Tangerines: Sometimes It Can Be Just So Confusing

If you are not a tangerine aficionado, it might be because you have no idea what kind of tangerine you just bought at the store. Tangerines, in one variety or another, are available as early as October and run as long as June. If you are like most people, the first time you spot a tangerine in the market you might buy some just because they are a reminder that the Holidays are not too distant.

But that tangerine that you buy in October, while it might look the same, will probably not taste near as good as the one you buy in December. And that’s the problem.

For most of us a tangerine is a tangerine. However, there are over a hundred varieties of this little fruit and more are coming. Each of these varieties has at least one unique characteristic that makes them different from their cousins. Maybe they’re sweeter, have no seeds, are bigger, are smaller, are juicier, whatever it is they are not the same tangerine that you bought in October.

Think about that for a moment. When you buy a baking potato you have a pretty good idea what it’s going to taste like. The same goes for almost any non-juice vegetable but not so for citrus fruits. True with a lot of citrus like grapefruit, which also has a number of varieties, you can tell something about the taste by looking at the skin. Normally, the redder the sweeter is the rule for that fruit. With oranges you can also at least identify if the one you buy today is the same you bought last month by the color and texture of the peel.

But with tangerines, other than size, they all look pretty much the same. So in the words of a senior produce buyer from San Francisco, “You get what you get.”

But what if you want to do better than that? How can you at least have an idea of what this little luscious fruit is going to taste like? Well if you happen to live in a part of the country where tangerines are grown, the best bet is to buy them at a Farmers’ Market. There you can meet the people who produced them and usually can get a sample as well.

If you’re not lucky enough to live where you can get them off the tree, then make friends with the produce manager at your favorite store. He can at least tell you the name of the variety that they currently have available.

Just follow these two tips and you’ll be sure to enjoy your favorite tangerine variety.

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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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