If you’re going to celebrate the wonders of local citrus, now is the time to do it. Many varieties are at the peak of ripeness and others should be nabbed now before their seasons wind to a close. Winter may be slowly succumbing to spring (and the berries that come with it), but right now it’s hard to turn a corner without running into a tangy, sweet example of this cold weather favorite.

California ranks second only to Florida in citrus production and at the Ferry Plaza alone there are more than 15 farms bringing the fruits to market each year.

Take citrus appreciation to the next level at CUESA’s Citrus Celebration on Saturday, February 19th. From 10 am to 1 pm you’ll get a chance to taste over a dozen samples (including a range of varieties from several farms). While there you can also pick up recipes for six citrus based vinaigrettes, learn more about fruit tree grafting and get tips on growing citrus of your own.

In the CUESA teaching kitchen at 10 am June Taylor of the June Taylor Company will be showing us her ‘Stem to Seed’ method for preserving all parts of the citrus fruits she uses to make artisan marmalades, conserves, syrups and confections. June will also offer a tasting of her candied citrus peels and her newest marmalade made from Dobashi Beni satsumas. Next we’ll have back-to-back chef demos from Thomas McNaughton of Flour & Water and Steve Rojas of Chez Papa Resto. The two chefs will be featuring their favorite citrus varieties in dishes made for sampling. You’ll also get a copy of the recipes to take home and try for yourself. As always this seasonal celebration is free and open to the public so meet us at the market on Saturday the 19th for a sweet and tangy good time.