How to Make Your Honeybells Last!

By: The Hale Groves Team | On: December 2, 2021 | Category: Fruit Facts

Great news – the season for Honeybell Tangelos is almost upon us! Never heard of Honeybells? It’s not surprising – their season is very short (just through January and February), which may mean that they’re unavailable in your local grocery. The good news is that you can by Honeybell oranges online from Hale Groves!

Here are a few answers to some commonly asked questions about this amazing fruit:

What are Honeybells?

Also known as “tangelos,” Honeybell citrus fruits are a cross between a sweet Dancy tangerine and a juicy grapefruit. The word “tangelo” comes from a blending of the words, “tangerine” and “pomelo” (pomelos are the ancestor of the modern grapefruit). The taste is like a sweet and tangy orange.

Honeybells have loose skins, making them easier to peel than a common sweet orange. About the size of an adult’s fist, the “bell” part of their name comes from the protuberance at the stem ends that gives the Honeybell tangelo its distinctive bell-like shape. Honeybells have few to no seeds and a lovely, honey-sweet flavor with just a hint of tanginess.

“Where can I buy Honeybell oranges?”

Indian River Honeybells from Hale Groves are truly an orange-lover’s orange. And if you don’t believe us, check out our Honeybell oranges’ review…there are nearly a thousand!

Honeybells are very sensitive to even slight variations in temperature, which means they can only be grown in very specific locations – mostly along a section of the Indian River in Florida, with smaller quantities grown in parts of Arizona, California and Texas.

As stated above, Honeybell season is very short, and the fruit is always hand-picked. This means they disappear fast from stores. That’s why ordering them online from Hale Groves is your best bet to try these melt-in-your-mouth oranges!

“How do I store Honeybells?”

Unlike apples or tomatoes, once citrus fruit is picked, it no longer ripens. Therefore, there’s no advantage to storing them on the counter (unless you prefer to eat them at room temperature, in which case you can leave it out for half an hour before eating it).

The good news is that citrus last awhile when stored in the fridge. You can store your Honeybells in the refrigerator just the way you would store oranges – unwashed (because moisture on the skins can lead to mold and spoilage), in a net bag or an open bowl so air can circulate freely around the oranges.

Are Honeybells Healthy?

Honeybell fruit is a nutritional powerhouse, standing out as an excellent source of certain vitamins and minerals. A large Honeybell can fulfill your entire daily vitamin C requirement as well as provide you with around 5% of your daily vitamin A and calcium needs. Keep in mind, though, if you take medication that is affected by eating grapefruit, you should avoid Honeybells as one of their parent fruits is grapefruit.

Honeybells – even the name sounds beautiful, calling to mind an image of a sweet, golden bell. But you can actually eat these bells – and not only are they good as they sound, they’re good for you, too. Enjoy Honeybell season while they you can!

Related articles:

When are Honeybells in Season?
What’s the Difference between Sugar Belles and Honeybells?
About Honeybell Oranges: They Make Great Gifts
Where to Buy Premium Honeybell Oranges?

Share This Post!