Tangerines being in the citrus fruit group which has
a loose and easily peeled skin that zips right open.
The sections of tangerines separate easily and are very
sweet.
There are many varieties of tangerines in your supermarket.
- Clementine which is (also known as Algerian tangerine)
are small, sweet-tasting and seedless tangerine. The membranes
covering the carpel's are thinner than in other tangerines,
and the texture of the tangerine fruit is very delicate. Most
clementines are imported from North Africa and Spain.
Season for clementines are November thru April.
- Tangelo is a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit
or pomelo (a large citrus fruit that is related to
the grapefruit); the name is a combination of tangerine
and pomelo. Tangelos look like large oranges; the
most popular variety, Minneola, has a distinct knob
like projection on the stem end. Although they are
closer to tangerines than to grapefruits in flavor,
they have a taste all their own. Season for tangelos
are November thru February.
- Tangerine which is also known as the mandarin and
the name tangerine is often used interchangeably,
however a tangerine is actually a group of the mandarin
orange. The flavor is distinctive and slightly tart.
Tangerines are somewhat flat at the ends and have
deep orange, loose-fitting, pebbly skin. Honey tangerines,
which were originally called Murcotts, have deep orange
flesh, but their skins are more green than orange.
They are very sweet, as their name suggests. The season
for tangerines are November thru January.
- Temple which is also called a Royal mandarin, this
fruit is a tangor, which is a cross between a tangerine
and an orange. Temples resemble overgrown tangerines
and have many seeds. They are very sweet and juicy,
and their flavor is similar to that of an orange.
The season for temple is January thru March.
When shopping for tangerines/mandarins with their loose-fitting
skins, will feel soft and puffy compared to oranges
and should also be heavy for their size; otherwise,
they might be pithy and dry. Make sure to choose fruits
with glossy, deep orange skins, but disregard small
green patches near the stems.
Storage tangerines in the refrigerator for up to 7
days.
Tangerines, Algerian Tangerines and other mandarins are easy to prepare
for use in fruit salad or cooked dishes, just peel the
fruit, separate the segments, and then pull off the
membrane from the segments, if desired. Also be sure
to remove the pits, which may be many or just few depending
on the variety of fruit. Adding tangerine segments to
coleslaw or tuna salad is great for a delicious and
colorful treat!
 Tangerines, Mandarins and Tangelos are all great for
snacking because they are easy to peel and eat.
Tangerines are very high in Vitamin C.
These citrus fruits are bright orange in color and
each one has a distinctive sweet flavor all its own.
Tangerines are grown in Florida, California, Arizona,
and Texas. The algerian tangerine originates in the nation
of Algeria in North Africa. All tangerines are nutricious and delicious!
For information on the great fruit cantaloupe go-here for
cantaloupe web site.
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