#but i like to think they have a thicker membrane or skin on the outside to differentiate the inside from outside.

[fandyjam]

quick shitty mspaint doodles of my jam hand headcanons. handcanons?

[cloudbattrolls]

Repaid

Epsilo Volant || Location Unknown || Present Night

You wake up with a dry taste in your mouth, feeling your gills cry out for water. What did you do? Your thinkpan struggles to knit the past together with the present, searching blurry memories for an explanation while your body aches.

One sticky eyelid opens, and then the other, and you realize you’re chained not by metal, but by shimmering blue energy bonds to a metal wall.

A whole metal cell, actually. Scarcely big enough for you to stand and walk around in.

Someone has stripped your usual clothing and replaced it with uniform gray imperial-issue garments. They’re scratchy, especially against your tender dehydrated skin.

As awareness slowly dawns you suck in a deep breath. Stay calm, Epsilo. Likely your captor - or captors - want you to panic, make a fool of yourself.

Not again. You’re never giving anyone a chance to make a fool of you ever again.

With difficulty you manage to stand up. The bonds have enough slack for you to walk around your cramped space, but no further. You can’t see a door out anyway, though there are vents in the dull gray walls. Otherwise, it seems like a solid cube of shining gray metal, with a table, a restroom off the side, and a trashcan.

Claire’s forest, you remember. Talula had recovered - aside from her missing eye, but trying to replace it now when she’s constantly growing would cause issues, so you hadn’t - and you had left, intending to tell Truour you were done with the server and were going to remove its protection. They were on their bloody own, the ungrateful wretches.

The moment you’d stepped outside the trees, blackness.

You’re not dead, so it’s been less than a perigee, and you don’t seem to have lost much weight, if any. Your hair also doesn’t seem to have grown, though you can feel stubble on your cheeks. You decide you’ve been unconscious for perhaps a few nights, likely less.

“Ah, you’re awake, Mr. Volant. Have some breakfast.”

A plate with a generous portion of shrimp, kippers, and fruit appears on the table as a voice that sounds like it’s speaking in your ear washes over your cell. There’s no obvious speakers, and it’s far too clear to be coming through the vents.

Your eyes narrow. This must be teleportation, but so seamless; no sparks or haze, no air disturbance aside from the slight breeze when the plate appeared.

You don’t touch it, ignoring the hunger in your digestion sac as the odors of your favorite foods waft toward you. How stupid does this person think you are?

“Go on. Starving yourself is useless.”

The voice is male, you think, and has an oily quality to it. Definitely adult.

“If I wanted to poison or drug you, I’d just do it. Eat.”

You don’t move.

“EAT.”

Several blades and guns unfold from the metal walls as the word repeats and point themselves directly at your head. Within seconds you’re shoving food in your mouth so quickly you hardly taste it.

“Slow down! What’re you in such a rush for? Did your lusus never teach you manners?”

The voice chuckles like that’s the funniest thing it’s ever said as your dry throat gets a little relief from the moisture in the food, but swallowing is still difficult.

“I bet you’re dying to know why you’re my guest, boy. I admit - I almost killed you for all the trouble you’ve put me through. I almost decided you weren’t worth it, and it’d be easier to loot your hive until I found what I needed. But then I remembered what a sneaky little guppy you are, and that you’d probably hidden it somewhere stupid.”

You should be afraid. Instead your fins flick back and forth in irritation.

Tetrao Coloth.

Nevine was right; he really likes to hear himself speak.

Looking for an escape is pointless, for the moment. A check of your sylladex finds it cracked open and empty, as you suspected it would be.  But if you can keep this windbag talking…

“Was forcing me out of my hive not enough?”

You rasp, having finished your meal. It hurts a bit.

“Not for sheltering a runaway! You should have turned him over as soon as he got there and spilled his guts. That’s your fault, Volant; thinking you could cross me and get away with it. Would you let someone do the same to you?”

A bitter, dry laugh broken by coughs sputters from you.

“I haven’t had a choice lately.”

“Then you’re an excuse of a violet. Letting other trolls think they can disrespect you…what’s the point of living, if you’re that weak? I’m disappointed. Seems you’re nothing without a fuchsia behind you. Or in your recuperacoon.”

“Leave her out of it.”

The words come dragged from your parched tongue, your aching throat, quietly furious.

“Sounds like you need to get laid! I guess it’s hard times for flush these nights, puberty was not kind to you. You haven’t even fixed up your ugly fin.”

Snorting in laughter hurts. You do it anyway.

What a petty fool. Were you honestly intimidated by someone so immature for his fifty sweeps?

The situation may be grim, but if Coloth is such a wriggler, he can’t be that hard to outwit.

A hand grips your ripped fin from behind, tight, and you flinch.

“I could do it for you right now.” purrs the same voice, now actually inches from your ear.

His claws dig into the membrane and your face contorts. You mustn’t cry out. You cannot -

He tears it off and you scream.

Cold violet blood, high enough it’s almost fuchsia, washes down your head and hair, your neck. It stains the dull gray clothing and drips down your side and chest onto the floor as you watch.

You want to curl up on the floor, but the restraints have locked in place. You can’t move. You can only stand there.

Tetrao chuckles and moves around to the front of you. Blearily, you can see he only ripped off the torn section, the gray skin and bloodied dull violet webbing lying on his hand like a dead thing. Why?

“I hate ugly things.” He says, casual as if the two of you were discussing the weather. “In this night and age of science, there’s no reason for anything to look imperfect, even if it is. You have such talent, but can anyone tell? No! You look like an idiot. Talk like one too. ‘I’m Epsilo Volant! People will think I’m smart if I use enough big words!’”

He walks around the cell - throwing your fin piece in the trash - as he does an inaccurate singsong impression of you, which is easier for him; the man is at least a head shorter than you are. His hair lies in a side plaited ponytail, shiny with product. His fins have ripple-like edges to them, their violet a few hues lower than your own.

He’s bedecked with jewelry that all seems to have a technological function - tiny screens and LED lights adorn practically all of his bracelets and rings.

Body-wise, he reminds you of a slightly thicker Truour; wide hips like your kismesis’s but a little softer in the middle, with a crop top and shorts so that his torso gills - healthy and bright unlike yours - are shown off, along with a great deal of middling gray skin.

Truour, you realize with a jolt. What will he think when you don’t answer his texts? He shouldn’t come looking for you. He’s too important for Coloth to kill, but he could still make things very difficult if he interferes.

Plus, with the teleportation involved, you could be anywhere. Coloth might not even be keeping you in Civitrecce; it’s the most obvious place to look.

“Right, right, I got distracted - fun as this has been, I need you to come clean about where you’ve been keeping the scale. Don’t bother pretending; I know you still have it. You’d never let that go.”

His fingers, the claws painted gold and violet, caress your wounded fin and you shudder, but look him resolutely in his amused eyes.

“I can take you apart until you cough up. You’ve done it to so many other people; it’d be a spicy little switcharoo.”

“And then I’d die? Just kill me now.” You try to snarl, but it’s shaky and disgustingly weak, the pain of your injury throbbing with every word.

The older highblood smiles at you with mild, indulgent condescension, the same way someone might at a pet that just did something stupid and adorable.

“You won’t die after you tell me. I have other plans for you.”

He checks a silver bracelet that must be some sort of watch, though you can see nothing. His eyes light up with what must be implants - tiny teal lights glowing in a circle inside the iris.

“It’s been great catching up, but I have other things to do. I’ll be back after you’re in the mood to chat.”

He vanishes and your restraints unlock, allowing you to move, but the weapons slide out of the cell’s walls again.

You grit your teeth as they descend on you, whirring and buzzing with the intent to cut you open as you've done to hundreds of trolls before.

[evolutionsvoid]

Gut Weasels are rather unique creatures, as they are mammalian endoparasites. While there are indeed multiple mammal species out there that take part in parasitism, Gut Weasels are one of the very few that do their dirty work inside their host. It was originally believed that such a lifestyle was impossible for mammals to adapt to, as the conditions were so harsh and ever changing. The discovery of the Gut Weasel, though, blew all these assumptions out of the water. While one may be quick to find this critter vile and disgusting, you should take the time to appreciate all the adaptations and work this species has put in to even survive in such a place. The first thing is their size, as Gut Weasels have bodies that are long and thin. They are only slightly thicker than a pencil, but about double its length. This allows them to slip through openings in the digestive systems with ease, and their long bodies can survive the pressure and movements of the stomach. The next big thing is their minimal requirements for air. As one can imagine, there isn't a whole lot of breathable air in your stomach, but Gut Weasels are somehow able to survive with what little there is. Perhaps their lungs (or whatever they breathe with) are able to absorb whatever foul gases are present in order to get the air they require. Speaking of foul, the other thing a stomach dweller has to deal with is stomach acid. Gut Weasels get past this by having skin that is resistant to the digestive fluid, or at least mostly resistant. Studies have found these parasites to be quite indifferent to pain, as they lack a certain substance in their body to even feel it. So when they dwell in the bile and acid, they are not bothered in the slightest. Lastly is the pressures and movements of the stomach, which can churn and pulverize consumed food. To avoid being crushed by these muscles, Gut Weasels have a very thin skeleton that is composed mostly of cartilage. This creates an incredibly flexible frame that can bend and twist like a wet noodle. By putting all these adaptations together, you get a creature that not only survives within a host's digestive system, but thrives in it! The beginning of their life cycle is when an adult Gut Weasel breeds and lays its "eggs" within their host. I say "eggs" like that, because they are not like the ones you would see coming out of a chicken or snake. Rather, they are more like external wombs, in which the embryo develops. Think of amphibian eggs, it is kind of like that! Wet, squishy things covered by a thin, crimson membrane. These eggs are laid by the dozens, wrapped in a film to keep them together in a clump. When all is ready, the eggs are forced out of the stomach and into the intestines, where the organic wrappings begin to degrade. This releases the individual eggs, which get scattered and lodged in the host's feces. When the animal defecates, the dozens of tiny red eggs will go along with the ride, escaping the body and entering the outside world. Depending on the type of stool excreted, and where it was done, the eggs may be scattered in the grass, stuck in a steaming pile or even afloat in a pond or lake. Regardless of which, the eggs are just fine, as they can survive in both water and open air. The membranes that cover their womb can absorb nutrients, which they gather from the fecal matter they sit in. This means that they don't have to worry about eating, and can focus more on getting eaten themselves!

When you first see these squishy eggs out in the wild, you may think that they would be easy prey for hungry critters. Well, you would be right! With their red color and small size, these eggs are meant to be appetizing to other animals. What they want is a creature that will swallow them whole, like a frog, fish or bird. Being eaten is no concern for them, as their small bodies have hardly developed a skeleton that could be broken. When swallowed, the digestive fluids in the stomach will trigger their growth, causing them to shed their membrane coverings. Within this frog or fish, they will grow to their mid-stage. This halfway stage is required as the stomach of their current host is too small and the sources of food are not plentiful enough for full growth. What they really want is their host to be eaten by an even bigger animal, who in turn will have a bigger stomach and appetite. To help hurry the process, the mid-stage parasite will claw and nip at the stomach lining, causing pain to the host. Their struggling and writhing will attract the attention of predators, who will swoop in for an easy meal. Even when the host is caught and chewed up in the foe's jaws, the Gut Weasel has nothing to fear. They are protected by the flesh and bone of the dying host, and their own bodies are too small and flexible to affected. When their first host perishes, they will wind up in the nice roomy stomach of their new host. This is where they grow to their adult size, as the space and large quantities of nutrients is just right for them. There they will live out of the rest of their days eating the food that comes in and releasing more eggs to be sprayed out into the wild. What helps make Gut Weasels so prevalent is the fact that they can parasitize almost any species that has a decent sized stomach. All the victim has to do is swallow one of these eggs, which herbivores can accidentally do when grazing. Be it human, basilisk, deer or bear, Gut Weasels will grow wherever they can, which can lead to some problems. Like tapeworms, they steal food and nutrients away from the host, which can range from an inconvenience to a severe problem depending on the number of Gut Weasels within their system and the size of the host. The other issue is that after Gut Weasels eat a meal, they will defecate their waste into the stomach. Certain species cannot handle this filthy crud, and may get sick from it. In the end, it all depends on how many Gut Weasels are within the host. One weasel is not so bad for a man-sized being, though it is still inconvenient and can lead to some discomfort. If a host gets more than three, though, things can really go wrong. Their numbers will lead to them stealing almost all nutrients from the host, causing the victim to starve even as they gorge themselves. If their population is really high, their defecation may lead to too much crap being present in the stomach. At this point, the organ cannot empty all of it into the intestines, which can lead to the caught feces starting to decay within the stomach itself. I don't think I need to go into detail on why that is a bad thing. And if that isn't enough, if the population is so high that the Gut Weasels can't get enough food for themselves, they may turn on the host and begin to feed on the organ itself. Severe cases have led to these parasites chewing through the stomach and drowning their hosts in their own fluids. It's....pretty nasty. Thankfully, there are certain medicines and potions that can be consumed to kill a Gut Weasel if one can detect them early on. At their early stages, they are more vulnerable to these cures, which makes it crucial for one to spot them quickly. One sign of Gut Weasel infestation is a slithering sensation within the stomach. Some may call that "butterflies in their stomach," when it might just be a nasty parasite moving about and feeding. Another, more obvious, sign is eggs in your feces. If you notice the presence of these red orbs in your waste, then you need to go see a doctor. The Gut Weasel will be an adult at that point, but proper long term treatment can take them out. On the note of detecting Gut Weasels, I must stress that dryads need to be extra vigilant when it comes to watching for these parasites. Since we have digestives systems and mouths, we are vulnerable to infestation as well, but there are more severe impacts for us. It turns out that Gut Weasels are more used to parasitizing flesh-based species then plants, which leads to lethal confusion. The parasites will not be able to tell the plant-based organ apart from the digested food, resulting in them chewing through the gut. Dryads who are infested with Gut Weasels must kill them or flush them from their system quickly before this happens. Flesh-based creatures can survive with one or two of theses parasites, but we cannot. If you even have the slightest suspicion that you are infested, go see a doctor immediately. It may just save your life! Edit: A bit of a hurried addition to this log, but recent studies may have just come up with something interesting. Dissections and comparisons have led to a theory that "Gut Weasel" may not be a fitting name, as they do not seem to be related to the weasel family. It seems like these parasites have more in common with mole rats than they do weasels and ferrets, which may explain some things! It makes you wonder, though, how they wound up taking a parasitic role. Another thing to ponder about is if this will lead to them having a name change. If they are more like mole rats, then would they be "Gut Rats?" Or maybe "Bile Rats?" Hmmmmmm, nah, that doesn't sound right. Gut Weasels sounds so much better, no matter how inaccurate it is. Pondering done.   Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes. It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down.  In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year. To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing. Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important. First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping. Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate. Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton. There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer. When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much. A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm. It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit. The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material. Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat. Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be. Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much. Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind. They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket. This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season. The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves. A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm. An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! It can make difference between a day on the water and cold day. Moreover, they are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up. So they can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours. Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water. Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body. If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Conclusion We do need a safety gear especially when fishing in this cold season. The amount of your safety gear that you would bring on kayak fishing should be based on your convenience level. Be sure to have mobile phone, GPS and other devices for both communication and navigation. You can also bring a dry bag with your first aid equipment, hydrating fluids and snacks inside. Enjoy your winter kayak fishing!

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[jlcolby]

New Post has been published on http://cookingtipsguide.com/know-your-citrus-a-field-guide-to-oranges-lemons/

Know Your Citrus: A Field Guide to Oranges, Lemons...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

It’s winter—that is, cold season—and we’re all chugging orange juice to get our vitamin C, right? Well, it turns out all the OJ in the world won’t help prevent or treat the common cold; the ascorbic acid in citrus fruit just isn’t effective for most people.

But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying as much citrus as we can, and from as many varieties as we can, especially when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and it’s too cold to go outside for a week. Oranges, kumquats, ugli fruit, and Buddha’s hands may not cure the common cold, but they sure are edible sunshine, packed with the remarkable power to brighten, cure, preserve, acidulate, aromatize, enrich, and utterly transform every food they touch.

Thanks to thousands of years of hybridization and the wonders of modern globalization, we have access to more citrus fruits today, with more storied uses and applications, than brands of nasal decongestants. You may have tasted clementines and tangelos, but how about blood limes, Xinhui mandarins, and the mysteriously un-juice-able Yemenite citron?

No? Okay, let’s get to know them a little better.

The Original Big Three

Most evidence suggests that citrus fruits originated in subtropical Asia, particularly China, India, and Malaysia, though more recent research hypothesizes an even earlier progenitor from Australasia. Regardless of where they’re from, all modern citrus descend from three parent species: citron, mandarin, and pomelo. Their children branch off not so much in a neat family tree as in a messy, incestuous love circle. Think of these three originals like the primary colors: By mixing different attributes from each, you can create any new citrus fruit. Here are their main characteristics, presented in grotesquely oversimplified form:

Citron: A super-thick layer of bitter, inedible pith surrounding small to nonexistent juice sacs. The juice is very sour, and the skin is yellowish and smells lemony when the fruit is ripe.

Mandarin: A squat, orange-hued fruit that’s relatively easy to peel and segment, revealing a sweeter, juicier core.

Pomelo: Huskier than the other species, with a uniquely aromatic skin. The pith is thicker than that of a mandarin, but less enveloping than the citron’s, and the interior fruit and/or membranes can taste bitter.

Modern citrus varieties, ranging from the pomelo to the kumquat.

Since today’s common citrus fruits are all crossbreeds of these parent species, I’ve skipped the whole phylogenetic structure and organized this guide into decidedly unscientific “houses” representing the most commonly available varieties. But if you want, feel free to quiz yourself and others, Sex and the City–style, on which of the original citrus fruits best describes you. Are you a true mandarin, tender and sweet, or a stalwart, puckery citron, fierce and elusive to the core?

House Orange

Members of House Orange,* which include navels, Valencias, clementines, and tangerines, trace a clear lineage to the mandarin, and can be further broken down into three categories: those good for eating out of hand, those good for juicing, and those specialized for scenting or candy-making.

Tangerines (from, hey, Tangier!) may be the ultimate peel-and-eat fruit: Smaller than most other oranges, they have soft skins and segments that are easy to separate, with sweeter, less sour juice. Seeded mandarins (in this case, the modern fruit by that name); seedless clementines and satsumas; and…uh…nippled tangelos (and their less perky Minneola cousins) are close relatives, typically on the sweet side.

Navel oranges are the other classic eating oranges, larger and firmer than tangerines, with an innie belly button at the bottom and a robust, more acidic orange flavor. That firmer skin is ideal for zesting and candying, too. If you live around California, you may see Cara Cara navels at the market: They’re rosy-pink, sweeter, and more floral than other navels, with an acidity on par with or lower than that of a tangerine. Sweeter still are blood oranges, which, unlike navels, don’t peel easily, but are best for eating raw. Suprème them and add liberally to salads, where the berry notes of their crimson flesh can shine.

If you’re juicing, opt for Valencias, which are a pain to peel and segment since they’re so…juicy. These typically appear later in the season, around March, and are often labeled as “juicing oranges.” But navels make delicious juice, too, admittedly with more elbow grease and somewhat lower yields. (Whichever orange you decide to juice, consult our guide to the best manual citrus juicers here.)

Then there’s the Weird Oranges, ones bred specifically for their peels, usually at the expense of unpalatably sour or bitter flesh. If you walk down the streets of Seville, you really will see Seville oranges (a.k.a. bitter oranges) lining the sidewalks. They’re what makes triple sec, Grand Marnier, and curaçao taste like…triple sec, Grand Marnier, and Curaçao, and their bitter, sour character can stand up to tons of sugar, so they make great marmalade. Over in Italy, they grow bergamot, the oil-rich citrus used to flavor Earl Grey tea. And speaking of tea, in China, the Xinhui mandarin gets put to similar use in scenting pu-erh for flavor and medicinal reasons. Chinese-medicine practitioners are big fans of citrus peels for their throat-soothing properties, especially once they’ve been aged a few years.

* Not to be confused with the House of Orange, the royal family from the Netherlands.

House Lemon

The sourest of the citrus houses, lemons are genetically a mix of citron and bitter orange. The lemons you see in your supermarket are likely Eureka lemons, by far the most common on the market today, but specialist growers produce other varieties, such as the oil-rich Sorrento from Italy, which is what goes into limoncello. There’s also the sweeter, less acidic, and more fragrant Meyer lemon, which to me has a distinct thyme taste that’s great for baking. You don’t need me to tell you what to do with lemons, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you toward Stella’s recipe for a delicious citrusy syrup made from spent lemon rinds.

House Lemon gets really interesting when you consider the citrus fruits grown for their skin and pith, rather than juice. That includes the original citron, which you can candy whole to cut up and throw into pound cake or serve as a palate cleanser, and the long-tendriled Buddha’s hand (which I insist should be renamed the Ood lemon), also good for candying whole or zesting into long strips. If you’re Jewish, you’ve likely handled a bumpy-skinned etrog, a biblically significant ceremonial citron closely associated with the fall holiday of Sukkot, which Jews historically also turned into liqueur or candy for everything from partying to easing childbirth.

House Lime

Limes are sweeter and less acidic than lemons, but as with lemons, there’s one major domesticated variety in supermarkets: the Persian lime, popular from Mexico to Vietnam. The next most common is the tiny Key lime, which grows well beyond the Florida Keys. Unless you have ready access to a great supply, Key limes generally aren’t worth the trouble of juicing and seeding, considering their flavor is often…well, I’ll let Stella tell you. If you’re in South Asia or at a lucky North American farmers market, you might spot a bunch of sweet limes, a.k.a. Citrus limetta. These limes start off green-skinned but ripen to yellow, and are, as the name suggests, sweet—good for juicing just like oranges for a no-sugar-added limeade.

Other lime varieties—such as the makrut lime, which you probably know by another name that we avoid for its pejorative meaning—are prized for the unique flavor of their skin and leaves. Makrut lime leaves are popular across South and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, where they provide a cooling, fragrant counterpoint to chilies and garlic in curry pastes. But the bumpy fruits also get zested for culinary and medicinal uses all around Asia, and you can turn the skin or whole fruit into candy or liqueur.

Some limes, such as the calamansi and rangpur varieties, are really more like sour oranges, turning orange when ripe. The former’s sweet-floral-sour juice is popular among Filipino and Hainanese cooks, who use it straight up or in all kinds of tart sauces. The latter has origins in Indian cooking, but got a burst in popularity when Tanqueray added it to a line of gin. It’s hard to describe the flavor of these specialty limes—the best way to learn is to taste one yourself. That’s definitely true for the finger lime, a trendy new variety that comes in elongated pods for you to split open, revealing dozens of caviar-like juice sacs. Pop them in your mouth and they burst sweet-tart juice; it’s undoubtedly the most fun citrus fruit to eat. (Runner-up: its goth Australian cousin, THE BLOOD LIME.)

House Grapefruit

Grapefruits are the only major citrus Westerners eat that have a strong bitter taste in the flesh itself. Caribbean-born hybrids of pomelos and sweet oranges, grapefruits have flesh ranging from ruby-red to pink to white. (The latter, sometimes called oroblanco, enjoys a rich tiki history but is hard to find these days.) A particular grapefruit’s bitterness, sweetness, or acidity doesn’t track reliably to color, so the only way to know for sure is to cut in. Grapefruit’s subtle bitterness is a marvelous thing in cocktails, such as the classic Paloma. In Asia, the pomelo reigns supreme. Most pomelos have the same volume of actual flesh as typical grapefruits (or slightly less), but thick layers of pith mean they’re usually substantially larger. Their juice sacs are also heartier, i.e., less juicy, than grapefruits’, and lack the grapefruit’s bitterness. (Keep away from the super-bitter pith, though.) Most people across Asia eat pomelo raw, either on its own or as part of a salad or dessert.

House Et Cetera

There are many, many varieties of citrus out there, including kinds that rarely, if ever, make it to the American market. Even if they did, lots of them wouldn’t fall neatly into any of the above categories. Here are some outliers to keep an eye out for that do sometimes appear in local groceries.

If there were such a thing as a celebrity fruit, yuzu would be it. This small, fragrant citrus from Japan looks like a lemon and tastes like a floral-aromatic sort of lime, but transcends the limitations of either, and it’s been the darling of chefs across the world for more than a decade. In Japan, yuzu juice gets squeezed into ponzu dipping sauce, while the zest may be preserved in salt to sprinkle over yakitori. Yuzu is also great to candy or preserve, Moroccan style, but if you’re shopping around the US, you’ll most likely be dealing with the bottled juice. It’s not as good as fresh, but still killer in pies, custards, and marinades.

Kumquats are easier to find fresh, and these small, delightfully tart little buddies are great for cooking whole, since the skin is tender enough to eat once tamed with heat, such as in a braise. Alternatively, you can pickle them in salt or vinegar, separating the bitter seeds out as you go. But my favorite treatment is to toss sliced kumquats with sugar to soften their skins for a few hours, then use the resulting syrup for cocktails while throwing the softened kumquats themselves into ice cream. Yuzu and kumquats are pretty fruits. The ugli fruit, which is actually trademarked, is not. A Jamaican hybrid of a tangelo and a blobfish, the ugli fruit is more tart than many tangerines, but, like those fruits, peels and segments easily. It can taste very sweet and a touch grapefruit-y, and is typically exceptionally juicy. Eat it plain or juice it to add to dipping sauces and marinades, and remember that every citrus fruit possesses some kind of rich inner beauty.

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[nielsencooking-blog]

Know Your Citrus: A Field Guide to Oranges, Lemons...

New Post has been published on http://nielsencooking.com/know-your-citrus-a-field-guide-to-oranges-lemons/

Know Your Citrus: A Field Guide to Oranges, Lemons...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

It’s winter—that is, cold season—and we’re all chugging orange juice to get our vitamin C, right? Well, it turns out all the OJ in the world won’t help prevent or treat the common cold; the ascorbic acid in citrus fruit just isn’t effective for most people.

But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying as much citrus as we can, and from as many varieties as we can, especially when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and it’s too cold to go outside for a week. Oranges, kumquats, ugli fruit, and Buddha’s hands may not cure the common cold, but they sure are edible sunshine, packed with the remarkable power to brighten, cure, preserve, acidulate, aromatize, enrich, and utterly transform every food they touch.

Thanks to thousands of years of hybridization and the wonders of modern globalization, we have access to more citrus fruits today, with more storied uses and applications, than brands of nasal decongestants. You may have tasted clementines and tangelos, but how about blood limes, Xinhui mandarins, and the mysteriously un-juice-able Yemenite citron?

No? Okay, let’s get to know them a little better.

The Original Big Three

Most evidence suggests that citrus fruits originated in subtropical Asia, particularly China, India, and Malaysia, though more recent research hypothesizes an even earlier progenitor from Australasia. Regardless of where they’re from, all modern citrus descend from three parent species: citron, mandarin, and pomelo. Their children branch off not so much in a neat family tree as in a messy, incestuous love circle. Think of these three originals like the primary colors: By mixing different attributes from each, you can create any new citrus fruit. Here are their main characteristics, presented in grotesquely oversimplified form:

Citron: A super-thick layer of bitter, inedible pith surrounding small to nonexistent juice sacs. The juice is very sour, and the skin is yellowish and smells lemony when the fruit is ripe.

Mandarin: A squat, orange-hued fruit that’s relatively easy to peel and segment, revealing a sweeter, juicier core.

Pomelo: Huskier than the other species, with a uniquely aromatic skin. The pith is thicker than that of a mandarin, but less enveloping than the citron’s, and the interior fruit and/or membranes can taste bitter.

Modern citrus varieties, ranging from the pomelo to the kumquat.

Since today’s common citrus fruits are all crossbreeds of these parent species, I’ve skipped the whole phylogenetic structure and organized this guide into decidedly unscientific “houses” representing the most commonly available varieties. But if you want, feel free to quiz yourself and others, Sex and the City–style, on which of the original citrus fruits best describes you. Are you a true mandarin, tender and sweet, or a stalwart, puckery citron, fierce and elusive to the core?

House Orange

Members of House Orange,* which include navels, Valencias, clementines, and tangerines, trace a clear lineage to the mandarin, and can be further broken down into three categories: those good for eating out of hand, those good for juicing, and those specialized for scenting or candy-making.

Tangerines (from, hey, Tangier!) may be the ultimate peel-and-eat fruit: Smaller than most other oranges, they have soft skins and segments that are easy to separate, with sweeter, less sour juice. Seeded mandarins (in this case, the modern fruit by that name); seedless clementines and satsumas; and…uh…nippled tangelos (and their less perky Minneola cousins) are close relatives, typically on the sweet side.

Navel oranges are the other classic eating oranges, larger and firmer than tangerines, with an innie belly button at the bottom and a robust, more acidic orange flavor. That firmer skin is ideal for zesting and candying, too. If you live around California, you may see Cara Cara navels at the market: They’re rosy-pink, sweeter, and more floral than other navels, with an acidity on par with or lower than that of a tangerine. Sweeter still are blood oranges, which, unlike navels, don’t peel easily, but are best for eating raw. Suprème them and add liberally to salads, where the berry notes of their crimson flesh can shine.

If you’re juicing, opt for Valencias, which are a pain to peel and segment since they’re so…juicy. These typically appear later in the season, around March, and are often labeled as “juicing oranges.” But navels make delicious juice, too, admittedly with more elbow grease and somewhat lower yields. (Whichever orange you decide to juice, consult our guide to the best manual citrus juicers here.)

Then there’s the Weird Oranges, ones bred specifically for their peels, usually at the expense of unpalatably sour or bitter flesh. If you walk down the streets of Seville, you really will see Seville oranges (a.k.a. bitter oranges) lining the sidewalks. They’re what makes triple sec, Grand Marnier, and curaçao taste like…triple sec, Grand Marnier, and Curaçao, and their bitter, sour character can stand up to tons of sugar, so they make great marmalade. Over in Italy, they grow bergamot, the oil-rich citrus used to flavor Earl Grey tea. And speaking of tea, in China, the Xinhui mandarin gets put to similar use in scenting pu-erh for flavor and medicinal reasons. Chinese-medicine practitioners are big fans of citrus peels for their throat-soothing properties, especially once they’ve been aged a few years.

* Not to be confused with the House of Orange, the royal family from the Netherlands.

House Lemon

The sourest of the citrus houses, lemons are genetically a mix of citron and bitter orange. The lemons you see in your supermarket are likely Eureka lemons, by far the most common on the market today, but specialist growers produce other varieties, such as the oil-rich Sorrento from Italy, which is what goes into limoncello. There’s also the sweeter, less acidic, and more fragrant Meyer lemon, which to me has a distinct thyme taste that’s great for baking. You don’t need me to tell you what to do with lemons, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you toward Stella’s recipe for a delicious citrusy syrup made from spent lemon rinds.

House Lemon gets really interesting when you consider the citrus fruits grown for their skin and pith, rather than juice. That includes the original citron, which you can candy whole to cut up and throw into pound cake or serve as a palate cleanser, and the long-tendriled Buddha’s hand (which I insist should be renamed the Ood lemon), also good for candying whole or zesting into long strips. If you’re Jewish, you’ve likely handled a bumpy-skinned etrog, a biblically significant ceremonial citron closely associated with the fall holiday of Sukkot, which Jews historically also turned into liqueur or candy for everything from partying to easing childbirth.

House Lime

Limes are sweeter and less acidic than lemons, but as with lemons, there’s one major domesticated variety in supermarkets: the Persian lime, popular from Mexico to Vietnam. The next most common is the tiny Key lime, which grows well beyond the Florida Keys. Unless you have ready access to a great supply, Key limes generally aren’t worth the trouble of juicing and seeding, considering their flavor is often…well, I’ll let Stella tell you. If you’re in South Asia or at a lucky North American farmers market, you might spot a bunch of sweet limes, a.k.a. Citrus limetta. These limes start off green-skinned but ripen to yellow, and are, as the name suggests, sweet—good for juicing just like oranges for a no-sugar-added limeade.

Other lime varieties—such as the makrut lime, which you probably know by another name that we avoid for its pejorative meaning—are prized for the unique flavor of their skin and leaves. Makrut lime leaves are popular across South and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, where they provide a cooling, fragrant counterpoint to chilies and garlic in curry pastes. But the bumpy fruits also get zested for culinary and medicinal uses all around Asia, and you can turn the skin or whole fruit into candy or liqueur.

Some limes, such as the calamansi and rangpur varieties, are really more like sour oranges, turning orange when ripe. The former’s sweet-floral-sour juice is popular among Filipino and Hainanese cooks, who use it straight up or in all kinds of tart sauces. The latter has origins in Indian cooking, but got a burst in popularity when Tanqueray added it to a line of gin. It’s hard to describe the flavor of these specialty limes—the best way to learn is to taste one yourself. That’s definitely true for the finger lime, a trendy new variety that comes in elongated pods for you to split open, revealing dozens of caviar-like juice sacs. Pop them in your mouth and they burst sweet-tart juice; it’s undoubtedly the most fun citrus fruit to eat. (Runner-up: its goth Australian cousin, THE BLOOD LIME.)

House Grapefruit

Grapefruits are the only major citrus Westerners eat that have a strong bitter taste in the flesh itself. Caribbean-born hybrids of pomelos and sweet oranges, grapefruits have flesh ranging from ruby-red to pink to white. (The latter, sometimes called oroblanco, enjoys a rich tiki history but is hard to find these days.) A particular grapefruit’s bitterness, sweetness, or acidity doesn’t track reliably to color, so the only way to know for sure is to cut in. Grapefruit’s subtle bitterness is a marvelous thing in cocktails, such as the classic Paloma. In Asia, the pomelo reigns supreme. Most pomelos have the same volume of actual flesh as typical grapefruits (or slightly less), but thick layers of pith mean they’re usually substantially larger. Their juice sacs are also heartier, i.e., less juicy, than grapefruits’, and lack the grapefruit’s bitterness. (Keep away from the super-bitter pith, though.) Most people across Asia eat pomelo raw, either on its own or as part of a salad or dessert.

House Et Cetera

There are many, many varieties of citrus out there, including kinds that rarely, if ever, make it to the American market. Even if they did, lots of them wouldn’t fall neatly into any of the above categories. Here are some outliers to keep an eye out for that do sometimes appear in local groceries.

If there were such a thing as a celebrity fruit, yuzu would be it. This small, fragrant citrus from Japan looks like a lemon and tastes like a floral-aromatic sort of lime, but transcends the limitations of either, and it’s been the darling of chefs across the world for more than a decade. In Japan, yuzu juice gets squeezed into ponzu dipping sauce, while the zest may be preserved in salt to sprinkle over yakitori. Yuzu is also great to candy or preserve, Moroccan style, but if you’re shopping around the US, you’ll most likely be dealing with the bottled juice. It’s not as good as fresh, but still killer in pies, custards, and marinades.

Kumquats are easier to find fresh, and these small, delightfully tart little buddies are great for cooking whole, since the skin is tender enough to eat once tamed with heat, such as in a braise. Alternatively, you can pickle them in salt or vinegar, separating the bitter seeds out as you go. But my favorite treatment is to toss sliced kumquats with sugar to soften their skins for a few hours, then use the resulting syrup for cocktails while throwing the softened kumquats themselves into ice cream. Yuzu and kumquats are pretty fruits. The ugli fruit, which is actually trademarked, is not. A Jamaican hybrid of a tangelo and a blobfish, the ugli fruit is more tart than many tangerines, but, like those fruits, peels and segments easily. It can taste very sweet and a touch grapefruit-y, and is typically exceptionally juicy. Eat it plain or juice it to add to dipping sauces and marinades, and remember that every citrus fruit possesses some kind of rich inner beauty.

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[cookingawe]

Know Your Citrus: A Field Guide to Oranges, Lemons...

New Post has been published on http://cookingawe.com/know-your-citrus-a-field-guide-to-oranges-lemons/

Know Your Citrus: A Field Guide to Oranges, Lemons...

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[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

It’s winter—that is, cold season—and we’re all chugging orange juice to get our vitamin C, right? Well, it turns out all the OJ in the world won’t help prevent or treat the common cold; the ascorbic acid in citrus fruit just isn’t effective for most people.

But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying as much citrus as we can, and from as many varieties as we can, especially when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and it’s too cold to go outside for a week. Oranges, kumquats, ugli fruit, and Buddha’s hands may not cure the common cold, but they sure are edible sunshine, packed with the remarkable power to brighten, cure, preserve, acidulate, aromatize, enrich, and utterly transform every food they touch.

Thanks to thousands of years of hybridization and the wonders of modern globalization, we have access to more citrus fruits today, with more storied uses and applications, than brands of nasal decongestants. You may have tasted clementines and tangelos, but how about blood limes, Xinhui mandarins, and the mysteriously un-juice-able Yemenite citron?

No? Okay, let’s get to know them a little better.

The Original Big Three

Most evidence suggests that citrus fruits originated in subtropical Asia, particularly China, India, and Malaysia, though more recent research hypothesizes an even earlier progenitor from Australasia. Regardless of where they’re from, all modern citrus descend from three parent species: citron, mandarin, and pomelo. Their children branch off not so much in a neat family tree as in a messy, incestuous love circle. Think of these three originals like the primary colors: By mixing different attributes from each, you can create any new citrus fruit. Here are their main characteristics, presented in grotesquely oversimplified form:

Citron: A super-thick layer of bitter, inedible pith surrounding small to nonexistent juice sacs. The juice is very sour, and the skin is yellowish and smells lemony when the fruit is ripe.

Mandarin: A squat, orange-hued fruit that’s relatively easy to peel and segment, revealing a sweeter, juicier core.

Pomelo: Huskier than the other species, with a uniquely aromatic skin. The pith is thicker than that of a mandarin, but less enveloping than the citron’s, and the interior fruit and/or membranes can taste bitter.

Modern citrus varieties, ranging from the pomelo to the kumquat.

Since today’s common citrus fruits are all crossbreeds of these parent species, I’ve skipped the whole phylogenetic structure and organized this guide into decidedly unscientific “houses” representing the most commonly available varieties. But if you want, feel free to quiz yourself and others, Sex and the City–style, on which of the original citrus fruits best describes you. Are you a true mandarin, tender and sweet, or a stalwart, puckery citron, fierce and elusive to the core?

House Orange

Members of House Orange,* which include navels, Valencias, clementines, and tangerines, trace a clear lineage to the mandarin, and can be further broken down into three categories: those good for eating out of hand, those good for juicing, and those specialized for scenting or candy-making.

Tangerines (from, hey, Tangier!) may be the ultimate peel-and-eat fruit: Smaller than most other oranges, they have soft skins and segments that are easy to separate, with sweeter, less sour juice. Seeded mandarins (in this case, the modern fruit by that name); seedless clementines and satsumas; and…uh…nippled tangelos (and their less perky Minneola cousins) are close relatives, typically on the sweet side.

Navel oranges are the other classic eating oranges, larger and firmer than tangerines, with an innie belly button at the bottom and a robust, more acidic orange flavor. That firmer skin is ideal for zesting and candying, too. If you live around California, you may see Cara Cara navels at the market: They’re rosy-pink, sweeter, and more floral than other navels, with an acidity on par with or lower than that of a tangerine. Sweeter still are blood oranges, which, unlike navels, don’t peel easily, but are best for eating raw. Suprème them and add liberally to salads, where the berry notes of their crimson flesh can shine.

If you’re juicing, opt for Valencias, which are a pain to peel and segment since they’re so…juicy. These typically appear later in the season, around March, and are often labeled as “juicing oranges.” But navels make delicious juice, too, admittedly with more elbow grease and somewhat lower yields. (Whichever orange you decide to juice, consult our guide to the best manual citrus juicers here.)

Then there’s the Weird Oranges, ones bred specifically for their peels, usually at the expense of unpalatably sour or bitter flesh. If you walk down the streets of Seville, you really will see Seville oranges (a.k.a. bitter oranges) lining the sidewalks. They’re what makes triple sec, Grand Marnier, and curaçao taste like…triple sec, Grand Marnier, and Curaçao, and their bitter, sour character can stand up to tons of sugar, so they make great marmalade. Over in Italy, they grow bergamot, the oil-rich citrus used to flavor Earl Grey tea. And speaking of tea, in China, the Xinhui mandarin gets put to similar use in scenting pu-erh for flavor and medicinal reasons. Chinese-medicine practitioners are big fans of citrus peels for their throat-soothing properties, especially once they’ve been aged a few years.

* Not to be confused with the House of Orange, the royal family from the Netherlands.

House Lemon

The sourest of the citrus houses, lemons are genetically a mix of citron and bitter orange. The lemons you see in your supermarket are likely Eureka lemons, by far the most common on the market today, but specialist growers produce other varieties, such as the oil-rich Sorrento from Italy, which is what goes into limoncello. There’s also the sweeter, less acidic, and more fragrant Meyer lemon, which to me has a distinct thyme taste that’s great for baking. You don’t need me to tell you what to do with lemons, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you toward Stella’s recipe for a delicious citrusy syrup made from spent lemon rinds.

House Lemon gets really interesting when you consider the citrus fruits grown for their skin and pith, rather than juice. That includes the original citron, which you can candy whole to cut up and throw into pound cake or serve as a palate cleanser, and the long-tendriled Buddha’s hand (which I insist should be renamed the Ood lemon), also good for candying whole or zesting into long strips. If you’re Jewish, you’ve likely handled a bumpy-skinned etrog, a biblically significant ceremonial citron closely associated with the fall holiday of Sukkot, which Jews historically also turned into liqueur or candy for everything from partying to easing childbirth.

House Lime

Limes are sweeter and less acidic than lemons, but as with lemons, there’s one major domesticated variety in supermarkets: the Persian lime, popular from Mexico to Vietnam. The next most common is the tiny Key lime, which grows well beyond the Florida Keys. Unless you have ready access to a great supply, Key limes generally aren’t worth the trouble of juicing and seeding, considering their flavor is often…well, I’ll let Stella tell you. If you’re in South Asia or at a lucky North American farmers market, you might spot a bunch of sweet limes, a.k.a. Citrus limetta. These limes start off green-skinned but ripen to yellow, and are, as the name suggests, sweet—good for juicing just like oranges for a no-sugar-added limeade.

Other lime varieties—such as the makrut lime, which you probably know by another name that we avoid for its pejorative meaning—are prized for the unique flavor of their skin and leaves. Makrut lime leaves are popular across South and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, where they provide a cooling, fragrant counterpoint to chilies and garlic in curry pastes. But the bumpy fruits also get zested for culinary and medicinal uses all around Asia, and you can turn the skin or whole fruit into candy or liqueur.

Some limes, such as the calamansi and rangpur varieties, are really more like sour oranges, turning orange when ripe. The former’s sweet-floral-sour juice is popular among Filipino and Hainanese cooks, who use it straight up or in all kinds of tart sauces. The latter has origins in Indian cooking, but got a burst in popularity when Tanqueray added it to a line of gin. It’s hard to describe the flavor of these specialty limes—the best way to learn is to taste one yourself. That’s definitely true for the finger lime, a trendy new variety that comes in elongated pods for you to split open, revealing dozens of caviar-like juice sacs. Pop them in your mouth and they burst sweet-tart juice; it’s undoubtedly the most fun citrus fruit to eat. (Runner-up: its goth Australian cousin, THE BLOOD LIME.)

House Grapefruit

Grapefruits are the only major citrus Westerners eat that have a strong bitter taste in the flesh itself. Caribbean-born hybrids of pomelos and sweet oranges, grapefruits have flesh ranging from ruby-red to pink to white. (The latter, sometimes called oroblanco, enjoys a rich tiki history but is hard to find these days.) A particular grapefruit’s bitterness, sweetness, or acidity doesn’t track reliably to color, so the only way to know for sure is to cut in. Grapefruit’s subtle bitterness is a marvelous thing in cocktails, such as the classic Paloma. In Asia, the pomelo reigns supreme. Most pomelos have the same volume of actual flesh as typical grapefruits (or slightly less), but thick layers of pith mean they’re usually substantially larger. Their juice sacs are also heartier, i.e., less juicy, than grapefruits’, and lack the grapefruit’s bitterness. (Keep away from the super-bitter pith, though.) Most people across Asia eat pomelo raw, either on its own or as part of a salad or dessert.

House Et Cetera

There are many, many varieties of citrus out there, including kinds that rarely, if ever, make it to the American market. Even if they did, lots of them wouldn’t fall neatly into any of the above categories. Here are some outliers to keep an eye out for that do sometimes appear in local groceries.

If there were such a thing as a celebrity fruit, yuzu would be it. This small, fragrant citrus from Japan looks like a lemon and tastes like a floral-aromatic sort of lime, but transcends the limitations of either, and it’s been the darling of chefs across the world for more than a decade. In Japan, yuzu juice gets squeezed into ponzu dipping sauce, while the zest may be preserved in salt to sprinkle over yakitori. Yuzu is also great to candy or preserve, Moroccan style, but if you’re shopping around the US, you’ll most likely be dealing with the bottled juice. It’s not as good as fresh, but still killer in pies, custards, and marinades.

Kumquats are easier to find fresh, and these small, delightfully tart little buddies are great for cooking whole, since the skin is tender enough to eat once tamed with heat, such as in a braise. Alternatively, you can pickle them in salt or vinegar, separating the bitter seeds out as you go. But my favorite treatment is to toss sliced kumquats with sugar to soften their skins for a few hours, then use the resulting syrup for cocktails while throwing the softened kumquats themselves into ice cream. Yuzu and kumquats are pretty fruits. The ugli fruit, which is actually trademarked, is not. A Jamaican hybrid of a tangelo and a blobfish, the ugli fruit is more tart than many tangerines, but, like those fruits, peels and segments easily. It can taste very sweet and a touch grapefruit-y, and is typically exceptionally juicy. Eat it plain or juice it to add to dipping sauces and marinades, and remember that every citrus fruit possesses some kind of rich inner beauty.

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[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes. It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down.  In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year. To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing. Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important. First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping. Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate. Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton. There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer. When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much. A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm. It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit. The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material. Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat. Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be. Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much. Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind. They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket. This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season. The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves. A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm. An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! It can make difference between a day on the water and cold day. Moreover, they are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up. So they can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours. Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water. Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body. If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Conclusion We do need a safety gear especially when fishing in this cold season. The amount of your safety gear that you would bring on kayak fishing should be based on your convenience level. Be sure to have mobile phone, GPS and other devices for both communication and navigation. You can also bring a dry bag with your first aid equipment, hydrating fluids and snacks inside. Enjoy your winter kayak fishing!

Read the full article

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes. It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down.  In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year. To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing. Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important. First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping. Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate. Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton. There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer. When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much. A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm. It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit. The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material. Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat. Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be. Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much. Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind. They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket. This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season. The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves. A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm. An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! It can make difference between a day on the water and cold day. Moreover, they are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up. So they can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours. Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water. Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body. If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Conclusion We do need a safety gear especially when fishing in this cold season. The amount of your safety gear that you would bring on kayak fishing should be based on your convenience level. Be sure to have mobile phone, GPS and other devices for both communication and navigation. You can also bring a dry bag with your first aid equipment, hydrating fluids and snacks inside. Enjoy your winter kayak fishing!

Read the full article

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes. It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down.  In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year. To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing. Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important. First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping. Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate. Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton. There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer. When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much. A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm. It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit. The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material. Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat. Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be. Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much. Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind. They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket. This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season. The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves. A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm. An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! It can make difference between a day on the water and cold day. Moreover, they are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up. So they can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours. Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water. Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body. If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Conclusion We do need a safety gear especially when fishing in this cold season. The amount of your safety gear that you would bring on kayak fishing should be based on your convenience level. Be sure to have mobile phone, GPS and other devices for both communication and navigation. You can also bring a dry bag with your first aid equipment, hydrating fluids and snacks inside. Enjoy your winter kayak fishing!

Read the full article

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear   As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes.It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down.  In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year. Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important. First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping. Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate. Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton. There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer. When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much. A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm. It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

  The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit. The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material. Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat. Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be. Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much. Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind. They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket. This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season. The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves. A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm. An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days.   Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! They can make difference between a day on the water and cold day. They are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up. They can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours. To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing. Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water. Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body. If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Read the full article

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes.It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down. In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year.Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature.Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important.First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping.Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate.Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered.Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans.Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton.There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable.Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer.When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much.A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm.It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet.Shell Jacket

 The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit.The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material.Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions.Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat.Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be.Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much.Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind.They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket.This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants.Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season.The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves.A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm.Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm.An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! They can make difference between a day on the water and cold day.They are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up.They can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours.To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing.Snacks

Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water.Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body.If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing. Read the full article

[fisherandhunterblog]

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear

How to Choose Winter Fishing Gear As fishermen, no one can stop us from our fishing even when the season changes.It is winter season and the temperature is continuously going down. In this season, I know most of us don’t know the gears to stay warm during the coldest months of the year.Now, I will show you the different gears and some instructions for you not worry anymore about the freezing temperature. Base Layer

The first level of clothing is called as your base layer. There are two reasons why base layer is very important.First, it insulates the natural heat of the body and keeps it from escaping.Second, it wicks moisture away from your skin toward the outside of the fabric so it can evaporate.Did you know that the moisture wicking process is very significant? If the person begins to sweat and it dries on your skin or maybe saturates your clothing, the possibility to stay warm will be severely hindered. Mid Layer

The mid layer keeps your natural body warmth in while keeping the cold out. You can wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans.Most of the anglers are wearing polyester made of sweatshirts rather than cotton because polyester has a better water resistance than cotton.There are many available water resistant sweatshirts and warm jeans in the market to keep you warm and comfortable. Insulated Socks

Insulated socks are really just an extension of the base layer.When fishing, it I very easy for your feet to get cold because they do not move much.A good pair of insulated socks has a moisture wicking capability that is very essential to staying warm.It is a good option to have a thin liner sock that wicks moisture away and a thicker sock to insulate the feet. Shell Jacket

 The shell jacket is also known as the outer layer of your winter fishing outfit.The outer layer of your clothing is to keep the wind and cold out. They are commonly less thick than the base and mid layers.But this layer is made of a more water resistant soft shell material.Most of them have Gore Tex lining in them which is popular and known as a water proof membrane that meant to keep you dry while still allowing for evaporation of your body’s perspiration. Also, Gore Tex is also important if you are fishing in wet conditions. Insulated Boots

Insulated boots really help your feet warm and dry. Like the jackets and bibs, the boots must also have Gore Tex membrane to keep the moisture out while allowing for evaporation of sweat.Most boots that are used in winter kayak fishing have “Thinsulate” insulation, ranges from 100-1000+ grams. The higher the number, the warmer your boots should be.Choose the right amount of insulation to keep your feet warm enough without making them sweat much.Bibs

This gear is another option for you. It has the same purpose as the jacket- to keep out the cold and wind.They are made of the same material as the jacket and an exact match to the jacket.This bibs are commonly used by the anglers because its style and design. Also, it comes higher up on your chest unlike the jacket. It also keeps your core warmer than they were just soft shell pants. Gloves

Fishing gloves are usually difficult to find. But here’s what I found! This gear is made of Gore Tex. The gloves will keep your hand dry when you are fishing in a cold season.The gloves will try its best to keep your hand warm although in a pro longed day of fishing, your hands will inevitably get wet. For cold days on the water, it is best to have three pairs of gloves.A thick pair of gloves for making long boat runs and the other two gloves is more thin pairs that you could swap periodically, so that no pair gets too wet. If the other pairs are not in use, you could keep them inside your bib or sweatshirt to add heat to your body and keep them warm. Head Warmer

Did you know the myth about losing 80% of body heat through our head has been proven false? It is still very important to keep your head warm.An ordinary old stocking cap will do its job just fine but this version of head warmer is very functional and keeps the face and neck warm in cold days. Hand and Foot Warmers

Hand and foot warmers are taking you to another level! They can make difference between a day on the water and cold day.They are activated by heat, you can grab and get them out when you are about 12 minutes from the lake and let them warm up.They can also be stuck in your boots and gloves to keep your body warm. Many anglers say they last for 8 hours but few of them say they last for only 4 hours.To make it sure, bring extras of hand and foot warmers to keep you warm during the winter fishing.Snacks

 Who wants to go fishing without bringing some snacks? Having a full belly is very important than most of us might think especially during a cold day on the water.Foods that are high in proteins, fats or complex carbohydrates produce more heat when digested by your body.If your body produces more heat, you will become warmer. Also, a hot coffee is also a great idea to bring when fishing.  Read the full article