How to Keep Honeybells Fresh and Delicious

Honeybells are a luxury fruit that only come into season for a very short time each year. Often Honeybell crops sell out entirely in advance, so if you’re lucky enough to get some Honeybells this year you should use these tips to keep them fresh and delicious for as long as possible. You can enjoy Honeybells for quite some time after the growing season if you store them properly. Honeybell tangelos are delicious snacks that are brimming with juice and usually get eaten pretty quickly but here’ show to store them to keep fresher for longer:

Don’t keep them in a tightly sealed bag – You may think that storing your Honeybells in a plastic bag, like a sandwich bag, is the best way to keep them fresh but that’s not the case. In fact, keeping Honeybells in a sealed bag will make them spoil faster. The more tightly the bag is closed the more condensation will build up inside the bag, which can encourage the growth of mold on the fruit. Honeybell tangelos have a lot of juice, sometimes as much as half a pound of juice, which means they have a lot of moisture already. Even paper bags can create condensation so if you’re going to put the fruit in a bag leave the bag open.

Do keep the fruit in a cold environment – Honeybell tangelos, like oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits, keep the best at a temperature between 45 and 50 degrees. You can keep your Honeybells and grapefruits and oranges in the crisper drawer of the fridge or keep them in a cabinet on an outside facing wall. The cold coming in from outdoors should keep them at the optimum storage temperature. Keeping the fruit at room temperature for longer than about a week can make the fruit rot. While some people say that the taste of the fruit is better at room temperature storing it at room temperature is not recommended. Keep the fruit chilled and slowly allow it to warm to room temperature if you want to eat it at room temperature.

Do check the fruit for mold or blemishes when it arrives – Chances are you won’t find any, but checking the fruit when it arrives ensures that you won’t let a piece rot and infect the other fruit. Honeybells are a specialty fruit and are treated with the utmost care so it’s rare to find any flaws on a Honeybell but it’s always a good idea to check.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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