Soap-on-a-rope is more than just a catchy rhyme. It’s a decorative way to display soap that also keeps it from getting soft or sitting in a little soap puddle in your shower or bath.
These rosemary lemon soap-on-a-rope stars come straight from the garden into the holiday gift-giving season. This project is extra special because it creates two types of soap in one: stars and bars!
Stars and bars? Yes! Two kinds of soap come out of this one project. First, you will cut out soap stars, and when that process is finished, you’ll add another soap to fill in the holes and create decorative soap bars. Let’s get to it, shall we?
You can also try this soap recipe using other cookie cutter shapes.
Rosemary Lemon Soap-on-a-Rope Video
Watch this video for a quick overview of how easy this project is, then follow the step-by-step instructions in the rest of this post so you can make these at home.
How to Make Lemon Rosemary Soap Bars
Now on to the recipe!
Materials
This recipe requires both a “clear” soap base and an “opaque” one.
Make it!
Cut up the shea butter soap base into 1-inch cubes and add it to the Pyrex measuring cup.
Soap will melt quickly in the microwave.
Melt the soap base in a microwave or in a double boiler so that it is just melted. You want the soap base to melt but not cook. Remove the soap base from the microwave or the double boiler before it starts to steam.
There may be a few chunks left, but that is just fine. Those will melt if you keep stirring the soap base for a few minutes after removing it from the heat.
Check your soap every 30 seconds in the microwave.
When the soap base has melted, add in half of your herbs, lemon zest, and essential oils to the soap mix. Reserve the other ingredients.
Pour the soap base into the cookie sheet and move the cookie sheet around quickly so that it fills up the entire space. It should be approximately 1 inch thick.
Sprinkle the remaining herbs and lemon zest on the top of the soap. Leave it to set on a level surface. Spray the surface with isopropyl alcohol. Note: work quickly as the soap will dry fast.
Work quickly, as the soap will cool fast.
When the soap is dry—in only about a half hour—use the cookie cutter to cut out star shapes.
Use a screw to create the hole for the twine.
Make the stars into the soap-on-a-rope by using a screw to create a hole and then tying a piece of cotton twine through the hole. The soap-on-a-rope can now be given as a gift or hung in the shower.
The finished soap-on-a-rope bars.
Now, I’ll show you how to make the bars! Melt the glycerin soap base in the microwave or double boiler as you did with the previous batch. Add the remaining essential oils and stir well.
Want more yellow colouring? Add a hint of turmeric!
Spray the surface of the star cutout soap with isopropyl alcohol to encourage the layers to stick. Pour the melted soap slowly and evenly over the star cut-out soap in the cookie sheet. The glycerin soap will fill in the stars and add another layer of thickness to the soap. Spray the surface with isopropyl alcohol again.
Make sure to evenly spread the soap to fill in all the stars.
When the cookie sheet of soap has dried, you can use a knife to gently lift the corner of the soap and pull the sheet up.
Place the soap on a cutting board and cut out rectangles or squares of soap to create soap bars. These can be used as is, or you can punch a hole in them and hang them from a rope just as you did with the stars.
Use as bars or also attach twine to make it a soap-on-a-rope.
I like the idea of wrapping them up and giving them as stocking stuffers or even tying them to the outside of a present. No matter how you decide to give them, this is a fun project to make any time of year.
If you are looking for more gift ideas, be sure to check out my melt and pour soap book, Good Clean Fun!
Good Clean Fun is filled with super simple techniques for crafting artisan soaps at home. You’ll learn how to use botanicals, essential oils, and even wild animals to spice up your soap, giving you finished projects that don’t look nearly as easy to make as they are.
More Easy Soap Recipes
A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.
Simple marinated citrus Greek chicken with a two ingredient sauce. It’s perfect all year round and you only need one skillet to make dinner in 30 minutes!
Marinated chicken is where it’s at! Whether it’s our simple marinated grilled chicken breasts or our smoked marinated chicken thighs, marinating chicken adds so much flavor and tenderness. The marinade for this citrus Greek chicken packs this recipe with outrageous flavor and is so simple!
This citrus Greek chicken looks like something you’d be served in your favorite restaurant, but it’s the easiest recipe ever. However, I’ve got rules so listen up!
Tips for the Best Citrus Greek Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts should not be overcooked. Ever. Here’s a really simple way to have perfectly cooked, perfectly moist chickenevery single time.
I cringe when I hear about chicken breasts in the oven for an hour or a half hour on the stove top. Please, please don’t do that. Your dinners will be 100 times better if you cook the chicken properly.
Marinated meat is an easy way to have flavor without extra calories or effort, but it must have time. We like to marinate our chicken at least two hours or up to overnight. You pick what works for you.
And finally, oil packed sun dried tomatoes should always be in your fridge. They are amazing. The end.
Ingredients for Citrus Greek Chicken
I’m going to list the ingredients for the chicken marinade first, and then the simple 2 ingredient sauce that we will use to pour over the chicken. Here is what you will need:
Chicken Breasts: boneless, skinless
Olive Oil: help tenderize the chicken as it marinates
Orange Juice: If you have the time, juice your own oranges so you have pure fresh orange juice without any added sugar.
Greek Seasoning: We prefer McCormick brand, but if you like a different brand or want to make you’re own, we’ve included a recipe below.
Salt: adds flavor
Pepper: adds flavor
Garlic: adds flavor
For the Sauce
Packed Sun-dried Tomatoes: adds texture, flavor and color to the chicken
Orange Juice: adds bright citrus flavor to the chicken as it cooks
The measurements for all of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
What Goes in Greek Seasoning?
There are several brands of Greek seasoning out there. We prefer to use the McCormick Greek seasoning, but if you want to make you’re own from scratch, here is a basic recipe:
1 Tablespoon Oregano
2 teaspoons Thyme
2 teaspoons Basil
1 ½ teaspoons Rosemary
2 teaspoons Dill
2 ¼ teaspoons Dried Parsley
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
2 ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Marjoram
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
How to Make Greek Citrus Chicken
I’ve mentioned several times how easy this recipe is, so now let me prove it! Here are the basic steps:
Prep: Combine all the ingredients for the marinade as well as the chicken in a zip top bag. Seal the bag and squish the marinade all over the chicken and then place in the refrigerator.
Marinate: Let the chicken rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Cook: Heat a grill plan over high heat, add a little olive oil and then place the chicken on the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 6-7 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook an additional 6-7 minutes.
Rest: Remove the chicken from the pan and set to the side in a serving dish to rest. Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes. Pour the sauce over the top of the chicken and then serve.
All of these instructions can also be found in the recipe card below. The recipe can also be saved or printed there.
Why Do You Marinate Chicken?
Marinade adds flavor to meats and makes them more tender.
Marinade allows fluids and seasonings to enter the meat so it will maintain its moisture during grilling and not dry out as quickly.
Can You Use Fresh Tomatoes in Place of Sun Dried Tomatoes?
Sun dried tomatoes have a very tart, concentrated flavor which will enhance the flavor of your dish.
However, if you do not have sun dried tomatoes, you can substitute either drained canned tomatoes or fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped.
Or, you can roast tomatoes until they are nearly dry.
Leftover Greek citrus chicken should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4 days. This chicken also freezes well. Let it cool completely and place in a ziploc bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The chicken can be reheated in the microwave quickly, but I prefer to reheat it in the oven. Place the chicken in a baking dish and add a little chicken broth or orange juice. Cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
This flavorful and healthy citrus Greek chicken recipe is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner. With a zesty marinade and a hint of sweetness, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.
More Delicious Chicken Dinner Recipes:
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutesmins
Cook Time: 17 minutesmins
Marinating Time: 2 hourshrs
Total Time: 2 hourshrs22 minutesmins
Description
Simple marinated citrus Greek chicken with a two ingredient sauce. It’s perfect all year round and you only need one skillet to make dinner in 30 minutes!
Prevent your screen from going dark
In a large ziploc bag, add the chicken, olive oil, orange juice, seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic.
Seal and squish the bag all over to coat the chicken.
Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
Heat a grill pan over high heat.
Add a drizzle of olive oil and add the chicken.
Quickly turn down to medium low and cook for 6-7 minutes.
Turn the chicken and cook an additional 6-7 minutes or until cooked through.
Remove from pan.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and orange juice and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes then pour the sauce over the top of the chicken or add the chicken to the pan.
3/4 Cup Oil Packed Sun-dried Tomatoes, 1 Cup Orange Juice
Allow to rest for 2 minutes and serve.
If you cannot buy Greek seasoning, make your own: 1 Tablespoon Oregano, 2 Teaspoons Thyme, 2 Teaspoons Basil, 1 ½ Teaspoons Rosemary, 2 Teaspoons Dill, 2 ¼ Teaspoons Dried Parsley, 2 Teaspoons Onion Powder, 2 ½ Teaspoons Garlic Powder, 2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Pepper, ½ Teaspoon Marjoram, ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon, and ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg Left overs can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days.
This Baja Citrus Salmon with Strawberry Mango Salsa is so fresh and flavorful! In this bowl, baja seasoned and citrus glazed salmon is topped with a fresh strawberry mango salsa! Serve over rice or couscous with a fresh crunchy slaw! This recipe serves 4.
I love a good bowl.
Whether it’s a rice bowl, quinoa bowl, couscous bowl – you name it, I love it. I think I love bowls because they typically have a lot of different components. This Baja salmon bowl definitely has a lot going on, but nothing that’s overly complicated. In it you will find pearled couscous, a crunchy cilantro lime slaw, Baja seasoned salmon drizzled with yum yum sauce and topped with a fresh strawberry mango salsa.
It’s the perfect light meal for spring and summer.
To Make This Baja Citrus Salmon with Strawberry Mango Salsa You Will Need:
for the salsa:
strawberries – Remove the leafy tops (and discard) and chop.
red onion – Soak in ice water to remove some of the bite.
cilantro – Lends bright herbaceous flavor.
jalapeño – Remove the ribs and seeds for less heat.
lime juice – Adds acidity and citrusy flavor.
honey – For a touch of warm sweetness.
kosher salt – Enhances the flavors in this recipe.
for the salmon:
orange – You need both the zest and half of the juice.
lime – You will need the zest and all of the juice.
baja seasoning – My homemade blend of smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, chili powder and cumin.
honey – Lends a touch of sweetness.
olive oil – Lends fat and flavor.
salmon – I buy 1 large filet and divide it into 4 (6 ounce) portions.
optional toppings or bowl add-ins:
Make The Salsa:
In a mixing bowl, measure and add 10 ounces diced strawberries, 1 good size mango, 1/3 cup finely diced red onion, 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro and 1 seeded and diced jalapeño (if using).
Add in 1 teaspoon honey and the juice of 1/2 a lime.
Add a small pinch of kosher salt and toss to combine.
Let this sit while you make the salmon. Just give it a toss occasionally.
Make The Salmon:
In a glass jar or bowl, add the zest of 1 lime and 1 orange. Add the juice of half the orange and all of the lime. Lastly, measure and add in 1 tablespoon Baja seasoning, 2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Whisk to combine.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (or 200°C).
You can either brush this overtop of the salmon filets if in a time crunch or add the salmon to a large re-sealable bag or dish and pour this over top to marinate for a few hours (nothing more than 2 hours in my opinion).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with avocado oil spray or another nonstick spray.
Place the salmon, skin side down and sprinkle the top with a little more Baja seasoning. Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked and flakes easily. Using oven mitts, remove the salmon and move the oven rack to the highest position. Switch your oven to broil, slide the pan underneath the heating element and broil for 2 minutes or until golden in spots. Watch carefully to avoid burning..
Serve the baja citrus salmon with rice, cauliflower rice or couscous, drizzled with a little yum yum sauce before topping with the strawberry mango salsa. I also serve this with my cilantro lime slaw that adds delicious crunch.
I’m telling you this dish is amazing. So light, flavorful and healthy!
And the leftovers are just as delicious.
Enjoy! And if you give this Baja Citrus Salmon recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Yield: 4servings
Citrus Salmon with Strawberry Mango Salsa
Baja Citrus Salmon with Strawberry Mango Salsa! In this bowl, baja seasoned and citrus glazed salmon is topped with a fresh strawberry mango salsa! Serve over rice or couscous with a fresh crunchy slaw!
Prep Time: 15 minutesmins
Cook Time: 12 minutesmins
Additional Time: 3 minutesmins
Total Time: 30 minutesmins
FOR THE SALSA
10ouncesstrawberries, diced (tops removed and discarded)
1good sizemango, diced
1/3cupfinely diced red onion
1/3cupcilantro, finely chopped
1jalapeno, finely diced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)
In a mixing bowl, measure and add diced strawberries, mango, diced red onion, cilantro and diced jalapeño (if using).
Add in the honey, salt and lime juice. Toss to combine and set off to the side.
MAKE THE SALMON:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (or 200°C).
In a glass jar or bowl, add the orange and lime zest. Then add the juice of half the orange and all of the lime. Lastly, add the Baja seasoning, honey and avocado oil. Whisk to combine.
You can either brush this overtop of the salmon filets if in a time crunch or add the salmon to a large re-sealable bag or dish and pour this over top to marinate for a few hours (nothing more than 2 hours in my opinion).Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with avocado oil spray or another nonstick spray. Place the salmon, skin side down and sprinkle the top with a little more Baja seasoning.
Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your preheated oven and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked and flakes easily. Using oven mitts, remove the salmon and move the oven rack to the highest position. Switch your oven to broil, slide the pan underneath the heating element and broil for 2 minutes or until golden in spots. Watch carefully to avoid burning..
Serve the broiled citrus salmon with rice or couscous, drizzled with a little yum yum sauce before topping with the strawberry mango salsa. I also served it with a cilantro lime slaw that added delicious crunch.
Nutrition Disclaimer:All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline. NOTE: Nutritional info is for salmon and salsa only.
Citrus is easy to grow in warm climates, but it is important to avoid a few key citrus growing mistakes many home citrus growers make. Learn from others’ mistakes and enjoy better-tasting citrus fruit for years to come.
The information in this blog post about citrus growing mistakes is for citrus planted in the ground in warm climates that can grow citrus outdoors year round. Read this article about how to grow citrus in containers for cooler climates.
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
10 Biggest Citrus Growing Mistakes
Citrus Growing Mistake #1: Planting a tree without trying the fruit
Try to sample the fruit – this is another advantage of purchasing from a local grower, they often have mature varieties growing.
Does the fruit have seeds? Do you like the taste? Citrus trees are long-lived and produce hundreds of pounds of fruit. Make sure you like the fruit.
Citrus Growing Mistake #2: Planting at the wrong time of year
Citrus is frost-sensitive; plant it after danger of frost is passed. In hot climate areas (like the low desert of Arizona), don’t wait too long in the spring. Planting earlier in the spring allows roots to get established before the heat of the summer. Citrus roots grow and develop quickly in the spring.
In the low desert of Arizona, do not plant citrus from June through mid-September.
There is a second planting window in the fall but be aware newly-planted citrus is more susceptible to frost damage. Cover young citrus during frost events.
Be an informed consumer. Local retailers may have citrus in stock all year long, but do not purchase if it’s not the right time of year to plant citrus in your area.
Citrus Growing Mistake #3: Planting the wrong size for the space available
Allow enough space for trees to reach their mature size. Over-planting causes problems with restricted sunlight and airflow around trees.
Plant far enough away from buildings, fences, and property lines to allow the tree to reach maturity. It’s easy to make this citrus growing mistake; young citrus trees can look deceivingly small.
Dwarf varieties produce the same quality and size of fruit but yield about half as much fruit.
Dwarf varieties produce the same quality and size of fruit but yield about half as much fruit.
Semi-dwarf trees are usually 12-15 feet tall and wide.
Standard-size trees are usually 20-25 feet tall and 16-18 feet wide, depending on the variety.
Citrus Growing Mistake #4: Planting the citrus tree too deeply
This is one of the most common citrus growing mistakes. Different citrus types are always grafted onto a root-stalk.
Look at the trunk and you will see the graft.
Do not bury the graft; instead, plant at the level of the root ball (not necessarily the level they were in the nursery pot).
Before you purchase a tree, dig around the soil to ensure they didn’t put a smaller plant in a larger pot and fill it with soil. Roots should be close to the surface.
It’s best to plant trees with the root ball at the level of planting or a little bit higher. Dig a hole as deep (but not any deeper) as the root ball (but 3-5 times as wide).
If a tree is planted too deeply, it can have problems for life: disease and pest issues, lower fruit production, and finally death.
Citrus Growing Mistake #5: Amending the planting hole with rich soil or compost
When you plant the citrus tree, backfill the planting hole with the same native soil that was removed. If you amend the soil with compost and rich soil, you are creating a small area for the roots to find everything they need.
Backfilling with compost and rich soil may create a smaller root system and a weaker tree.
Backfilling with native soil stimulates the roots to spread and seek out nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Native soil encourages a larger root system that anchors and strengthens the tree.
Citrus Growing Mistake #6: Not watering deeply enough
Problems with citrus can often be traced back to insufficient or improper watering. Watering correctly is the most important thing you can do for healthy trees.
Learn how to recognize when citrus trees need water, and water as needed.
Citrus leaves that droop or curl inward are a sign of insufficient water. Leaves that have plenty of water are usually flat or curled slightly downward.
Newly-planted and young citrus trees need watering more often.
Once established, citrus trees do best with slow, deep infrequent water that encourage the roots to go deeper to find the water.
Water to a depth of at least 18-24 inches and up to 3 feet for mature trees each time you water. Use a soil probe to determine how deeply the water penetrates.
Use a soil probe to measure how deeply water penetrates.
The soil probe will penetrate through wet soil
Citrus roots need air as well as water. Allow the top several inches of soil to dry out before you water again. Overwatering leads to root rot.
In the low desert of Arizona, our fertilizer application dates are typically Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.
Citrus Growing Mistake #9: Exposing bark to sunlight
Citrus bark is easily sunburned. Avoid exposing bark by not skirting trees (see mistake #7), and protect exposed bark from direct sunlight.
Citrus Growing Mistake #10: Not harvesting fruit
Leaving overripe fruit on the tree invites insects, birds, and rodents to your tree.
Citrus harvests usually begin in late fall and carry over into spring. Sample fruit at the beginning of the harvest window for that type of tree to see if it is ripe. Citrus often remains ripe on the tree for several weeks. Enjoy it!
Once the fruit begins to soften and drop, get all the fruit off the tree. This is a simple citrus growing mistake to remedy. Clean-up any fallen fruit to discourage pests and rodents.
This Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake is deliciously moist, bursting with bright citrus flavor and coated in a thick layer of sour cream icing. Yield 8 to 10 slices.
I’m not a huge dessert person, but when faced with a decision of chocolate or lemon (any citrus really), I’ll chose lemon every single time. Years ago I was gifted a box of ruby red grapefruits I had a little time before delivery to figure out what I was going to make using them.
It’s citrusy, tangy, and in a way tastes like froot loops cereal – but in the best way. Because cake.
To Make The Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake You Will Need:
unbleached all-purpose flour – Gives structure to the cake.
fine salt – Enhances the flavor of the cake.
baking powder – Will create lightness in the batter, which in turn, makes it rise.
granulate sugar (white) – For sweetening and flavor.
grapefruit zest and juice – Lends tart citrus flavor.
eggs – Acts as a binding agent, helps the cake rise and adds rich flavor.
unsalted butter (melted and cooled) – Adds moisture, richness and flavor.
sour cream – Lends moisture and tangy rich flavor.
milk – Adds moisture to the cake. Use any milk you prefer.
for the icing:
powdered sugar
sour cream
milk
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃).
Line a 8×5 loaf pan with parchment and spray with a nonstick baking spray.
Make The Cake:
In a medium bowl, measure and add 1-1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Give that a whisk and set it off to the side.
In a large bowl, measure and add 1 cup of sugar and the zest of 1 ruby red grapefruit. Use your fingers and rub the sugar into the zest until the texture feels like wet sand.
Next, add in 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice and 1/3 cup melted (and cooled) butter.
Whisk well to combine.
Next, in a small bowl or measuring cup stir together 1/2 cup of sour cream and the 2 tablespoons of milk. Doing this makes adding to the batter more simple.
Beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the sour cream mixture, alternate adding 1/3 of the dry ingredients and stirring just until combined.
Then add in 1/3 of the sour cream mixture, repeating until it’s all incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into a lined loaf pan and spread the top smooth. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Do NOT over bake!
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Make The Icing:
Into a medium bowl, sift 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar. Whisk in the sour cream while thinning it out with 2-3 tablespoons of milk at a time. You want it thick but pourable.
Then drizzle it all over the cooled cake. Allow the icing to set before serving. You can pop it into the fridge to speed the process up a bit.
Slice.
Serve. And prepare yourself to fall in love!
How to Store Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake:
Transfer slices of the frosted cake to a storage container and refrigerate.
How To Freeze Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake:
Double wrap the unfrosted loaf in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Thaw when ready to serve. Once the loaf has thawed, is when I would recommend make the icing and drizzle it over the cake.
How Long Will This Grapefruit Sour Cream Last?
If stored properly, this cake will last up to 3 to 4 days if refrigerated and at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.
Yield: 10servings
Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake
This Grapefruit Sour Cream Cake is deliciously moist, bursting with bright citrus flavor and coated in a thick layer of sour cream icing. Yield 8 to 10 slices.
Prep Time: 30 minutesmins
Cook Time: 45 minutesmins
Total Time: 1 hourhr15 minutesmins
FOR THE CAKE:
1½cupunbleached all-purpose flour
1teaspoonfine salt
1teaspoonbaking powder
1cupgranulated sugar
1grapefruit zest, zested
1/3cupunsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2largeeggs
3tablespoonsgrapefruit juice, freshly squeezed and strained
1/2cupsour cream
2tablespoonsmilk
FOR THE GLAZE:
1½cuppowdered sugar
1tablespoonsour cream
2 to 3tablespoonsmilk
MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃) and line an 8×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, then spray with cooking spray (I use one that contains flour).
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl combine the sugar and grapefruit zest. Use your fingers and rub the zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand. Add the eggs, grapefruit juice and melted butter. Stir until those ingredients are incorporated.
In a small bowl or measuring cup; combine the sour cream and milk and stir until combined.
Starting with the flour and ending with sour cream/ milk mixture. Alternate adding 1/3 of each to the grapefruit mixture, mixing after each addition, until everything is incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan.NOTE: If the cake sticks at all, try running a knife along the edge of the cake before lifting.
Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
MAKE THE GLAZE:
In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Then whisk in the sour cream and while thinning it out with a little milk at a time. You want it thick but pourable.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it sit to harden for a few minutes. You can pop it into the fridge to speed the process up a bit.
If you grow citrus, you may be familiar with citrus suckers. Suckers can wreak havoc on tree growth and production if left unchecked. Citrus sprouts can cause problems as well. Learn how to identify both citrus suckers and sprouts, why they are harmful to citrus trees, and what to do when you find them.
What are citrus suckers?
Suckers are shoots that grow from the trunk below the bud or graft union. They are often mistaken for new growth from the desired citrus variety, but suckers are a different plant altogether.
Look for the graft union on the trunk, which will appear as a visible seam or bump. If the growth is coming out below the graft union, it’s likely a sucker.
Suckers will grow straight up and typically resemble a thin, spindly stem with few leaves. The leaves often have a trifoliate leaf shape (characterized by a leaf divided into three leaflets). Shoots may also grow up through the soil around the tree; these should also be removed.
Bud or graft union:Place where the bud of the citrus variety was grafted onto the rootstock. Look for an area where the bark changes texture or the diameter of the trunk changes.
Rootstock: Another citrus variety that the citrus is grafted onto. Rootstocks are chosen to improve disease resistance, growth, or fruit quality. Standard rootstocks in Arizona are Flying Dragon, Trifoliate Orange, Sour Orange, Smooth Flat Seville, C-35, and Carrizo Citrange.1
What are citrus sprouts?
These quick-growing shoots are also called “water sprouts” or “suckers” and can be found below and above the bud union. They are green and without bark (herbaceous). Sprouts growing above the bud union are the same variety as the desired tree (not the rootstock).
Citrus sprouts grow straight up either from the trunk or large limbs. They develop excessive thorns and little, if any, fruit. Their leaf shape may also differ from the grafted variety. 2
Lemon trees especially often have vigorous, thorny sprouts that grow quite tall.
Do you have to remove citrus suckers and sprouts?
Suckers take vital resources away from the desired citrus variety and can ultimately result in stunted tree growth and reduced fruit production. Fruit formed on suckers will be the rootstock variety – usually a bitter or sour orange. If left unattended, citrus suckers will continue to sprout and can even take over the entire tree.
Sprouts left unchecked can make harvesting the desired fruit difficult. Also, If left to grow, sprouts and suckers can out-compete the grafted tree’s canopy. If sprouts form fruit, they will be unpalatable. A water sprout often cannot support the weight of fruit and may break.
You may decide to leave sprouts that emerge above the graft line in place to fill in the canopy, but typically they are removed.
How do you remove sprouts and suckers?
If you do find citrus suckers on your tree, it’s essential to remove them promptly. The best way to remove suckers is by removing them by hand when they are young. Grasp the sucker firmly, and pull down. The sucker should break off near the trunk.
If they are too large to remove by hand, cut off with clean pruners as close to the rootstock as possible.
When to remove citrus sprouts and suckers
Remove small sprouts and suckers by hand at any time throughout the year.
Remove larger sprouts and suckers during the early spring. This gives the tree time to grow new foliage to shade newly exposed wood to damage from the summer sun. Removing larger limbs from May – October may open up the trunk or inside of the tree to sun damage. Any exposed wood should be protected from sunlight with white paint.2
Citrus suckers and sprouts can be a nuisance for citrus tree growers, but with proper identification and removal, you can keep your trees healthy and productive.
Zach at Arizona Worm Farm created a “forest of fruit trees” that he can pick fruit from every day of the year. In this post, he shares his 4-step permaculture method for how to fertilize fruit trees organically. This method replicates what the trees get in a forest, producing healthy trees with more fruit.
One of our goals at the Arizona Worm Farm is to create a “forest of fruit trees” where there is something bearing fruit every day of the year.
Some of the most dense, healthy plant growth on the planet is in forests. Who fertilizes those plants? Mother Nature! What we try to do here on our farm and in our yards is (as much as we possibly can) mimic the aspects of the forest that promote healthy, hearty growth and produce an abundance of fruit.
How do we create a forest environment in the desert?
Let’s start with a definition: In soil biology, detritus is dead organic material. Detritus in the forest typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms and plants and their waste. Detritus typically hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decompose it.
Most of us don’t have animals roaming our properties that will poop or die, and few of us have enough trees to shed enough leaves to mimic a forest. In an urban environment, detritus is replaced quite nicely with compost.
Compost pile being turned at Arizona Worm Farm
To mimic nature and fertilize fruit trees organically, we need:
The detritus that falls from the trees and plants and animals.
The living micro and macro-organisms in the soil that convert that detritus to food for our trees.
A dense covering on the ground to prevent evaporation and erosion while providing a habitat for the living organisms that make this all work.
Before you begin:
A pre-step: first, create a berm (about 6 inches high) at the dripline of your tree. That’s the line where if you sprayed water on your tree, the water would drip. If it is a very young tree, go to where you guess the dripline will be in three years.
4 Simple steps to fertilize fruit trees organically
How do we achieve forest-level success in our desert environment? It is surprisingly easy and consists of four steps.
Step One: Add microbes to feed your fruit trees organically
How to add microbes:
Worm castings or worm castings tea is the best way to add microbes in large numbers. Worm castings (or aerated tea made from the castings) create or join a soil ecosystem already full of bacteria, protozoa, amoeba, fungi, and nematodes.
A teaspoon of good, active garden soil, according to microbial geneticists, contains a billion bacteria, several yards of fungal hyphae, several thousand protozoa, and a few dozen nematodes. By adding worm casts to this equation, you boost the soil ecosystem and help it flourish.
Microbes (which you boost by adding worm castings) are the ultimate organic fertilizer. These microbes are the opposite of chemical pesticides that poison and kill everything in the soil in the name of abundant yields.
Worm castings
How many worm castings to add:
Scientifically, the perfect amount of castings is 5% – too little, and you won’t get the abundance of microbes we are looking for; too much, and you are just wasting money. It is easy to measure 5% when we mix a raised bed mix, but it is harder for a tree.
Our “rule of thumb” is about a cup of worm castings per three feet of tree height. My personal favorite advice is “toss a couple of handfuls.”
How to add the castings:
Spread castings around the base of the tree, right on top of the soil.
If you have access to good aerated worm castings tea (either from someplace like The Arizona Worm Farm that makes it or from your own tea brewer), it can be used in place of castings.
Step Two: Add lots of compost to fertilize fruit trees organically
In urban areas where we don’t get natural detritus, we add compost.
Compost at Arizona Worm Farm
What kind of compost is best for fertilizing fruit trees?
The best compost is the compost you make yourself in your own yard using your own yard waste – it will have the nutrients your trees used to grow initially. The second best is to get a diverse combination of composts from companies that make good compost. Generally, the easiest way to do that is to buy most of your compost from someplace you trust and then add a bag or two of different composts.
How much compost should I use to fertilize my fruit trees?
We recommend one cubic foot of compost per three feet of tree height – but there’s not really such a thing as too much compost. It is safe to fill the water well (that area you created with your berm) with an inch or two of compost all the way out to the dripline.
Step Three: Cover with a thick layer of mulch
Why should I add mulch when feeding my fruit trees?
Mulch is your tree’s best friend, especially in our hot, dry climate. Most importantly, mulch is an awesome habitat for microbes.
As mulch slowly decomposes, it adds carbon to your soil.
How much mulch should I use?
We recommend you fill the rest of the water well with mulch. There is almost no such thing as “too much” mulch. Generally, aim to use at least 3-6 inches (7-15cm) of mulch. One foot of mulch is not too much.
Step Four: Water trees deeply to encourage deep roots
For healthy tree growth, we want deep, healthy roots. Shallow watering (usually the result of a tree in a lawn that gets watered a couple of minutes several times a day) will encourage shallow roots. Trees that fall over or have no ability to pull water from deep underground in the summer are the result of shallow roots.
How much water does a fruit tree need?
There is a standard rule arborists like to use: “About 10 gallons per 1 inch of trunk diameter per week”. Trial and observation will help you get it right.
How to water fruit trees:
After fertilizing your fruit trees, fill the water well with water (the mulch will float, but it will stay in place). Water slowly, allowing the water to seep into the soil rather than run off. Aim to water to a depth of at least 2 feet.
Watch your tree. After watering, the tree’s leaves should look healthy and green for anywhere from 7 to 21 days, depending on the outside temperatures and humidity.
When you see a bit of a leaf droop, it is time to water again. If you are uncertain, dig down 10-12 inches and see if the ground is still moist. Water only when it is dry to that depth. This will encourage deep roots, which help stabilize the tree.
How often should you fertilize fruit trees?
The basic rule is three times a year: Valentine’s Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day. These days are usually recommended because they are the start of the three growing seasons in most places. They are also easy to remember.
The best answer is “when your trees need it.” If you observe your trees, you will start to see the compost and the mulch disappearing. This means it has been converted into food by the microbes. It is time to add more food for the microbes when what was there is mostly gone.
You can add worm castings more frequently and aerated teas as often as monthly. We find more than quarterly is probably not needed.
Worm castings tea
Do I need to pull back the mulch before I feed the trees again?
No. When you repeat these steps, don’t remove anything (don’t push the mulch aside or move compost). Add the same layers on top of the previous layers. Water and the natural cycles will get the levels straight, and we don’t want to disturb micro or macro-organisms.
Some other things matter – like appropriate placement, proper pruning (less is usually better), monitoring for pests, and adding shade when trees are young. But, if you get the four steps for organically feeding fruit trees consistently correct, you will have happy, healthy trees that reward you with lots of fruit.
Arizona Worm Farm is an excellent place to get all the products needed to feed your fruit tree forest organically. They have worm castings, compost, mulch, and worm castings tea available for purchase and delivery.
If you would like to see the Arizona Worm Farm fruit tree forest in person, they offer free public, guided, and VIP tours during regular business hours. See their website for more information.
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On a recent visit to the supermarket, I found myself terribly disturbed by a carton of fruit. There, among the raspberries and blueberries, were ghostly white strawberries. They were the inverse of every strawberry I had ever seen—fully ripe berries with pale flesh bleeding pinpricks of red. Their seeds called to mind clogged pores in need of a nose strip. Rattled, I pivoted my cart toward less haunting produce.
The little freaks, I later learned, are pineberries, a cultivar named for their supposed subtle pineapple flavor but far better known for their spooky hue. Slicing one open reveals an interior that is unnervingly white. They aren’t the only wacky-colored fruit in the produce section these days: Other strawberries come in pale yellow or creamy blush, pink-pearl apples are a shocking magenta inside, and there are now kiwis to match every color of a traffic light. You can get yellow watermelon at H-E-B, pink pineapples on Instacart, and peach-colored raspberries at Kroger.
This is the era of bizarro fruit: Unusual colors are “a clear trend in the produce section,” Courtney Weber, a professor of plant breeding at Cornell University, told me. The variations in color sometimes come with a subtle flavor shift, but the difference is primarily aesthetic. People don’t buy peach-colored raspberries because they taste peachy. They buy them because they look cool.
Fruits that are the “wrong” color are not new. Some, like the Arkansas Black apple, arise spontaneously in nature. In other cases, breeders develop them by crossing different-colored fruits. But these haven’t historically made their way to your supermarket, because growing them at the volume necessary to serve large chains is risky and expensive. Typically, produce found in big stores must be grown in huge quantities, packed and shipped long distances, and sold quickly enough to not rot on the shelf. To tick all of those boxes, breeders developed hardy supermarket stalwarts such as the Gala apple, the Cavendish banana, and Thompson seedless grapes. In many cases, breeding efforts aimed to bring out appealing and uniform color—a major reason the Red Delicious apple came to be so popular.
Now things are getting goofy. Although breeders largely still use traditional techniques, such as cross-pollination and grafting, to produce fruit with certain traits, the process is now more efficient because of advances in genomics. “If you understand how the trait is inherited, it’s easier to make the appropriate genetic combinations to get what you’re after,” Weber said. He previously developed a purple strawberry; these days, he’s working on raspberries in sunshine hues.
The appetite for bizarro fruit has led some big companies to invest in creating new varieties. Driscoll’s, the berry giant, developed pale-yellow “Tropical Bliss” and baby-pink “Rosé” strawberries over decades of breeding in-house. Fresh Del Monte has gone a different route: The company’s coral-fleshed “Pinkglow” pineapples have been genetically engineered to accumulate lycopene, the compound that turns tomatoes red. The fruit is sold only at a smattering of retailers in certain states (notably not Hawaii, which restricts pineapple imports). But it has been so popular that Fresh Del Monte recently suggested that the pineapple has boosted the company’s bottom line.
You can’t go into just any grocery store and find these kinds of weird fruits. They are stocked at some mid-priced stores—Trader Joe’s, for example, sells pink-fleshed oranges—but they are far more likely to be found at higher-end groceries. At least for now: Fruit innovation beyond ghostly berries and colorful kiwis is “on the horizon,” Lauren M. Scott, the chief strategy officer of the International Fresh Produce Association, told me. To a lesser extent, the vegetable aisle has gone kaleidoscopic too, with candy-striped beets, violet-colored green beans, and cauliflower in shades of lavender, marigold, and lemon-lime. “People love new things, but they’re also creatures of habit,” Scott said. That is, they don’t want things that are too new. For the average customer bored of regular old fruit, the barrier to entry is lower for a pink apple than it is for, say, a rambutan.
For consumers who stumble upon them, the experience can be trippy. The new colors can come with tastier fruit—a red kiwi is sweeter than the original tart green. But color shapes our expectations for flavor, which weird-colored fruit can thwart in a way that feels novel and exciting, if not nonsensical. White strawberries look unripe, but don’t taste it. Yellow is usually associated with tropical flavors such as citrus and pineapple, so people expect a yellow watermelon to taste “like banana popsicle,” Weber said. But it just tastes like a watermelon. Likewise, he said, a yellow raspberry tastes like a raspberry.
The golden age of golden raspberries is what happens when advances in plant breeding coincide with a cultural obsession with aesthetics that also gave us indigo-hued Empress 1908 Gin and the pastel-colored nightmare that is the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino. Color makes food fun, even when it doesn’t make any sense. People do it for the ’gram—or, at least, to satisfy the same craving for visual excitement that social media fosters. Even though I’m weirded out by white strawberries, I have to admit that they make a fruit platter look super chic.
In time, the grocery store could become a bounty of blue bananas and purple mangos, and in the process, bizarro fruit may reshape our basic conception of produce. Ask an American child to draw you an apple, and they’ll sketch a Red Delicious. They will paint grapes purple. But maybe someday, they’ll consider some other colorways because of what they see in the produce aisle. Fantastical as that future supermarket seems, it would be one step closer to nature—where fruit colors are far less predictable than a clamshell of perfect berries would have you believe. Yes, white strawberries are weird. So is the fact that we expect all strawberries to be red.
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