{"id":33161,"date":"2024-03-08T06:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T06:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog2.halegroves.com\/honeybells-are-limited-edition-fruits\/"},"modified":"2024-03-20T20:56:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-20T20:56:31","slug":"what-is-a-honeybell-orange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.halegroves.com\/blog\/what-is-a-honeybell-orange\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Honeybells? The Honeybell is the “Orange-Lover’s Orange”"},"content":{"rendered":"

One good thing about winter \u2013 with it comes winter citrus. And no citrus is quite so special as the hard-to-find Honeybell<\/a>. Have you never tasted this extraordinary citrus fruit? If you\u2019re yet to be initiated, you\u2019re in for a treat \u2013 one that\u2019s sure to turn you into a fan. Sometimes called, \u201cthe Orange-Lover\u2019s Orange,\u201d Honeybells truly are something special. With a wonderfully vibrant, sweet-tart flavor, lots of juice, and an interesting shape to boot, this fruit has a lot going for it!<\/p>\n

To help you learn more about this exquisite, limited-edition citrus fruit, here are our Honeybell FAQs:<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is a Honeybell?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A Honeybell is a rare, hybrid orange cross that is also known as a Minneola Tangelo. Honeybells are a cross between a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit, and are a type of tangelo. They are known for their honey-sweet flavor, unique bell shape, and juiciness.<\/p>\n

Why is it called a Honeybell?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A variety of Minneola Tangelo, the citrus fruit\u2019s name is a portmanteau made up of the words \u201choney\u201d (for the fruit\u2019s heavenly sweet juicy) and \u201cbell\u201d (for the knob on the stem-end that gives the rounded fruit a bell-like shape).<\/p>\n

Do Honeybells have seeds?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Though a hybrid of two seeded fruits (the Duncan Grapefruit and the Dancy Tangerine), Honeybells themselves are usually seedless, or have very few seeds. From their tangerine forbear, Honeybells inherited thin skins that are easier to peel than regular oranges and usually separate cleanly from the flesh, leaving very little of the bitter-tasting pith behind. The flesh is very juicy, so you\u2019ll want plenty of napkins on hand when you sit down to enjoy a fresh Honeybell! (By the way, fresh-squeezed Honeybell juice is a delightful alternative to regular orange juice.)<\/p>\n

Are Honeybells good for you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Like all citrus fruits, Honeybells have many health benefits\u2026for one thing, they\u2019re high in vitamin C, which can help boost your immune system. They also contain other vitamins and minerals, including fiber (good for the digestive system), folic acid (which can help reduce symptoms from asthma and bronchitis) and potassium (good for the heart).Plus, they\u2019re low in calorie, fat-free, satisfy you without filling you up, and help you stay hydrated.<\/p>\n

Do Honeybells really taste like oranges?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Honeybells and sweet oranges have a common ancestor \u2013 the mandarin, which is one of the original citrus fruits. Oranges are a hybrid of a mandarin and a pomelo, which are two of the \u201coriginal\u201d citrus fruits. Tangerines (which form a part of the Honeybell\u2019s makeup) are a variety of mandarin, so oranges and Honeybells have this fruit in common as an ancestor. They also have the pomelo in common as an ancestor, since grapefruit is a direct descendent of the pomelo fruit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not surprising, then, that the flavor of a Honeybell is reminiscent of that of an especially tasty, sweet orange. But don\u2019t let the \u201choney\u201d part of the name fool you \u2013 while Honeybells are very sweet thanks to (owing to their tangerine ancestor), they\u2019re get just enough sour from their grapefruit relative to give them a flavor that\u2019s just the right amount of sweet and tart. It\u2019s a flavor that many orange-lovers covet, but one that\u2019s provided more consistently by the Honeybell.<\/p>\n

Why are Honeybells so tough to get?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s only one problem with Honeybells \u2013 they truly are a \u201climited edition\u201d fruit! There are a couple of reasons for this: for one thing, their parent trees are temperamental, growing well in only two locations (along Florida\u2019s Indian River region and the West Coast of the United States). The fruit itself is more delicate than other citrus fruits, which results in fewer fruits being fit to ship and enjoy. And finally, the season is very short (only about thirty days), so the demand is high when Honeybells are in season.<\/p>\n

Hale Groves is proud to offer a couple of different Honeybell varieties (there\u2019s our classic Hale Honeybells<\/a> and our Hale Golden Honeybells<\/a>), which helps to extend the season overall. But the season is still short, and because our standards for quality fruit are so high, our selection is small. That\u2019s why we encourage our customers to order their Honeybells as soon as possible\u2026we wouldn\u2019t want them to miss out on this incredible citrus sensation!<\/p>\n

Do Honeybells make a great gift? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Do they? Do they ever! The scarcity of Honeybells makes them an exotic treat for some people, and their incredible flavor makes them an instant go-to for any citrus lover. If you want to surprise a loved one with a gift of Honeybells while you\u2019re placing your own Hale Groves order, the options for doing so are endless\u2026here are just a few of our Honeybell gift boxes in which this delightful citrus is the star:<\/p>\n

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