Exotic Citrus Fruit Varieties: Honeybells

Exotic Citrus Fruit Varieties: Honeybells

The crossing of one fruit variety with another is quite common in the citrus world. In fact, it is the reason we have the grapefruit, the orange, the lemon, and the tangerine. Hybridization was also used to create the tangelo, a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit or pomelo. Although not nearly as popular as any of the aforementioned citrus fruits, the tangelo or Honeybell is considered by many to be the finest eating “orange” in the world.

No, it’s not technically an orange, but Honeybells are closely related on both an aesthetic and genetic level. The main difference is that they are intentionally crossbred by farmers in order to enhance certain natural attributes, such as color, sweetness, and juiciness. Although they are not grown in large quantities in most areas, Honeybells are an important specialty crop in Florida.

What makes them different?

The average tangelo is a bit smaller than the average orange, about the size of your palm, as long as you have average-size hands…Tangelos also have a longer shelf life than oranges and have a distinctive taste that is described by most as tart and sweet. The main problem is finding them, since they are only grown in certain regions.

Availability

Honeybells are considered a winter fruit, since their blossoms typically burst in the early fall and the fruit does not mature until the middle of winter or early spring. Large crops are rare because the trees that produce them are extremely sensitive to changes in weather and because they only bloom once each year. As a result, tangelos are generally more expensive than ordinary oranges. They are also much harder to find, especially if you do not reside in a citrus producing state like Florida.

Common varieties

Most experts believe that the first tangelos were cultivated in Eastern Asia more than 3,000 years ago. Because they have been around for so long and because farmers continue to cross them, there are many different kinds or varieties of Honeybells. The most popular names in North American and European markets are Minneola tangelos, which are grown by crossing a Dancy tangerine with a Bowen grapefruit. This pairing produces some of the finest eating “oranges” on Earth.

How to spot them

About the size of a navel orange, Honeybells have a bright orange peel or rind that has a distinctive bell-shaped nipple or knob on top. The rind is often quite loose and can be removed in a matter of seconds. On the inside, the fruit or flesh is juicy and mildly sweet.

In addition to the Minneola, there is the Nova and the Ugli®, both of which are a bit darker and sweeter. All of these varieties are grown domestically or nearby, mostly in the Caribbean. Jamaica, for example, is famous for the Ugli®, which is a three-way cross between orange, tangerine, and grapefruit varieties. Oddly enough, the fruit is still considered a tangelo.