How to choose sweet and seedless tangerines. How Do I Pick Good Tangerines? Green tangerines are the tastiest

Mandarin description

Several species and hybrids with similar characteristics are called tangerines. Trees grow in tropical and subtropical zones. They reach a height of 4-5 m, and the crown diameter is 3-3.5 m. The leaves are small, with pointed tips, fall off every 4 years. The flowers are white, single or double, and have a pleasant aroma.

Fruits are small (except for some hybrids). The shape is rounded, flattened, elongated fruits are less common. The skin is easily removable. There are 7-8 lobules inside, separated by a thin film. The size and number of seeds depends on the variety. The taste is sweet with sourness.

The plant is self-pollinated, making it easier to create new varieties. Reproduction takes place either by seeds or seedlings. The crop is obtained within 3-4 years after planting. In temperate climates, it is easy to grow homemade citrus in a pot, it even bears fruit in an apartment. But the fruits are not as sweet as in hot countries.

Classification of varieties

Mandarins have species and varieties, and a variety of hybrids are also bred. They are divided by region of origin, production method, color, etc.

The main species groups:

• Noble ones. They are thermophilic, have large leaves and large fruits. Their skin is bright orange and bumpy.
• Tangerines (Italian). Trees with small leaves, medium oval fruits, thermophilic. The skin is bright orange or yellow, thin, with a pronounced aroma.
• Satsuma or unshiu. Winter-hardy trees that can withstand frosts down to -10⁰С. Fruits are light orange, sometimes with green spots. The skin is thin. This species is sometimes called Japanese, from which the famous Abkhaz tangerines originated.

Scientific classification

It is customary to divide into 7 pomological groups:

• Citrus unshiu. The dwarf yellow mandarin Satsuma or unshiu, which is good for temperate climates, is native to Japan. On its basis, many varieties and hybrids have been bred. The average weight of fruits is 50-70 g, their main advantage is the absence of seeds. These tangerines are grown by Georgia, Abkhazia, they are popular in Azerbaijan, Crimea.
• Citrus austere. The sweetest and most delicious Chinese mandarin with a bright orange peel and pulp. It belongs to a separate species. In Europe, the citrus fruit is known as Italian or Sicilian tangerine. Widely cultivated in the USA.
• Citrus deliciosa. A group of Sino-Mediterranean varieties. Its characteristics are similar to the previous one. Often the species is grown in tubs, like a home bush.
• Citrus reticulate. Sino-Indian group. Grows in Taiwan, Philippines, popular in Brazil.
• Citrus nobilis. An Indian-Malay group, popular in Southeast Asia. These are large, bumpy citruses with thick skin and sweet flesh, they are also called noble ones.
• Sino-Japanese group. Small tangerines growing on bonsai. Fruit is often grown at home.
• Hybrids. Mandarins are crossed with almost all citrus fruits. From this they change their size, shape, taste.

Color classification

Classification of varieties of sweet tangerines by color:

• Red
• Yellow
• Green

In our country, the first two are most often found. Greens are not very popular, although there are varieties that combine orange, yellow and green hues.

Red tangerines

The rind is dark orange, almost red in color. The pulp is not much lighter, the taste is sweet, with a slight sourness.

Popular varieties of orange tangerines:

• Clementines. A variety of red tangerines with small flattened fruits. The rind is rich orange, the flesh is juicy and sweet. They are the result of crossing with an orange. In many countries, the variety is a favorite of retail chains.
• Ellendale. The fruits of this fruit are large, with a loose skin of an orange-red hue, the pulp is tasty and aromatic, without seeds. They are the product of crossing orange, tangerine and tangerine trees.
• Tangoras or tangelo (tangelo). Belongs to the noble species, bright orange, with bumpy skin, flattened shape. Obtained as a result of crossing with pomelo in vivo. Sometimes this tangerine is called orange.
• Robinson. A product of American selection, it grows mainly in Florida. Delicious sweet fruits, smooth rind of a rich shade, poorly removable.
• Fruits are medium in size, flattened. The skin is deep orange with a red tint, easily removable. The pulp is juicy, with a rich peculiar taste, a moderate amount of seeds.
• They have a delicate aroma, sweet and sour taste. The skin is thin, poorly cleaned. The variety is obtained by crossing Robinson citrus and Osceola
• Temple or royal mandarin. The fruit is sweet, tastes like an orange, with seeds.
• Cleopatra. Comes from India. Now it is bred in the USA, Australia, Spain, and is widely used to develop new hybrids and varieties. The fruits are small, with a thin, orange-red skin, the seeds are large, the taste is sweet.

Red types of tangerines have a good presentation, therefore they are very popular. Many varieties of the group are hybrids; they can belong to different pomological groups.

Yellow and green tangerines

Yellow and green tangerines are grown on different continents. To date, many varieties and hybrids of these fruits have been bred. Citrus fruits are often named after their country of origin.

The most popular varieties:

• Turkish. As the name suggests, the country of origin is Turkey. The fruits are small, the skin adheres tightly to the pulp and is difficult to peel. The color is light orange, the taste is sweet and sour, a little bland, there are many seeds in the fruits.
• Moroccan. The skin tone is golden and easy to clean. The pulp is sweet, pitted.
• Chinese. Yellow fruits with a sour taste and juicy pulp, with few seeds. On sale we are rare.
• Israeli tangerines. Medium-sized yellow-orange fruit with sweet and juicy flesh, almost seedless. The peel from the pulp does not separate well, this is the only drawback of the variety.
• Abkhaz. Fruits are sourish, small, with seeds. The peel is yellow, sometimes with a green tint. Descended from a group of Japanese species.
• Georgian. Similar to the Abkhaz, but a little sweeter and larger. Grown in Adjara, near Batumi.
• Serbian. Small, with a thick skin, clean well, but sour. They are rarely found outside the country of cultivation.
• Honey. A hybrid with an orange, with a yellow skin, tasty and juicy pulp.
• Dancy. A popular variety, delicious, sweet and juicy. Unfortunately, trees are susceptible to pests.
• Batangas. Fragrant golden fruit with a delicate taste. The peel is easily separated from the pulp, the bones are small.
• Nadorkott. Refers to tangerines, has a yellow-orange skin and pulp. Trees grow up to 2.5 m in height, begin to bear fruit as early as 1.5 years. The fruits are large, with seeds, juicy pulp and rich taste, the harvest is harvested in March. Suitable for growing at home in containers. This species is cultivated in South Africa.
• Afurer. Similar in characteristics to nadorkotta, but grown in Morocco. It begins to ripen in January. The main advantage is the lack of seeds.
• Green Philippine mandarin. The color of its fruits is unusual, resembles a swamp mud, the skin is bumpy. The pulp is orange, sweet and juicy.

Yellow fruits are popular and are easy to find in any supermarket. Abkhazian, Turkish, Georgian are quite inexpensive. Green citrus fruits are rare as they are grown in the Philippines and surrounding areas. Due to their unusual color, they are less sold, although they taste superior to many other varieties.

Hybrid varieties

Already in the previous sections, some hybrids of red and yellow species were mentioned. Crossbreeding of various tangerines with other citrus fruits is a popular selection trend. At the same time, large-sized fruits with original taste are obtained. There are hybrids with early ripening periods that are resistant to frost, pests and diseases.

Description of popular tangerine hybrids:

• September. Bred in Sukhumi on the basis of the varieties Unshiu and Pontzirus trifoliata, a pioneer of Soviet selection. A tree with a dense crown, flowers with a diameter of 2-3.5 cm. The crop is harvested in September-October. Due to the early maturity, the variety got its name. Fruits are medium, with a thin skin, which is easily separated from the pulp. The taste is sweet and sour, the pulp is juicy.
• Royal mandarin. Country of origin - Pakistan. It is the result of crossing Citrus nobilis and Citrus deliciosa. The variety was improved in 1935 in California. The skin color is yellow-orange, the pulp is juicy, with seeds, the taste is rich and intense.
• Kumquat real. Complex triple hybrid of Fortunella Hindsii kumquat and Montreal clementine. The result is an oblong small tangerine with a sweet and sour rich taste. Like the kumquat, it has a lot of seeds. The fruits are eaten along with the skin. It is possible to grow a bush both outdoors and at home.
• Rangpur. Cross product with lemon. Fruits are small, up to 5 cm in diameter. Taste with characteristic sourness.
• Mineola. A hybrid of Dancy and Duncan grapefruit. The fruits are large, weighing more than 80 g. The peel is red-orange, the pulp is juicy, sweet and sour, contains about 80% of the daily requirement of folic acid.
• A hybrid of mandarin, orange and grapefruit. Sweet and sour fruits, with large fruits, up to 7-8 cm in diameter. The skin is orange-red, thin. The harvest is early, fruits are harvested from September to November.
• Hybrid clementine and tangelo Orlando. Grows in arid regions of Arizona and California. Large sweet tangerines weigh about 100 g, the pulp is juicy, the acidity is only 0.7%.

Decorative and homemade tangerines

The ancestor of ornamental tangerine trees is the wild Japanese dwarf. They are grown in containers or flowerpots. Very little space is needed for such a tree. With proper care, 3-4 kg of citrus fruits can be harvested from one bush.

Popular dwarf varieties:

• Home Pavlovsky. The tree grows up to 1 m high, the flowers are large, up to 3 cm in diameter, fragrant. The fruits are covered with a thin skin, weight about 80 cm, the aroma resembles an orange.
• Anniversary. A hybrid of Miagawa Vasya and an orange, bred in the USSR and intended for home cultivation. The fruit is large, with original warts on the bottom. Ripens early, sweet-sour, aromatic.
• Forged-Vasya. The tree grows up to 50 cm, covered with corrugated foliage. The flowers are small and fragrant. Pear-shaped fruits, with a thin skin, juicy pulp, well cleaned. 50-70 ripe tangerines are harvested from one bush.
• Calamondin. The calamondin mandarin belongs to a distinct citrus species. He only resembles his relative in form. At home, it grows up to 1 m, has fruits the size of a walnut. Their skin is yellow-green, good taste. Flowers and ripe tangerines on the tree often grow at the same time.
• Emperor. A productive tree that begins to bear fruit in December. The peel on small fruits is plump and easy to clean, the taste is pleasant and sweet.
• Unshiu. Like satsuma, it is the ancestor of indoor species. Forms a low broad-leaved bush, decorative foliage, wavy. The fruit resembles a pear, pitted.
• Imperial. A distinctive feature of the variety, from which it got its name, are large fruits, weighing up to 80 g, with sweet and juicy pulp. Harvested from November.
• Shiva Mikan. The tree is small, blooms profusely. The yield is average, one citrus weighs an average of 50 g.

How to get a good harvest of lemons, tangerines, oranges and grapefruits?

hashimoto tangerine, first harvest

Conclusion

Citrus loves the sun, so they put it on the south window. The room temperature should not fall below 16-18⁰С. In the summer, the pot is taken out into the street, but at night it is better to take it into the house. Water the bush as the soil dries up, sometimes spray the leaves from a spray bottle. Fertilizers are applied during the active growing season. Mixtures for indoor flowers are suitable. If the care is correct, the tree will bear fruit for about 10 years.

It turns out that tangerines have become a symbol of the New Year for a reason. This happened back in the Soviet Union, when the shortage of foreign fruits was especially acute in winter. Since tangerines were ripening in time for the New Year in Abkhazia, Soviet citizens were waiting for them on the counters to make supplies for the festive table. Now, when the abundance of fruits does not dry out even in cold weather, tangerines are still New Year's favorites. True, there are many more varieties on the shelves, so it is important to learn how to choose the most delicious fruits.

Spanish tangerines. Tangerines grown in sunny Spain are quite large in size and bright thick skin. But, despite the thickness, it is easily peeled off. Spanish mandarins have a juicy pulp and a sweet taste. The only drawback is the presence of bones. But there are varieties without this drawback, so you need to clarify this fact with the sellers. Spanish tangerines are one of the most delicious and expensive, so you can find them only in large stores.

Chinese tangerines. It is the Chinese tangerines that are almost always sold with twigs and leaves. Usually these fruits are not very large and not very bright, often with a greenish tint. Chinese tangerines have good taste, they are sweet and sour, juicy and easy to peel. For the price, Chinese mandarins are one of the most budgetary ones.

Turkish tangerines. Tangerines from Turkey come in a variety of colors and can be yellow or orange. The brightest fruits are usually the sweetest. There are very few seeds in these fruits, which is an undoubted advantage. But the disadvantages of Turkish tangerines include poorly peeled peel.

Moroccan tangerines. Among the varieties of mandarins from Morocco, it is almost impossible to find sour fruits. Also, these tangerines rarely have seeds. Mandarins from Morocco have a very bright orange color and a small characteristic dent in the middle, so they are easy to distinguish from others. They also have a thin skin that can be easily peeled off.

Abkhaz tangerines. These tangerines do not look as presentable as the rest, but they are rightfully considered the most useful and environmentally friendly. They are not lubricated with wax, so their skin does not shine. The color of the fruit is not bright, with green blotches, like the Chinese varieties. The pulp is sweet and sour, juicy, and there are practically no seeds. The peel is quite thin, so the tangerines from Abkhazia are easy to peel.

Well, now it's time for this wonderful fruit to appear on the shelves. Without waiting for the New Year's celebrations, I want to quickly again feel the forgotten taste of last year. Already a month before the holiday, you can see ripe juicy fruits, small greenish tangerines plucked right with sprigs, elastic, hard fruits with poorly peeled skin ... How to understand all this tangerine variety?

Most often, you can see Turkish and Abkhaz tangerines on the counter. The former are distinguished by a large number of seeds. Sometimes there can be up to 20 of them inside such a tangerine! The skin is glossy, tightly attached to the pulp, which is why such a tangerine is not so easy to peel. Their taste is sweet and sour, and the size of the fruits is not very large. Another Turkish fruit has a slightly greenish skin color.
Orange fruit from Abkhazia tastes sour. Unlike the tangerines from Turkey, the skin is bright yellow.
If you see the bright orange fruits of a tangerine tree of a slightly flattened shape, it's nice to meet you - Moroccan tangerine. Perhaps he will be the best choice. It tastes sweet, but there are no seeds at all! What you need if you are going to treat your child with tangerines. Easy peeling of the skin will be a big plus. In general, some advantages!
And finally, Spanish tangerines are just very large compared to their brethren. Besides their size, they are also easy to distinguish by touch. The fruit itself does not seem to adhere to the thick, porous matte peel. In appearance, they are rather loose, in contrast to the hard, dense, elastic Turkish tangerines. And they clean themselves just fine, even a child can handle it. Juicy and sweet, these fruits delight with a small amount of seeds. And perhaps, if not for the size, this sort of mandarin could be called a classic on the New Year's table. Moreover, they are stored for a very long time.

Very often in the fruit market and in supermarkets, we come across tangerine hybrids with other citrus fruits. These fruits turn out to be very tasty, but artificially created - after all, they are not tangerines.
So, most often we see tangerine-clementine - a cross between tangerine and orange. From his parents, he took sweet taste and small size. Only now it is not very clean and in the cut it still resembles an orange. The scent is also mixed. But the fruit is very juicy. In general, if you want to buy this option, then clementine is just a fruit, without an admixture of New Year's mood.


It is almost impossible to find a hybrid of mandarin and grapefruit - a fruit called tangelo and mineola. Although they taste more like an orange.
But kumquat is a delicacy on the Russian counter. It is rare due to the high price. Its taste is quite original, and everything is considered edible - from sour pulp to sweet skin. You will immediately recognize him, he is smaller than the smallest tangerine.


As you can see, from the abundance of citrus options on the market, everyone will choose a tangerine to their taste, color and even size. Well, so that the purchase does not disappoint, do not buy, focusing only on the name of the variety. This is just a territorial difference, which is also important in the purchase. But it would still be better to take a close look at the mandarin duck. The ripeness of the fruit can be understood by the color of the peel. In a fruit of any variety, it should be of a bright saturated color, not pale and faded. Don't be afraid to ask the seller to "open" the tangerine. The color of the flesh should be identical to the color of the skin. Soft areas on the "body" of a mandarin say that the fruit is of poor quality - rotten or slightly frozen. Finally, squeeze the fruit in your hand. Juice will sprinkle from the ripe one. Successful shopping and tangerine mood!

On the eve of the New Year holidays, all people rush to buy tangerines - an integral symbol and companion of the holiday. Haubeisell will help you make the right choice. When buying these fruits, you should be aware of the main taste qualities of fruits from different countries. Do not confuse these gifts of Pomona with clementines, mineoles. They are also delicious and aromatic in their own way. Someone may like these kinds of fruits. You should know the rules and shelf life of citrus fruits.

When buying tangerines, you should opt for heavy, weighty fruits, they have the best taste characteristics. Howbuysell advises that tangerines should be free of blackheads, spots, dents, areas of rot or mold. Better to buy firm, but not soft fruits with the correct rounded shape. You can not choose hard fruits with dried skin. The uniform color of the fruit with yellow, yellow-orange or orange color indicates that the gifts of Pomona are fresh. Usually fruits with a yellow or green-yellow color are more sour than fruits with golden-orange and orange colors.

Sweet fruit

The trading network offers a variety of citrus fruits. The haubisell site will introduce you to juicy fruits such as clementines and mineoles.

Clementines

Clementines are similar to tangerines in their appearance and juiciness of the product. Clementines are a hybrid fruit developed by crossing an orange with a mandarin in the early years of the 20th century. Usually clementines are juicy and sweet, their peel is thin and smooth, shimmering with gloss. There are very few bones in them. Such a product is an order of magnitude more expensive than ordinary classic tangerines.

Mineola

Mineola is not so common in the trading network. They are the product of crossing a tangerine tangerine with a grapefruit from the Duncan series. Mineola has a peculiar shape that resembles a "pot-bellied" pear. Their size is larger than that of mandarins. The taste qualities of mineola are more directed towards sourness with obvious manifestations of sweetness. The thin skin of the mineola with an orange or orange-reddish color is good for peeling. The product has a pleasant smell and a lot of seeds.

Tangerines, like our apples, come in many different varieties with different flavors. In each country, the variety is grown that is most suitable for growing and fruiting in the climatic conditions of a given area. The taste characteristics of these fruits of different varieties differ from each other. Therefore, when choosing tangerines, the Hubaisell website recommends paying attention to the country of origin.

Abkhazian fruits

Mandarins from Abkhazia are small in size and yellow or greenish-yellow in color. The peel separates well from the fruit. Juicy Abkhaz citrus has a sweet and sour taste, with a bias towards "sourness". The smell is excellent, reminiscent of "fruit from childhood." This citrus product contains a small amount of seeds. Abkhazian tangerines are inexpensive and, on the advice of haubaisell, are an economical purchase option.

Spanish citrus

Mandarins from Spain are distinguished by their size, thick peel that easily separates from the fruit, rich taste with a sweet and sour taste, directed towards sweetness. Spanish bright orange citrus fruits are extremely juicy, with few seeds. Their price is high.

Manufacturer Turkey

Turkish mandarins are distinguished by their small fruits and a large number of seeds. Their color can be orange or yellow with the best tasting characteristics of orange fruits. Surprisingly, the thin skin of these fruits does not lag well behind the fruit. Turkish fruits, as the how buy sell notes, are the most inexpensive citrus fruits.

Citrus fruits from Morocco

Moroccan mandarins are most often referred to as inexpensive varieties. Their size is very small with a flattened shape. But the color, which contains bright, golden-orange colors, pleases me. Fruit with juicy pulp and excellent sweet and slightly sour taste, without pits, with easily peeling skin, according to hоwbuysell, is the best option, combining excellent taste characteristics with affordable prices.

Other manufacturers

We sell tangerines from China very rarely, we can say that they do not occur at all. They are endowed with a pleasant and juicy sweet and sour taste and have a yellow color. Israeli citrus fruits are a rare guest of our supermarkets. But they are also endowed with excellent taste characteristics: sweetness, juiciness, medium size. Citrus fruits from Israel have very few seeds. The peel has a yellow-orange color and is difficult to separate from the pulp.

There are cases that after 2-3 days of storage in a closed plastic bag, tangerines are completely covered with mold. Therefore, you should be aware that, while providing citrus fruits with the best storage conditions, they should not be kept for more than a week. Hоwbuysell considers the vegetable container of the refrigerator to be the best storage conditions. The laid fruits are shifted with paper, placing a parchment sheet on top. Storage for 2-3 days and no more is permissible in an ajar plastic bag in a refrigerator with a temperature of 4-8 degrees Celsius.

New Year is not only about a tree, holiday lights, snow and gifts. Tangerines are one of the main attributes of the favorite holiday. Where do they come from and how do fruits from different countries differ from each other? And most importantly, which ones are the tastiest?

Abkhazia

Mandarins in Abkhazia ripen in late November - early December. However, they begin to harvest in advance in order to have time to realize most of it by the New Year. Abkhaz fruits are easy to recognize on store shelves - they are small, have a very thick yellow rind, which, however, is easily separated from the juicy pulp. This variety, by the way, was brought to Abkhazia from Japan. It is considered the most frost-resistant and easily transfers transportation to Russia, which is the number 1 market for the republic's producers.

Turkey

Unlike oranges, which are harvested in Turkey all year round, tangerines ripen closer to mid-autumn. The first harvest is usually celebrated in October. The most fertile regions are Bodrum, Alanya, Antalya and Mersin. Turkish mandarins have a yellow-orange color, quite regular, round shape. The rind is quite thin, but peeling the fruit is not always easy. The taste is sweet and sour, but most often quite bland. And there are too many seeds in the fruit.

Morocco

Moroccan mandarins are easy to distinguish from all the rest - they are small, bright orange and slightly flattened at the top and bottom. There are almost no seeds in such fruits, but they taste sweet and unusually juicy. Harvest in Morocco is harvested once a year. The earliest fruits hit the markets at the end of November. Often in Russia, under the guise of Moroccan tangerines, they sell clementines - citrus hybrids. They differ from their fellows in their larger size and extremely bright color.

Argentina

Argentine mandarins are the earliest and therefore the most expensive. They can be found on Russian counters starting in September. The fruit is quite large, bright orange in color. The taste is sweet and sour, there are a lot of seeds. Peeling Argentine mandarins takes a lot of effort. Their peel is thin and constantly torn, and the secreted juice stings the fingers.

China

The country is considered the leader in the volume of citrus fruits grown, including tangerines. Fruit picking begins in late September - early October. Plantations are mainly found in Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hunan, Zhejiang and Hebei provinces. Chinese mandarins are small, light orange. The rind is slightly bumpy. Fruit is often sold on twigs with leaves. When choosing tangerines from the Middle Kingdom, rub a leaf - a light, herbaceous aroma should come from it. If it is not there or the smell is too strong, the fruit trees, most likely, were generously treated with fertilizers.

Israel

Mandarins in the Promised Land ripen in the middle of winter. And they reach Russia at best by the end of January. Fruits are medium, pale yellow in color. The skin is thin, shiny, but it is difficult to clean. Israeli tangerines do not differ in their juiciness, they are rather dry, but this does not particularly affect the sweetness of the fruit.