Mandarin Orange: 4 Ways to Store Fresh Mandarin Oranges

A mandarin orange is a citrus fruit that develops on a mandarin tree fruit hybrid cultivar (Citrus reticulata). It is small, mostly round, with a bright orange to red-orange peel. The original mandarin was bitter, but the mandarin orange known today is a sweeter fruit.

Cooks use these seedless citrus fruits in fruit salads, green leaf lettuce salads, smoothies, and orange juice. Mandarin oranges are simple to peel, and their segments are easy to separate. There is a very thin pith (the white part between the peel and the fruit) that you remove along with the peel before eating the fruit.

Many sweet orange varieties at the grocery store are actually types of mandarin oranges, which themselves are usually hybrids of mandarins and other sweet citrus fruits. Contrary to popular belief, a tangelo is not a variety or cultivar of mandarin oranges, but rather a generic term for a tangerine crossed with a pomelo, a mandarin, and a grapefruit. Here are details about three of the most common types of mandarin oranges:

1. 1. Ponkan: Mandarin-pomelo hybrids, ponkan are cultivars of mandarins. These citrus fruits are very sweet and much larger than standard mandarin oranges—more similar in size to a regular sweet orange or even a grapefruit. The original ponkan grove still exists in Florida.
2. 2. Tangerine: Having originated in Tangier, Morocco, tangerines are reddish-orange in color and darker than regular mandarin oranges. Depending on the classification system, tangerines are a separate species or a variety of mandarins. Two types of tangerines that have been popular in the United States include the Dancy and the Sunburst.
3. 3. Tangor: A hybrid of mandarin oranges and sweet oranges, the tangor has a thick skin that is easy to peel and a sweet but slightly sour taste. Clementines and satsumas are both varieties of tangor oranges. Satsuma oranges (also called owari satsumas or satsuma mandarins) vary in classification, being either a separate species from mandarins or a variety of mandarins.

A good mandarin orange’s peel should be a bright orange color. If there is any discoloration, such as brown spots or a white, powdery-looking substance on the peel, pick another mandarin.

A fresh mandarin orange should be firm to the touch with just a bit of give. This indicates it’s juicy but not mushy or about to go bad. Avoid mandarins with many soft spots. If there are some oranges in a bulk bag that are too soft for eating, cut them open and juice them to make beverages, vinaigrettes, or ice cubes for other fruit juice drinks.

There are a few different ways to store mandarin oranges depending on their stage of freshness. For example, canned mandarin oranges have a much longer shelf life. Here are a few ways to store fresh oranges:

1. 1. In a cool, dark place: Unpeeled mandarin oranges stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place last about one week. An unpeeled orange stored in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator lasts for about two weeks to one month. Mandarins last longer in a cool, dark place as opposed to a countertop in direct sunlight or on top of the refrigerator. There is no need for a plastic bag when you store them whole and unpeeled.
2. 2. In a paper bag: Store oranges loosely in a paper bag in the refrigerator, checking the freshness regularly for signs of spoilage. Close the paper bag as much as possible to prevent too much air from hitting the mandarin oranges, but the skin might dry out anyway. If that happens, the orange dulls in flavor but is still considered okay to eat as long as there is no mold, rotting, or other discolorations.
3. 3. In an airtight container: You can store segmented mandarin pieces with the skin intact in an airtight container. Use a plastic container or a typical glass food storage container. The oranges will last for about one week or up to one month as long as you keep the container in a cool and dark place, like the refrigerator.
   
4. 4. In the freezer: Peel and segment the mandarin oranges and place them in a single layer in a freezer bag to prevent the segments from freezing together in one big mass. You can use the frozen pieces for smoothies, fruit juice, or as a cool snack packed with vitamin C. Frozen mandarin oranges last indefinitely, but the flavor might change over time.

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