All Aboard for Citrus Season
The Big Squeeze Challenge & Citrus for Christchurch

27 August, 2014

Community Fruit Harvesting, the charity that picks fruit to provide for those in need, is holding a “Big Squeeze” at the East Coast Bay Leisure Centre on the 4th of September. The organisation is calling on other community groups to follow suit by holding their own Big or Small Squeeze events over the weekend from the 5th to the 7th of September.

The Big Squeeze coincides with BNZ’s Closed For Good day on the 4th. Volunteers will squeeze and process grapefruit picked from an orchard on the 30th of August to make at least 300 bottles of cordial to give away to food banks. Some will be sold at the Browns Bay market on the morning of Sunday 7 September to raise funds to cover costs and for the Auckland City Mission. The Big Squeeze continues over the weekend for other groups to run self-organised events.

“We encourage and challenge all community groups, churches, gardening groups, and schools to get together and pick, squeeze and process the abundant citrus fruit in their community,” says organiser Di Celliers.

“Citrus season ends in September so it is the perfect time to gather surplus fruit, make cordial and distribute it back into the community or hold a citrus stall and raise funds for your favourite charity,” says Di.

Community Fruit Harvesting simply cannot do it alone, says Di, so they are issuing the challenge to the wider community.

“Here’s a chance to teach, learn and have fun together, all while doing good for the community.”

How you can get involved:
• Donate clean de-labelled wine or cordial bottles
• Help distribute and sell cordial from The Big Squeeze
• Organise your own community Big Squeeze and post updates to the Community Fruit Harvesting Facebook page
People interested in finding out more can email Di Celliers at pickfruit@xtra.co.nz or visit www.pickfruit.co.nz to register their interest.

Citrus for Christchurch – In Need of a Transport Angel
On Sunday 14 September, Community Fruit Harvesting is planning to hold its first picking day for Christchurch at an organic grapefruit orchard near Bethells Beach. The group intends to collect 80 banana boxes of Grapefruit and transport the fruit to Christchurch soon after.

Due to an unforseen change in previously organised transportation, the group is now seeking the support of a bus or freight company to deliver the fruit.

“This is something I have been wanting to do for a few years now, as Auckland easily grows an excessive abundance of citrus fruit, where none grows in the South Island,” says Di Celliers.

“It is a beautiful location for picking, a wonderful family outing and a very worthy cause,” says Di.
The fruit will be donated to food banks in the Christchurch region.

Those able to assist with picking or transporting the fruit can contact Di at pickfruit@xtra.co.nz.

About Community Fruit Harvesting
Community Fruit Harvesting is a group set up to facilitate the sharing of fruit from our own back yards with charity. People with fruit they can’t pick or don’t want register their trees and volunteers pick the fruit and donate it to those that need it. The group was started in 2011 by North Shore resident Di Celliers, and currently operates in many parts of New Zealand.

Lemonade Concentrate

300ml freshly squeezed lime juice
1kg sugar
10g tartaric acid
1.2 litres boiling water

Combine all the ingredients. Stir to dissolve.
Dilute to taste.
Garnish with slices of orange & sprigs of mint.
Makes 2 litres of concentrate.

Lemon/Lime squash

2 cups lemon or lime juice
750g white sugar
1 tbsp tartaric acid
1 tbsp citric acid
500 ml boiling water
grated zest of three of the lemons/limes

Add juice to the sugar, tartaric and citric acids, in a medium saucepan. Pour on the boiling water, heat gently then grate in the zest. Stir to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved then pour into bottle for storing. Store in the fridge. To serve, pour about into large glass and top with soda water or cold water, adding a few mint leaves if you like. Use a ratio of about 1 part cordial to 6 parts water.

ENDS

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