Ojai Pixie Tangerines
Folks like to say that Ojai Pixie Tangerines taste like sunshine, and while that might sound cheesy, it’s true! Ojai Valley is one of California’s very few East-West valleys, so the sun actually shines on the trees all day long, giving them the chance to develop incredible sugars and a super-sweet, low-acid flavor profile.
The Pixie Story
Eating an Ojai Pixie is a truly special experience. We enjoy other tangerines, sure, but none is quite so deliciously sweet, juicy and balanced as the Ojai Pixie. This variety is only available from March to May; to us, the first Pixie means that spring has arrived.
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There’s no industrial scale farming here; in fact, just three-dozen family operations make up the Ojai Valley Pixie Growers Association, a collective of farmers who grow Pixies. The largest orchard is 16 acres. The microclimate of Ojai Valley is so particular that this is the only place Pixie tangerines can really be grown. Just as Hatch Chiles can only come from New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, true Pixies only come from California’s Ojai Valley.
Enjoying Pixies
By the time Pixie season rolls around again each March, we can’t wait. The first piece, we savor. Then, we just gobble them up. They peel easily and don’t have seeds, so it can be hard to stop.
Once we’ve begun to satisfy our cravings, we take them into the kitchen. Their juice is heaven: straight, in cocktails, in marinades, in salad dressings, stirred into the batter for cakes. The fruit wakes up salads and gives life to crepes and angel food cake and cream.
Every year, we get great new ideas from our customers on how to enjoy these incredibly delicious fruits.
Recipes
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Merchandising
Create large, attention-grabbing sets.
Offer bulk Pixies as well as product in Melissa’s totes.
Build displays using the grower boxes to highlight a farm feel.
Give shoppers a taste by highlighting Pixies in manned and passive demos.
Highlight the category by creating an in-store Zest Fest event.
