Meet your new main SQUEEZE! Ojai Pixies have arrived!
Ojai Pixies aren’t your typical tangerine variety. These show up late in the citrus season and showcase a signature pale orange hue. Some Pixies are bumpy while others are smooth. They vary in size from pony (being the smallest) all the way up to mammoth and colossal! Some trees drip with fruit while others decide to bud and wait till the following year (alternate bearing crop). One thing is consistent, though, and that’s flavor.
Pixies are the best tasting tangerine that’s available on the market today. Pixies are sweet, petite, seedless and easy to peel. These tangerines have low acid, so it’s easy to get carried away and lose track of how many you’ve had — and we certainly won’t stop you!
Something else we love about Pixies: you can’t get them forever. They’re a seasonal item, only available from March to May. In an era when it’s possible to get a lot of produce all year long, Pixie’s relative scarcity makes them something to truly savor, miss and look forward to each year.
The Ojai Pixie is a special variety, and it can only really come from one place — the Ojai Valley, located in Ventura County in Southern California. This valley is known for its warm days, cool nights and Insta-worthy sunsets that just won’t quit. And the specific soil composition in Ojai is perfect for citrus. A small co-op of just under 50 farmers across the valley makes the Ojai Pixie season happen each year.
Want to give them a try? Check out this recipe for a Spring Fennel and Tangerine Salad.
Ojai Pixie Fennel and Tangerine Salad
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 4 Melissa’s Fennel Bulbs, trimmed; sliced 1⁄4-inch thick
- 4 Ojai Pixie Tangerines, peeled; segmented
- 4 Melissa’s Mini Cucumbers,ends trimmed; sliced in half horizontally, then sliced 1⁄4-inch thick
- 2 (3oz.) packages Melissa’s Dried Cranberries
- 1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar
- 4 lemons, juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
HOW TO MAKE IT
- In a bowl, toss together the fennel, tangerines, cucumbers and cranberries.
- In another bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad, toss and let rest for 10 minutes. Toss again before serving.
Click Here to learn more about the Ojai Pixie from our friends at Melissa’s Produce!
