The latest additions to California’s peak citrus season are Tangerines, and that makes them this week’s Fresh Pick of the Week from the Certified Farmers’ Markets. Tangerines are generally smaller and less rounded than oranges. Their taste is sweeter and stronger than that of an orange, with tinge of flavor that is all their own.
Ripe Tangerines are firm to slightly soft, heavy for their size, and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves. The peel is very thin and easy to peel and to split into segments. Tangerines are most commonly peeled and eaten fresh. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Tangerine peel is used fresh or dried as a spice, or zested for baking and drinks.
Did You Know: Tangerines are closely related to, or a variant of, Mandarin Oranges. Which is actually the case is hard to nail down, even among scientists. Mandarin Oranges are one of the natural ancestors of modern citrus varieties, though, and the only one of them that is naturally sweet, so there is definitely a relationship of some sort between the two!
Price: $1 per pound
