Tangerines

Most consumers and far too many retailers in the past have casually used the word tangerine to refer to a group of "zipper-skinned-citrus fruits," that are actually all mandarin oranges. Most retailers now use the proper name for each variety: tangerines, mandarin oranges, and tangelos. True tangerines are available at Christmas time and are quite often sold with their stems and leaves still attached. They are easy to peel, have seeds, and a sweet to sweet-tart flavor. The major varieties are Fairchild, and Dancy.

The mandarin is a large and varied family that differs from an orange with a smaller fruit that can be slightly flat on each end, and a loose or puffy skin that is easily separated from the pulp. Segments are easily separated and the juice has less acid than a normal orange, which makes them an ideal snack for children, or for adults on the go. Mandarin oranges come primarily from Spain and to a lesser extent from Mexico and Morocco. Mandarins are widely grown in China and the United States. The most common varieties are the Kinnows, Satsuma, Honey and Royal.

Tangelos are a hybrid between a large citrus fruit that is related to the grapefruit called a pomelo and a Dancy tangerine, hence the name tangelo. They look like large oranges, but have a tart/sweet flavor all their own that is closer to a tangerine then a grapefruit. The Orlando and the Minneola are the two most widely available varieties.

Selection & Storage
Choose tangerines or mandarins that have deep, glossy orange skins that are heavy for their size. They will feel soft and puffy compared to oranges because of their loose fitting skins. Don't worry about any small green patches you may see near the stem end.

Tangerines and other mandarins are ripe and ready to eat when you buy them. You can store them for about one week at a cool room temperature, then store them in the refrigerator crisper drawer away from vegetables for up to two weeks.

Preparation
Tangerines, mandarins and tangelos should be washed thoroughly before peeling, and are ready to be eaten out of hand or used in salads, desserts and other dishes. Tangerines, mandarins and tangelos are easy to peel if you insert your finger between the peel and the flesh. Remove the peel a piece at a time, and then separate into segments. To remove and discard the pits when used in a fruit salad or other dishes, snip the center in each segment and gently squeeze. Use tangerines in salads, stuffing, stir-fry, lunch boxes, picnics, or as a simple dessert when served over vanilla ice cream.

Tony's Tip
Add freshly grated tangerine peel to foods for an exotic flavor or tangerine segments to coleslaw or tuna salad for an unexpectedly delicious and colorful treat.

Tony's Favorite Recipe
Spicy Cabbage with Mandarine Oranges

Varieties
Dancy tangerines were introduced to Florida from Morocco, and were once the leading commercial variety but they are not widely planted today. They are small to medium in size, with an easily peeled, dark orange skin and lively, rich flavor.

Clementine/Algerian tangerines are a cross between a Mandarin orange and a Seville orange. They are small in size, usually seedless with an intense sweet flavor and delicate texture. Most clementines are imported from North Africa and Spain.

Fall-Glo tangerines are sweet, thin-skinned, easy to peel and section.

Fairchild tangerines are a cross between a Clementine tangerine and an Orlando tangelo. The skin is a deep orange, somewhat pebbly, and peels easily. It is juicy with a rich and sweet flavor.

Honey/Murcott tangerines are the result of crossing a tangerine with an orange, and are grown in South America (mostly Argentina and Brazil,) Florida and Mexico. They are a small to medium sized fruit with a lovely aroma, some seeds, rich red flesh with juice that is honey sweet. The skin is yellow to orange and can be tinged with some green or russet coloration that doesn't have any effect on its quality.

Robinson tangerines have a thin rind, a deep orange color and a sweet flavor.

Sunburst tangerines have a deep reddish- orange color rind that is extremely smooth and thin.

Mandarins
Satsuma mandarins are almost entirely seedless, have a pebbly textured skin that is easy to peel, are easy to segment, and have a very sweet flavor.

Kinnow mandarins are the most common of the mandarin varieties. They have a mildly sweet flavor with a smooth skin, a light orange color and few seeds.

Honey mandarins are often confused with the Murcott or honey tangerine. Honey mandarins have a wonderful fragrance, flesh that is juicy and very sweet, a smooth glossy thin skin that peels easily, and a slightly flattened shape with a lot of seeds.

Tangor mandarins are most often called a Temple orange in stores and less frequently a Royal mandarin. Tangors are a cross between a tangerine and an orange that look like overgrown tangerines with a slightly rough reddish orange skin. They are easy to peel, have a lot of seeds, and a spicy tart-sweet flavor that is similar to that of an orange.

Tangelos
Minneola tangelos are one of the most plentiful and popular tangelo varieties. They are large with a deep reddish orange, pebbly skin, are slightly elongated, have few seeds, and have a characteristic knob-like formation at the stem end.

Nova tangelos are a deep orange color with segments that are sweet flavored and juicy.

Orlando tangelos are medium to large in size, round but slightly flat, juicy and mild flavored with a rind that is a deep orange color.

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