Let’s Get the Fruit Stocking Filler Back
As a child, I read a lot of historical fiction – mostly from the American Doll series. I don’t know how they do it now, but at one time each doll had six matching books (each sold separately!), And all the books had almost the same titles – the only part of the title that could change from a doll. the doll was the name of the protagonist.
Following an introduction entitled “Meet Samantha / Molly / Felicity / Eddie, Etc.,” the girl in question learned her lesson, saved the day, celebrated her birthday, and made the change. Among them, each girl had her own Christmas story, and it was while reading one of them that I learned that parents stuff their stockings with oranges, and I was horrified.
“Why are you giving your child an orange?” – I asked my mother, fearing that she might have ideas. She explained that fruit hasn’t always been as ubiquitous as it has been since then, and that the ability to walk into the grocery store and grab an orange – or grapes or pineapple – is new. “Christmas could be the only time of the year that they ate an orange!” she explained. “Oh,” I said. “I would prefer chocolate.”
I still love a little (a lot) of Christmas chocolate, but now I am older, wiser, and appreciate seasonal fruits more. Oranges taste pretty good all year round, but winter clementine, tangelo, or lime caviar is a certified treat , and the goodies are stocking-ups.
I’m not saying fruit should be your only stocking filling, but how nice would it be to find a juicy, vibrant piece of citrus among the candy and knickknacks? It offers respite from the flow of chocolate and is flavorful enough for you to grab a bite to eat while opening leftover gifts. (If you have kids, this is a good way to encourage you to grab a snack between candy and pie.)
You can order a box of trendy seasonal citrus fruits or pears (you know them) and split it between different stockings, or you can head to your local fruit market or health food store and purchase a customized selection of fruits. (possibly citrus) for each stocking on the robe.
Besides clementines and tangerines on the stem, which are delicious and aesthetic, seasonal fruits include bloody oranges, kumquats, pomelos, Meyer lemons and lime caviar, all of which I would love to find in my Christmas stocking. morning. (I think Buddha’s handcrafted citron would look pretty metallic sticking out of the top of the stockings, but it’s not as easy to snack on as the others.)
If citrus is not your bag (or someone is allergic), you can always give apples, pears, or pomegranates. As for apples , I am now obsessed with Lucy Glo apples , which have a sweet, tart, berry flavor and a beautiful raspberry interior. (I served them as part of a cheese board for Thanksgiving, and everyone was absolutely enamored.) I don’t have a pear recommendation, but I’ve heard that a guy named Harry – or perhaps his friend David – might have some ideas.