To avoid the stir-crazy madness that's a part of who I am, I drove over to McAllen yesterday to explore. My goal was to see an orange orchard and, if at all possible, pick my own to buy.
The internet wasn't much help but I did locate an organic store that sold their own fruit and juice. It is called Earth Bound.
When I reached Earth Bound I found a pleasant shop full of fruit and bee related products. In addition, they had a large selection of gluten-free and vegan snacks - many that I had never seen before.
The store was one room and spacious. Wooden shelves lined the walls and we're filled with unusual sounding jams, jellies, salsas and more. Earth Bound has their own bee hives and one shelf was full of their honey; orange blossom and wildflower.
To the back of the room was a tasting station. The round antique looking wooden table had a variety of sliced citrus fruit for customers to enjoy. Also present was a cup full of plastic spoons, the two honeys, and several jams and salsas.
I went straight for the honey as the orange blossom lable had me intrigued. I poured a droplet or two onto a spoon and let my tongue do the rest. Except, my tongue was unable to process the experience on it's own. The orange blossom flavor, and the more traditional honey flavor, challenged each other. It was as though they were both vying for domenance. The result was delicious.
The wildflower honey was gentle in its approach to flavors. It was not nearly as flamboyant as the the orange blossom and seemed to be happy sitting quietly by. While just as complex, the flavors seemed to swim and dance about gently, until they merged into a lovely and delectable liquid gold.
There were more things to taste too. Little sample cups were stacked next to their freshly squeezed juices. There were the traditional single fruit juices but also a large variety of mixed vegetable and fruit juices. Oh, I do love a good tasting session!
Just when I was finishing up with the juices, one of the women working at Earth Bound, asked if I needed help. I told her how I was wandering around the country side looking for a citrus grove to enter and explore. She pointed to the orchard right outside and told me that I could go pick an orange for myself.
The trees were all covered in oranges and some of the fruit were rotting on the ground. Smells of the rotting fruit were in the air but I can't say that it was an altogether unpleasant scent.
I love orchards but I haven't been in many. In fact, the last one I was in was a plum orchard in the hills of Tamil Nadu. It was private property of course and my friends and I would wait for a fog to settle in before trying to snag a few. We were rewarded with stones flying at us through the branches - but that's a story for another day.
After standing amongst the orange trees, and taking them all in, I selected a plump ripe orange to pocket and have on my drive home. Why is it so attractive to pluck fruits and vegetables straight from the tree/plant?
After thanking the women inside, and making a small purchase, I used their restroom. Pardon my naivety but I had never seen a bathroom like this so I snapped a pic.
On asking them for recommendations, for places to visit in McAllen, they suggested I visit Quinta Mazatlan; one of the largest remaining adobe homes in Texas. And how beautiful it was! The house itself was peaceful and oh so elegant! The surrounding acreage had quiet footpaths and is a paradise for those who wish to go bird watching.
I'm going to end here very abruptly. Tomorrow is transfer day and, unless there are unexpected changes, I should be driving home in the afternoon. Today I spent mostly packing, getting gas for my car, and that sort of thing. I can't wait for the morning!
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