Expedition to orange country

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The local orange season is upon us -- Valencias are in season and navels are about to come on line. Fifty years ago, Angelenos would drive out to the orange-growing parts of town and load up on oranges at farm stands. These days, the orange groves of the San Fernando Valley and Orange County have been replaced by housing tracts, but we still have a vigorous orange-growing district in the lower Santa Clarita Valley.

This is where you can take a nice drive in the country and come back with 20 pounds of oranges for $5 or $6. One time I bought a box of 100 Valencias for $9, which worked out to 33 tall glasses of fresh OJ at 27 cents a glass.

To get there, take Highway 126 west just north of Magic Mountain. Nine miles later, just past Piru (where the highway has taken on the name of Telegraph Road), you’ll be surrounded by orange groves. There are four major produce stands in the next eight miles, all on the south side of the street.

Besides oranges, all the stands carry other local produce, such as avocados (yellow-speckled Zutanos and little blackish Pueblas, as well as the ubiquitous Hass and Fuerte), winter squashes (monstrous blue Hubbards, grotesque green bottle gourds, ‘fairytale’ pumpkins that look just like Cinderella’s carriage) and honey.

From east to west, the big stands are: Camulos Ranch, 5164 E. Telegraph Road, Piru, (805) 521-1561; J&R Fruits, 2852 E. Telegraph Road, Fillmore (no phone); Francisco’s Fruit, 1762 E. Telegraph Road, Fillmore, (805) 524-4616; Cornejo’s Produce Stand, 768 E. Telegraph Road, Fillmore, (805) 524-2776.

-- Charles Perry