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Home » Seasonal Guides » Mandarins

Modified: Jan 25, 2023 by Vee

Mandarins

The most convenient snacking citrus tastes a whole lot better when you get them in-season and when they've had more time to ripen on the tree.

Jump to:
  • When are mandarins in season?
  • Varieties
  • Best tasting variety
  • How to pick
  • How to store
  • Seasonal recipes
  • Other seasonal fruit

When are mandarins in season?

Mandarins are in season during the cooler months, from roughly November through April. Fresh Satsuma can show up in October if they are grown near you, but they aren't often shipped long distances due to their fragility.

Like other citrus, mandarins don't get sweeter after they are picked. If you live in an area that grows them, it's worth seeking out at a farmers market. For the rest of us, we have to hope we buy a good batch at the store.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Clementines
(Halos)
xxx
W. Murcott
(Halos)
xxx
Tangelosxxxx
Satsumaxxx
Kishuxx

See what else is in season at the same time: January, February, March, April, November, and December.

Varieties

Clementines, tangerines, satsumas, tangelos, and halos are all different types of Mandarins. While 'tangerine' originally referred to a specific variety, it is now used interchangeable with the term 'mandarin.'

Types of mandarins

The difference between mandarins, tangerines, clementines, and satsumas

Mandarins are a type of orange that have slightly flat ends, thinner skin, and often sweeter flavor. Tangerines, clementines, and satsumas are all types of mandarins with their own characteristics.

  • Tangerines are technically a type of mandarin, but the two terms are used interchangeably these days.
  • Clementines are smaller than tangerines, and seedless. They are often sold under the Halo or Sweetie brands.
  • Satsumas are even smaller, also seedless, even easier to peel, and more fragile (they bruise easily).
  • Tangelos are a cross between a tangerine and pomelo (or grapefruit), giving them a sweet and slightly tart flavor.

Minneola tangelo

The Minneola is a cross between the darcy tangerine and duncan grapefuit.

  • Also called "Honeybell"
  • Sweet and slightly tart
  • Larger than other mandarins, about the size of a small orange
  • Peels easily and is very juicy

Sumo

"Sumo Citrus" is the brand name of a delicate, tasty hybrid mandarin. They are quite expensive, at 2x (or more) the price of other mandarins.

  • Larger (almost the size of an orange)
  • Sweet, mildly tart, and low in acidity
  • Peels easily and is juicy

More reading: "Do Sumo Citrus mandarins deserve the hype?"

Honey / Murcott

The Murcott mandarin is often marketed as "Honey" or "Honey Tangerine" (which is different than W. Murcott).

  • Medium size for a mandarin
  • Very sweet
  • Not as easy to peel and has seeds

Gold Nugget

Gold nugget mandarins usually have a pretty bumpy skin, making them a bit ugly. But they are delicious and are "considered by professional taste panels to be one of the very best flavored citrus in the world." - UC Riverside

  • Medium in size and bumpy rind
  • Very sweet, no seeds
  • Peels fairly easily
  • Late season variety

W. Murcott Afourer

Different than the Honey/Murcott variety, it will be labeled as W. Murcott or Afourer to avoid confusion. It's also been trademarked as "Delite"

  • Smaller in size
  • Sweet, good flavor, can have seeds but often doesn't
  • Peels easily

Shasta Gold

Developed as a late-season variety at UC-Riverside, along with Tahoe Gold and Yosemite Gold.

  • Medium size
  • Sweet, rich flavor
  • Peels easily, no seeds

Satsuma & Kishu

Satsuma are much less durable than other mandarins, making them harder to ship and thus harder to find. However, they are the most common mandarin used for the canned mandarins you buy at the grocery store.

Kishu mandarins are about the size of a walnut, and other than their size, they are similar to other mandarins.

Best tasting variety

The sweetest and best tasting mandarins rely slightly on the variety but mostly on how long they were left to ripen on the tree.

Gold Nugget is a top choice for flavor if you can find that specific variety. Sumo Citrus are consistently good, but double the price per pound compared to other mandarins.

Buying Halo, Cutie, and Sweetie brand clementines have been very hit or miss for me (mostly misses, sadly). When that happens I use their juice in salads, stews, or baked goods, where the flavor doesn't need to shine.

How to pick

It's hard to tell if mandarins are ripe or how long they were left to ripen on the tree. And in the case of Halos, which are sold bundled in bags, you can't individually pick them anyway. There are a few tips that might help you find the good ones:

  • Look for slightly loose skin. If the skin is too loose, it's a sign it has lost water weight and has dried out (think of clothes that fit well... not too tight, but not so baggy that it looks like you lost a ton of weight).
  • The spot where the stem was should be soft and white. If it is brown, it was likely picked a while ago and is no longer very fresh.
  • It should be very fragrant. If it is not, it was either picked too early from the tree or has been stored for too long and is drying out.

How to store

They can be left on the counter for a few days, or loose in the fridge for several weeks.

Seasonal recipes

Fresh mandarins are great for snacking and using raw in salads. But if you have a bag of clementines that just don't have a lot of flavor, you can still make good use of them in baked goods, in a marinade, or a recipe that relies on the zest for most of the flavor.

Salads

Mandarins and clementines are a great option for adding to salads because they are easy to peel and segment - unlike oranges with have to be peeled and segmented with a knife and get juice everywhere.

The zest and juice can also be used in salad dressings and vinaigrette.

Winter panzanella salad with orange-ginger vinaigrette recipe by Floating Kitchen
Winter panzanella salad with orange-ginger vinaigrette
Asian chicken salad recipe by Damn Delicious
Asian chicken salad
Sesame baked chicken tenders with mandarin-ginger dressing recipe by Brooklyn Supper
Sesame baked chicken tenders with mandarin-ginger dressing
Apple, mandarin, pear spinach salad with feta & orange poppy seed dressing recipe by Cooking Classy
Apple, mandarin, pear spinach salad with feta & orange poppy seed dressing
Shaved brussels sprouts citrus quinoa salad recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Shaved brussels sprouts citrus quinoa salad
Citrus & wild rice salad recipe by Recipe Runner
Citrus & wild rice salad
Clementine, fennel, and avocado salad recipe by Gimme Some Oven
Clementine, fennel, and avocado salad
Kale, clementine, and feta salad with honey-lime dressing recipe by Cookie + Kate
Kale, clementine, and feta salad with honey-lime dressing

Meat

If you're trying to use up a bag of clementines, try one of these recipes. You can also find orange-based recipes and almost always swap in any type of mandarin. For example, I make take-out style orange chicken quite often and use everything from valencia oranges in summer to clementines in winter.

I found recipes that call for mandarins, just to make sure they are fool proof for you.

Thai-spiced mandarin orange roasted chicken thighs recipe by Kitchen Confidante
Thai-spiced mandarin orange roasted chicken thighs
Spicy tangerine beef with carrot ribbons recipe by Dinner then Dessert
Spicy tangerine beef with carrot ribbons
Citrus and herb roasted turkey recipe by Brooklyn Supper
Citrus and herb roasted turkey
Mojo criollo marinade for chicken, pork, and seafood recipe by Garlic & Zest
Mojo criollo marinade for chicken, pork, and seafood
Clementine-cinnamon carnitas tacos recipe by Brooklyn Supper
Clementine-cinnamon carnitas tacos
Mandarin orange chicken salad recipe by Wonky Wonderful
Mandarin orange chicken salad
Grilled swordfish kebabs with citrus herb salsa recipe by Kitchen Confidante
Grilled swordfish kebabs with citrus herb salsa
Mandarin chicken and broccoli rice bowls recipe by Jessica Gavin
Mandarin chicken and broccoli rice bowls
Adobo butter turkey with clementines recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
Adobo butter turkey

Dessert

Many dessert recipes rely on the zest for flavor, like a tea cake, which means you can safely use up flavorless mandarins without sacrificing the flavor in the recipe. You can also rely on added sugars and flavors to enhance a lackluster fruit, like the brown sugar glazed clementine recipe below.

Other recipes, like chocolate dipped clementines, require a good tasting fruit to begin with. So save your best tasting ones for this purpose.

Tangerine poppy seed cake recipe by The View from Great Island
Tangerine poppy seed cake
Orange olive oil cake recipe by Supergolden Bakes
Orange olive oil cake
Brown sugar glazed clementines with cream cheese, honey, and pistachios recipe by Kitchen Sanctuary
Brown sugar glazed clementines with cream cheese, honey, and pistachios
Clementine-vanilla bean cheesecake with chocolate cookie crust recipe by Yes to Yolks
Clementine-vanilla bean cheesecake with chocolate cookie crust
Clementine cookies recipe by Sugar Hero
Clementine cookies
Clemen-thyme chocolate chunk cookies recipe by Sugar Hero
Clemen-thyme chocolate chunk cookies
Cointreau-glazed clementine & fresh cranberry tea cake recipe by Bojon Gourmet
Cointreau-glazed clementine & fresh cranberry tea cake
Orange sherbert recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Orange sherbert
Chocolate dipped clementines recipe by How Sweet Eats
Chocolate dipped clementines

Drinks & cocktails

A good way to use up a lot of mandarins? Squeeze the juice into drinks.

Mandarin hibiscus tea with black pepper & cinnamon recipe by Brooklyn Supper
Mandarin hibiscus tea with black pepper & cinnamon
Clementine Moscow mules recipe by Yes to Yolks
Clementine Moscow mules
Clementine creamsicle margaritas with chili salt recipe by Yes to Yolks
Clementine creamsicle margaritas with chili salt
Clementine iced tea (Instant Pot) by Recipes from a Pantry
Clementine iced tea (Instant Pot)
Mezcal margarita recipe by Feasting at Home
Mezcal margarita
Persimmon & tangerine smoothie with vanilla, ginger, and turmeric recipe by Bojon Gourmet
Persimmon & tangerine smoothie with vanilla, ginger, and turmeric
Orange drop recipe by Vanilla and Bean
Orange drop
Homemade Hot Toddy kit recipe by Half Baked Harvest
Homemade Hot Toddy kit
Sparkling clementine thyme cocktail recipe by Heather Christo
Sparkling clementine thyme cocktail
Clementine French 75 recipe by Cookie + Kate
Clementine French 75
Chocolate covered clementine smoothie recipe by How Sweet Eats
Chocolate covered clementine smoothie
Clementine cream sodas recipe by How Sweet Eats
Clementine cream sodas

Make it yourself

Winter cheese board with German beer cheese fondue recipe by Foxes Love Lemons
Winter cheese board with German beer cheese fondue
Mandarin marmalade recipe by A Family Feast
Mandarin marmalade
Clementine jam recipe by The View from Great Island
Clementine jam

Other seasonal fruit

Look for grapefruit, blood oranges, kumquats, and kiwi throughout winter, or check out the seasonal calendar.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cloyd Hyten says

    July 18, 2022 at 5:53 pm

    I wish I had read your comments before I shopped at Kroger the other day. They had mandarins in bags and I thought they can’t be in season in mid-July, but there they were. I bought them and the whole bag was a tasteless waste. Feel like Kroger conned me. Stick to the winter months for these despite what grocery stores are selling.

    Reply
  2. Shriya Singh says

    May 24, 2022 at 10:43 am

    Hi! I love how informative and great your articles are. Can you recommend any other blogs that share recipes of Vegan Macarons or vegan dessert recipes? Thanks a lot!

    Reply
    • Vee says

      May 24, 2022 at 4:19 pm

      Thanks for the compliment! I try to be as detailed as possible. And I do actually have a recipe site to recommend: Pies & Tacos. I love her desserts and she has a ton of vegan macarons: https://www.piesandtacos.com/?s=vegan+macarons

      Reply
  3. Estella says

    May 05, 2022 at 3:01 pm

    I just bought a small Clementine tree that is full of tiny green fruit. Can I up pot it now or do I wait till after the fruit ripens in winter. The pot that it came in is 5 gallon and was only half filled with soil. I think it needs to be repotted but I’m afraid I will lose the fruit in the process. What should I do?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Vee says

      May 05, 2022 at 4:57 pm

      That is a tough one. They can drop their fruit when stressed out, but the shipping / move might be enough stress to cause it anyway. I have a few questions & suggestions:
      1. Do you plan to keep this in a pot? If so, I highly recommend a fabric pot. They stay cooler and the roots can dry out easier (citrus don't like standing water or waterlogged soils) You could pot up to a 6-10 gallon right now. Eventually a 15-gallon as it ages. Don't do a 15 gallon now - the problem is if the roots don't reach all of the soil, it can't pull up all of the water. That lets the soil remain wet, which the tree won't like. I like to buy my pots from 247 garden because their pricing is way better than anywhere else. Citrus like to send their roots down (so a taller pot is better than a wider pot). Sadly, that site is currently out of stock of 7+ gallon tall pots, but they do have 6 gallon options. You can get a 'transplant' pot that opens if you think you'll need to repot in a year if it grows really well. Or I often get the regular pot and then cut it apart when transplanting.

      2. I would probably repot it, knowing that there is a chance I lose the fruit (better now than later). I say this knowing personally how hard it is to lose that fruit you are so excited for!

      3. Soil for repotting: When you repot it, I recommend the 5-1-1 soil, which has worked really well for the 3 potted citrus I have right now. The soil is 5 parts fine bark(like 1/2" pieces), 1 part perlite, and one part potting soil. I use bark for reptile cages. And make sure your potting soil doesn't have chemical wetting agents (it's in nearly all potting soil and citrus don't like wet roots). The Fox Farm brand doesn't have wetting agents, but it is expensive.

      Reply
  4. Estella says

    May 05, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

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