly different ways from the rest of the country.

We experience mild and even balmy weather as winter sets in across the nation. Our activities and recreational opportunities remain outdoors, and even our festive meals center around lighter menus, with seafood often served as the main course.

Florididans are known to serve heaping platters of stone crab, shrimp, clams, oysters and freshly caught fish, while counting their blessings.

To complement our holiday fare, Florida desserts tend to incorporate the signature fruit that represents the Sunshine State: citrus.

Authentic Florida: Cedar Key takes you back in time

This year, despite the blow dealt by Hurricane Irma, Florida citrus can still be found glistening in the groves and just in time for the holidays. To help you with a few holiday dessert menu ideas, we are featuring two Florida inspired citrus dishes.

The first is the Florida Kumquat Cake and the second is the Oh, So Divine Tangerine Pudding. Kumquat, while not widely known, is a bite-sized member of the citrus family. Tangerines are the better known as the tangy, sweet cousin of the orange.

The Florida kumquat

The petite kumquat provides a flavorful, pungent sweet-and-sour taste. It can be eaten whole — skin and all — or baked into desserts, used as a glaze or to flavor main dishes.

The kumquat, like the mandarin, is believed to have originated in China. There it has long been celebrated as a symbol of prosperity during the Chinese New Year. Two species are now cultivated in the United States, the Nagami and the Meiwa. The oval-shaped Nagami kumquat is tart and ideal for marmalades and jellies, while the round Meiwa is sweeter, making it ideal for snacking.

Eaten whole, the kumquat is tasty with its burst of sweet and tart. But many people prefer to remove the stem, cut it into small slices, and eliminate the seeds.

Sarasota’s Shark Brothers do it for the Love of Sharks

The peel is the sweetest part. The sourness comes from the pulp of seeds and juice. Try it both ways, then choose what you like best.

Florida’s kumquat season is from November through March, so now is the time to try these tasty morsels available at most grocery stores and farmers markets.

Florida Kumquat Cake Recipe

Cooking time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Yields: 8 servings

1 10-inch cast iron pan

2 cups (Nakami) kumquats

1 stick unsalted butter

¾ cup light brown sugar

Honey mixture:

3 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

Wet mixture:

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cup sugar

5 extra large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dry mixture:

1 1/3 cup flour

1½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Prepare 2 cups of kumquats by removing the stem, slicing each kumquat into three slices. Remove the seeds.

Melt 1 stick of butter in the cast iron pan over medium heat.

Add ¾ cup of brown sugar and stir until mixed.

Remove from heat. Add 3 Tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Add the 2 cups of kumquats to caramel mixture — or as many as possible inside the pan over the mixture.

Add 5 extra-large eggs (or 6 large eggs) one at a time, to a large mixing bowl, beating on high. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add to wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined, no more.

Carefully spoon the cake batter over the kumquats and caramel mixture.

Place cake in oven on the middle rack. You may want to put a cookie sheet on the rack under the pan to catch any drips that bubble over.

Bake for 45 minutes, test the middle of the cake with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, remove from oven.

If still wet, bake for another 10 minutes or up to 1 hour total. Take a butter knife and loosen edges along the pan. Put cake on a wire rack and let it cool for about 30 minutes.

Place a serving plate on top of the cast iron pan and flip over so the fruit is on the top.

Recipe adapted from AlexandraCooks.com's Kumquat Upside Down Cake

Escape to Stuart for a charming weekend

2018 Kumquat Festival

If you get hooked on this tasty little fruit after trying the recipe, don’t miss one of Florida’s most charming Festivals, the 2018 Kumquat Festival. The event will be Jan. 27 in Dade City, northwest of Tampa. This unhurried, laid-back Florida town annually hosts its Kumquat Festival honoring its distinction as the world’s leading supplier of the tasty petite fruit.

Thousands of visitors join in the fun. Held in downtown Dade City, the Kumquat Festival is a homegrown family event that provides fruit tastings of every imaginable combination including kumquat pies, cookies, smoothies, ice cream, marmalade, marinades, vinaigrettes and salsa.

And there is plenty of fruit to purchase for creating your own signature dishes at home.

Local entertainment kicks up the celebration, giving the event a special homespun atmosphere with an arts and crafts exhibition, car show and downtown storefronts decorated in what else, but “kumquat themes.”

Tangerine pudding

Tangerines, originally from China, arrived to Europe in the 1800s by way of Morocco’s port of Tangier in North Africa. The fruit was also exported to the Americas through Tangier, thus fruit became known as the tangerine.

While tangerines are often peeled and eaten as a snack, this recipe uses the fruit as an ingredient for a tasty holiday dessert.

Florida’s sweet and “tangy” tangerines make this recipe a perfect complement to any meal.

Oh, So Divine Tangerine Pudding

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Refrigerator time: 2 hours

Yields: 4 servings

Note: If possible, use fresh tangerines with this recipe, but if you have only fresh bottled juice, it can work as well.

10 tangerines, or 2 cups tangerine juice plus 2 whole tangerines (for peeling and using as sections)

3 large eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

Juice the tangerines to create 2 cups of juice. Set aside.

Next, with an extra tangerine, using a vegetable peeler, slice ½ inch of the outer tangerine peel.

In a separate bowl, beat 3 eggs until frothy, 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Add sugar, cornstarch and salt to a sauce pan.

Place pan over medium heat and slowly add of tangerine juice. Whisk mixture until smooth, about 15 minutes, eliminating any lumps.

Add ½ inch tangerine peel into the warm mixture. Continue heating mixture stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes.

Next, bring mixture to a simmering boil and whisk constantly for around 3-4 minutes. Mixture should become thick and bubbly.

Remove from heat. It will become thick and pudding-like, coating the back of a spoon. (If it takes longer, continue stirring until thickened.)

Take ¼ cup of the hot mixture and add to the egg mixture. Whisk for about 2 minutes to temper the eggs.

Pour the egg mixture into the hot pan. Turn heat on low to medium and stir constantly for 2 more minutes.

Pour the custard into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Place plastic wrap directly on the warm pudding, so no film is created. Chill for at least 2 hours. If desired, remove peel from the pudding.

Meanwhile, take the remaining two tangerines, peel and cut into sections to add to the pudding later.

Whipped Cream

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

Beat heavy whipping cream on high speed with sugar and vanilla.

Assemble the dessert in individual glass bowls by layering the pudding, whipped cream and tangerine sections. Top with whipped cream and sprig of mint.This recipe was adapted from Southern Living.

Dade City Kumquat Festival

The Festival will be 9 a.m .to 5 p.m. Jan. 27 in downtown Dade City.

Learn more at:

Florida native Robin Draper is a columnist, author and owner of the award-winning “Blog of the Year” and “Best Travel Blog” website, AuthenticFlorida.com, a travel and lifestyle blog devoted to the simple and delightful pleasures for Florida living.

With both Florida and California orange output down by double-digit percentages, the total U.S. orange crop is forecast to be off 12% in 2021-22.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first crop production estimate put the U.S. all-orange forecast for the 2021-22 season at 91.05 million boxes, down 12% from 103.95 million boxes last season.

The USDA said the Florida all-orange forecast, at 47 million boxes, is down 11% from last season.

Early, midseason and navel varieties in Florida are forecast at 19 million boxes, down 16% from a year ago.

The Florida valencia orange forecast, at 28 million boxes, is off 7% from last season’s final utilization, the USDA said.

“We hoped for more, but 47 million boxes of oranges demonstrates the resilience, ingenuity, and strength of Florida’s citrus growers and their unwavering commitment to fighting the challenges facing our industry,” Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, said in a news release.

“With more than 90% of Florida’s orange crop being squeezed for juice, nearly every drop of this season’s fruit will go straight to the premium, great-tasting not-from-concentrate orange juice consumers want.”

In California, the all-orange forecast is 43.5 million boxes, 13% lower than a year ago. California’s navel orange forecast is 35 million boxes, down 14% from last season. Valenica output in 2021-22 is forecast at 8.50 million boxes, down 11% from the previous year.

The Texas all-orange forecast was for 550,000 boxes for 2021-22, down 48% from a year ago.

Other citrus

The U.S. tangerine and mandarin crop is forecast 24% lower than last season, according to the USDA.

The California tangerine and mandarin forecast for 2021-22, at 21 million boxes, is down 25% from last season.

Florida’s tangerine and mandarin forecast, at 900,000 boxes, is up 1% from last year. Grapefruit output in the 2021-22 season is forecast 4% higher than last season, the USDA said.

The Texas forecast, at 3.10 million boxes, is up 29% from the 2020-21 season, the USDA said. The Florida forecast, at 3.80 million boxes, is down 7% from last season.

The California grapefruit forecast, at 3.90 million boxes, is unchanged from a year ago.

The lemon forecast for 2021-22 lemon crop is pegged 1% higher than a year ago, the USDA said. The California forecast, at 21 million boxes, is down 1% from the 2020-21 season. The Arizona forecast was pegged at 1.30 million boxes, up 63% compared with last season.

Nothing is more rewarding than going out into your home landscape and picking fresh citrus. It really is easier than most people think, but there are a few secrets I would like to share with you which should help you grow the best, healthiest citrus.

ROOTSTOCK

First, it is essential to choose the appropriate root stock. Citrus purchased from plant nurseries and garden centers are all grafted onto another citrus root stock. The top portion of the tree, the part producing the fruit we eat and enjoy, is called the scion. Currently, we recommend three root stocks for the Northeast Florida area that are known for their cold-hardy and disease-resistant qualities. Future research may provide us with additional choices but for now we suggest buying citrus trees grafted onto Tri-foliate, Swingle (hybrid) or Flying Dragon root stock. Sour orange root stock fell out of favor several years ago when it became susceptible to a virus and sour lemon root stock is not cold hardy enough for our area. There are many other root stocks available, but it is best to ensure your tree is grafted on one of the top three recommended root stocks.

GENERAL TIPS

The other important secret is to have sufficient sunlight. While citrus can grow in some shade, it will thrive in full sunlight. The soil should be well-drained; do not plant citrus in areas where water may accumulate and cause root decays. Keep lawn grass as far away from the tree as possible. Just like other tree varieties, grass and trees are terrible partners. Initially, when the tree is young, the grass gets first share of the nutrients and water. Plus, the things we do to lawns we should never do to citrus. Allow for a large area around the base of the tree to be just soil and air. You can apply 2-3 inches of mulch just outside the air/soil area but never allow mulch to touch the trunk of any tree or shrub, including citrus. Irrigate on a consistent basis, once a week should be fine if we receive no rain, but beware of overwatering, which can easily lead to root decay. Irrigate at the root only - never the leaves.

FERTILIZER

Never fertilize citrus with lawn fertilizer and NEVER use a weed and feed product around citrus. You can apply a slow-release citrus fertilizer in March, June and September or apply 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 starting in March once every six weeks through September. No fertilizer should be applied from October through February.

PRUNING

Regarding pruning, there's good news: You really don't need to prune citrus to increase fruit production, but there are times when citrus needs pruning. Always feel free to remove dead limbs; they often can be the source of disease. Any limb that is growing straight downward, rubbing against another limb, cracked or damaged can be removed. The best time to prune citrus is after the threat of frost is over, which generally is between late February and early March. You can make reduction cuts, which is a pruning cut to a lateral or side limb on the top of the tree to prevent it from getting too tall. Don't be afraid to keep your citrus tree short to enable you to easily pick the fruit. In the summer, I often prune the tips of the citrus tree if they are heavily infested with aphids or psyllids. Like the diseased branches, I throw insect-infested limbs into a double bag and toss them.

COLD-HARDY VARIETIES

To assist you in determining the best cultivar/citrus tree to select for your landscape, let's review citrus trees by ranking them from the most cold-hardy citrus down to the least cold-hardy. All of these citrus trees types mentioned here require no accompanying pollinator trees. Calamondins are the most cold-hardy and are used in cooking, but they are too bitter for juicing or eating. However, calamondins make a great addition to the landscape as a showy citrus tree.

Kumquats produce small citrus fruit with sweet rinds and tart flesh. Meiwa kumquat have a sweet flesh and rind - my favorite. I just pop the fruit in my mouth and eat rind, flesh and seeds - yum. Kumquat makes a beautiful patio plant with deep green leaves.

Satsuma tangerine is one of the easiest of the oranges to grow here, it peels easily, and on alternate years, is a prolific producer. Satsuma does not have a strong acid content in the flesh and very few seeds. Navel oranges are my favorite of the oranges, easy to peel, few seeds and once it is established, a large, hardy tree. Hamlin oranges are sweet, small oranges that can be used for juice or eating. Parson Brown was replaced by Hamlin oranges as a favorite because it had too many seeds, although it is cold hardy for our area.

The best grapefruit for our area is the Ruby red; it has low seed count, with sweet pink flesh. Ruby reds are heavy producers of fruit so you really only need one tree for your yard. Meyer lemon and Ponderosa lemon are good choices for our area. Ponderosa, as you might expect from the name, is a very large lemon but both are sweet with few seeds.

The least cold hardy citrus are the limes, you will need to protect them from the threat of frost but if you can get them to survive, what a wonderful fruit for cooking and the occasional margarita.

PEST CONTROL

There are many leaf and fruit diseases of citrus but most of them are caused by fungi, so keeping your citrus on a fungicide regime, alternating modes of action, is important. In general, spraying the tree with a fungicide labeled for fruit trees when the leaves first appear and again once the flower petals drop will help manage the disease, but we will never eradicate all fungal diseases from citrus - it is a work in progress. It is essential to follow the pesticide label directions for mixing and applying the correct amounts of pesticides to trees. Avoid using broad spectrum insecticides as they can harm our pollinating insects. There are citrus caterpillars such as the giant swallowtail butterfly caterpillar, which will eat the leaves of citrus. However, they are important pollinators so I just leave them alone and have never had a problem with citrus fruit production. The best pesticides to keep in your arsenal are insecticidal soap and horticulture oil to control aphids, psyllids and scale insects. Be sure to follow the directions on the label of any pesticide as "The Label is the Law." You can always use less than the pesticide label suggests but never more.

Becky Jordi is the Nassau County extension director and horticulture agent.

Florida man allegedly stole from home while family slept

A Central Florida man who was on probation for a burglary charge is behind bars again after being caught on camera, accused of stealing items from a home while the family slept.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. - A Central Florida man who was on probation for a burglary charge is behind bars again after being caught on camera, accused of stealing items from a home while the family slept.

The alleged theft happened about 2 a.m. last Wednesday morning when Adam Perdue's Ring cameras at his home near Tangerine Avenue in unincorporated Seminole County captured the man entering through his backyard door, which he thought he had left locked and secured.

"We didn't hear anything at all. It was unbelievable," he said. "It was awful to think of someone walking around while you're at your most vulnerable, completely asleep."

For nearly an hour, Perdue said the man made 21 trips in and out of his home, stealing his wallet, the family's Nintendo Switch, some liquor, and even his son's iPhone from his nightstand.

"He's standing in their room while they're asleep, and that's an absolutely horrible, horrible feeling," Perdue said.

Later that morning, the man also tried to break into another nearby home, but the homeowner chased after him, according to Seminole County sheriff's deputies. He ended up again inside Perdue's home for about 45 minutes before he eventually left. The family didn't find out about the burglary until they woke up and Perdue's son couldn't find his phone.

"Both of my sons, they're quite rattled, but my youngest, especially. He's had trouble sleeping since this happened. He doesn't want to be in this room alone," Perdue said.

Neighbors told deputies the man was 40-year-old James Danforth after identifying him on Perdue's surveillance video. He's on probation, accused of breaking into a bar in January 2022. He was known, neighbors said, for doing yard work in the area and is homeless.

Perdue is just thankful he's off the streets.

"One of the boys could have woken up. That could have been awful. I could have gotten hurt if had I woken up, or I could have possibly ended someone's life," he said.

As of Monday night, Danforth remained in the Seminole County jail. A judge did not issue him a bond for his burglary and grand theft charges during a hearing last week. He is due in court next month.