Updates on the birthday gift, olive tree, sent from overseas to the UK, and alternative orange trees

Olive tree delivered in the UK by Marks & Spencer. Photo from Sharot family. Copyright.

My family didn't seem too thrilled with the olive tree I sent as a potted plant. It was from Marks & Spencer. I clicked on as a gift but the next box as message didn't operate and I didn't know if it was saved.

The item did not appear to arrive with a red ribbon or card or growing instructions. 

Size

However, my family member gasped, "It grows to eight foot!"

It wasn't shiny leaved or prettily arranged like a bouquet or brightly coloured like a potted orchid it a much lower price.

Fruit

I was a bit worried about the olives having stones which could be dangerous for my grand-daughter aged under two years. But it does not fruit until five years. By then she will be six. Besides, my family member admitted, "Most of my plants don't last beyond three months." 

Learning Experience

At least they get to learn about olive trees.

At last I found the supplier of what I really wanted, a miniature orange tree for the UK. The cost is

Useful Websites

UK olive tree and add on chocolates. Another option is add Prosecco.

Marks and Spencer

UK orange tree

https://www.marksandspencer.com/olive-tree/p/flp60178572

glut.co.uk

https://www.glut.co.uk/products/the-orange-gift-crate 

Singapore olive tree

https://leafmeupsg.com/olive-tree-singapore/

Delivery from May 5th

https://www.marksandspencer.com/royal-afternoon-tea/p/hpp60625094

Singapore

Good enough, from thirty or forty dollars. (You could send chocolates from a supermarket separately.)

https://floralgaragesg.com/product-category/under-50/page/2/

Better but more expensive, from 60 or 70 singapore dollars, adds mug with your photo, or chocolates.

https://www.fnp.sg/gift/picture-mug-money-plant-combo?OCCASION_TAGS=birthday&pos=10

Chinese New Year Singapore Style

Orange tree by the pool at Cashew condo. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

My family have an old one on the balcony. The oranges were picked several months ago to make marmalade. They intend to buy another tree when the prices come down after Chinese New year.

Larger trees like this one are outside many malls and hotels.

Orange tree close-up. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Useful Websites

About the author of this blog post

Angela Lansbury

About the Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

Quick Quotations

Who Said What When

 

 More Photos and text in a moment

Orange Surprise - making home made marmalade from a balcony plant

Miniature potted orange tree. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Orange Surprise

Our latest success with growing a tiny tree and cooking home made food from our plants was with oranges. 

When I saw the orange tree I thought it would have sweet oranges you could eat. I tried one and it was bitter. What a disappointment!  Was it poisonous? However, my husband explained, "It's a bitter orange, and you use bitter oranges to make marmalade, which is simple jam from bitter oranges. Like the oranges from Seville." 


Seville in Spain. The word orange is said to come from the Spanish for orange, naranja. 

At first our family chef said he would not bother to use the little oranges to make marmalade.
He said, "It's too much time and effort. Not worth the trouble." 

Then he decided to remove the shrivelling oranges, to encourage the new small green wines to ripen. With a bowl of oranges in his hand, he decided to use them.

He said, "It seems a shame to waste them. I'll use them to make marmalade."

He found an online recipe. The English language websites have many recipes.



He often goes to a French recipe site in addition. He translates the recipes using Google translate.

He found the perfect recipe. But the quantity of fruit he had was under the required amount. So he added an ordinary (sweet) orange.

Recipe
First you cut up the oranges and separate the inside from the peel. Separate but save the pips. 

Next remove the peel. Turn over the pieces of peel and and removed, scrape off, pith (white part underneath).

The membranes (bits separating the inside of the fruit) can go with the pips, or be discarded.

Place the pips in a muslin bag so you can later remove them from your boiled mixture.
Put pips in a muslin bag and crush with pestle and mortar and add to mixture to add pectin.

Boil

Boil the bitter oranges (everything except the bitter pith) until peel softens and becomes translucent. (About an hour.) 

After an hour or so bring up the temperature. the temperature is raised to about 104 centigrade, above the boiling point of water, 10c, to set the pectin to make it gel instead of just being a runny orange flavoured sauce.

Bottling
Then leave to cool and put it in a sterile, lidded jar in your fridge. You cannot handle the scalding hot glass, even be careful with the lid just out of sterilising scalding hot steam or water. Use a clean oven glove and clean towel, one to hold the glass and one to hold the lid. 

Labelling By Hand When cooled you can add a label. take an address label (a roll bought cheaply from a cheap shop or stationers. Draw a neat border using a ruler. Draw a pencil line for the name of the product. Mark the number of letters in m a r m a l a d e. (Nine dots, one in the centre, four on both sides. And/or add your name or surname or a brand name. For example, Mark's Marmalade or Mum's Marmalade or Mama Mary Home Made Marmalade. Use dots so you don't get to the end of the word and find the last letter won't fit on. Copy a calligraphy font in pencil. 

How To Print Two Labels
Alternative print a label with a pretty font. Cut the edges with serrated paper scissors. Or use a guillotine. Measure the edges and cut off sticky tape to the right length and attach the label to the jar. Add a second label to the back, either with the ingredients to look professional, or simply to be sure you can always see the label if you are not religious about putting things in the fridge with the labels at the front and visible. 

My family now has home made marmalade and home made bread. What about butter? 

Home Made Marmalade Verdict
I don't normally like marmalade. It is too bitter. And too sweet. However, the home made version was aromatic and tangy.

We declared, "This marmalade is better than shop bought marmalade!?"
I asked, "Are you sure it was worth the time and trouble?"
"Sure. I could eat three slices, but I won't."
"Because we only have a jar and a half or because you are watching your diet and calorie count?"
"Both." 
"Will you do it again?"
"Yes. And I shall add extra ingredients."

Alternative Ingredients
"What have you learned?"
"My hobby is good. I could use oranges, lemons, or another local fruit called calamansi, which is made into a drink in Singapore."

Flavours To Add
"I don't like whisky. How about something healthy?"
We bought some fancy jams in Seam Reap in Cambodia and more from the Shangri La hotel food shop in Singapore.
Next time we will add ginger.

So, now you know. Whether or not you grow food on your windowsill or balcony, at least you know how to make marmalade.

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on growing food, learning languages and more.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

How to Revive a dead Orange or Lemon Tree

Problem
We went away and our orange tree died. I hoped it was still alive.

Answer
ASK THE EXPERT
A friend from France (land of farmers and food) and New Zealand (land of sheep farms) told me what to do. Her lemon tree had looked dead earlier this year.

BREAKING AND BENDING BRANCHES
She looked at the 'dead' branches of my orange tree, which was full of dead leaves. When we tried to cut the spiky branches, she said, "some of them snap straight away and are dead. The others bend and resist because they are slightly moist and alive.?

ORANGE OR LEMON AROMA
She also broke off a bit of a living branch and said, "can you smell the orange?"

Yes, but I had thought it was dead orange, the way orange peel smells.

PRUNING REMEDY
She said prune it right back. It needs to get the water to the roots to revive.
Cut above the nodes (teeny lumps on branches).

WATER
Water it well.
Nothing might happen for a month. It needs time to recover.

Keep it moist. In Singapore we are not allowed to have water saucers under pots because stagnant water can breed mosquitoes. Government health inspectors will come around to look for water retention - even plastic bags ying around which collect water - and can charge a large fine. In other countries, cut a hole in the bottom of the pot if it doesn't have one and keep a saucer underneath.

WATER RETENTION
You can buy at garden centres the white balls which act like sponges of chalk, holding water, which the plant roots can retrieve. You will extend the life of a plant you forgot to water or could not water because you were away on holiday or a business trip or at your second home. That gives your plant up to an extra month (depending on size of plant and pot).

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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