Sunday, December 3, 2017

Mikan Season

In Shizuoka, you can buy perfectly uniform shaped mikan in the grocery store, but they are a little expensive.  When I buy mine I prefer the street side stands and vending machines for 100 or 200 yen a bag. I don't mind have different sizes.  Have you ever seen vending machines or little stands on the street, selling oranges before? 





Even better than buying on the street is picking your own!  Last weekend my friends invited me to join them on a trip to Hamamatsu to pick our own.









I had a great time and am thankful my friends included me on this mikan picking trip!


I saw these near my home and don't know what the story is on hanging mikan - are they decoration, are they drying, who knows? Please tell me if you do know, or even if you have a guess.



9 comments:

diamondc said...

Hi Pamela: Mike thinks that they may be making candied orange peels, which they do in some parts of Japan and other Asian Countries.
Thank-you for a great post, I like the vending they have for oranges, very interesting.

Blessings
Catherine

Anonymous said...

Hi Pamela how interesting,and great pics my friend xx

Anonymous said...

I used to get fresh mikan when I lived on Awaji Island. I miss them so much! Cheap and fresh and sweet.
Your last photo shows peeled persimmons, hanging to dry into giant raisins. So sweet and yummy!

Queeniepatch said...

You are so lucky to have cheap locally grown fruit.
What you see in the picture are not mikan, but persimmons. They have been peeled, strung up and are drying in the cold air. They become sweet and rich in taste and nourishment. Read about them here:
http://tttl1998.blogspot.jp/2008/11/persimmons_30.html
http://bytaniwa.blogspot.jp/2017/11/winter-preparations.html

MartinaM said...

that looks very interesting
Greetings, Martina

kiwikid said...

It is wonderful to go fruit picking!! I have never seen bags of fruit in a vending machine before. Where I come from in NZ there are always stalls on the side of the road selling fruit and veges. We used to have a berry farm near home where we picked boysenberries and blackberries..they tasted so good. Last summer I picked strawberries at the farm in Bacchus Marsh..they smelt and tasted wonderful.

Brigitte said...

A very interesting post about that tradition.

Renee said...

How fun! I love seeing the various vending machines you have there. I've picked berries, apples, and peaches. Picking oranges would be great fun. Thank you for sharing!

Leonore Winterer said...

We don't have the vending machines, but we do get little street side market stalls selling strawberries when it's the season. Coincidentally, there are quite a few pick-your-own opportunities for those too!