Kumquat growers in Florida are distressed about cold flashes harming their fruit before an important local festival.
What’s happening?
According to Channel 10 Tampa Bay, people in Pasco County, Florida, look forward to the Dade City Kumquat Festival every year. But cold night air threatened the kumquats’ ability to thrive.
“The cold snap has got me really worried,” said Greg Gude, a longtime kumquat grower in Pasco County, to the outlet.
While temperatures just below freezing generally harm the fruit, Gude said temperatures lower than 27 degrees Fahrenheit can cause irreversible damage. The liquid in the fruit freezes and ruins the fruit’s structure. When the air warms back up, the juice drips out, and the fruit rots…