The dissipating spate of spring-like weather of the past few weeks created the right conditions for orange trees to bloom early this year, and that is disrupting the orange fruit production cycle just days before the Citrus Festival in Lija next weekend.

Orange trees are currently displaying a unique phenomenon. Some are bearing fruit, as expected at this time of year, and simultaneously blooming, which typically occurs in the early months of spring.

Sandro Borg, a person who is familiar with growing oranges locally, expressed his concern at this strange phenomenon. He said that blooming and bearing fruit at the same times causes the orange tree great stress. If the weather is not cold enough the tree would literally not have the necessary rest, which would negatively affect the following year’s produce. Most Maltese orange trees haven’t produced much fruit this year and growers are expecting a worse outcome next year.

Meanwhile, the Lija community is gearing up for the seventh edition of the Lija Citrus and Harvest Festival, which will include exhibits of various citrus fruits growing in the village’s orchards, so synonymous with the locality. There will also be oranges, homemade marmalade, orange blossom honey, honey rings made with orange candied peel as well as marmalade by Foster Clark’s and Safari Juices on sale.

There will be a sale of sweets made from citrus, cakes and pastries by Maypole bakery and other interesting items

In the harvest section locally pressed olive oil, olives, local avocados, carob syrup and other items will be on sale. Lija residents are invited to bring their personal citrus products, homemade marmalade, by tomorrow, to be included in the exhibition or to sell them. The festival will be held indoors at Villa Lia on Saturday from 10am till 6pm.

Lija is one of the few remaining villages that can boast of large gardens full of citrus trees. Citrus fruit such as tangerines, grapefruit, oranges, clementines or lemons are the best source of Vitamin C, which declines during the ripening process. Immature fruit has the highest levels. The position of the fruit on the tree also affects Vitamin C levels. Since sunlight exposure enhances Vitamin C levels, fruit positioned on the outside of the tree and on the south side have higher levels. Shaded inside fruit has the lowest.

A quick search on the Internet showed that Maltese red or blood oranges are the most popular both locally and overseas. They are ideal to use when preparing sorbets or dessert where colour is important. They are the essential ingredients of the Maltaise sauce, an orange-flavoured mayonnaise, which takes its name from the sour, but juicy, Maltese blood orange. Their flavour has an interesting mix of oranges and concord grapes. Its pulp ranges from red to reddish purple, and its rind from an orange to an orange deeply infused with red. The branches of the tree are covered with thorns, which could also have contributed to the name and not just the colour of the fruit. It is generally thought to have originated in Italy as a mutation, and has been cultivated there for centuries. It is also extensively grown in southern Spain, although the Maltese claim origin. Blood oranges are also raised on a small scale in California, which is raising more awareness of its existence in North America.