Minneola Tangelos

Inventory, 21 lbs : 0.88
This item was last sold on : 11/29/23

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Description/Taste

Minneola tangelos are large fruits, averaging 7 to 9 centimeters in diameter, and have a round to oblate shape with a pronounced, elongated neck on the stem-end. The rind is thin, glossy, bright red-orange, and has a smooth and lightly pebbled, textured surface, created from many prominent oil glands. The rind is also easily peeled, revealing 10 to 12 segments of orange, soft, and aqueous flesh, and the flesh is either seedless or found with a few cream-colored seeds. Minneola tangelos have a sweet-tart flavor with the tangy, floral acidity of grapefruit mixed with the fragrant, honeyed flavor of tangerines.

Seasons/Availability

Minneola tangelos are available in the winter through early spring.

Current Facts

Minneola tangelos are a part of the Citrus genus and are a hybrid variety belonging to the Rutaceae family. The orange-red fruits were developed in the late 20th century in the United States and are sometimes known as Honeybells, a descriptor given for the fruit’s sweet flavor and bell-like shape. Minneola tangelos were also named after the town of Minneola, Florida, and the name tangelo was developed from a combination of pomelo and tangerine. Despite their primarily seedless nature and favorable, sweet-tart taste, Minneola tangelos are not commercially cultivated on a wide scale and are a challenging variety to find. The fruits are well-known as a flavorful citrus variety that comes into season during the holidays and is often sought after by citrus enthusiasts across the United States.

Nutritional Value

Minneola tangelos are an excellent source of fiber to stimulate the digestive tract and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. The fruits are also a good source of folate to produce genetic material for the body and contain lower amounts of potassium and calcium.

Applications

Minneola tangelos have a sweet-tart, tangy flavor best suited for raw applications. The fruits can be easily peeled, segmented, and consumed straight, out-of-hand, or they can be stirred into pasta or tossed into green salads. The flesh can also be mixed into fruit salads with other citrus varieties, chopped into salsa, blended into smoothies, cocktails, juices, and other beverages, or pressed into juice and incorporated into salad dressings, sauces, and vinaigrettes. Minneola tangelos can be used as a tart substitute for mandarin oranges and are a favored flavoring for syrups, cakes, cookies, and brownies. The juice can also be frozen into molds and consumed as a healthy popsicle. Minneola tangelos pair well with other fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, mangos, pineapples, and lemons, meats such as poultry, turkey, and beef, seafood, ginger, and herbs such as mint, parsley, and cilantro. Whole, unpeeled Minneola tangelos will keep 4 to 7 days at room temperature and 1 to 2 weeks when stored in the refrigerator.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

Minneola tangelos have become one of the most popular citrus varieties incorporated into American Christmas fruit baskets. Holiday baskets have been given since ancient times worldwide, but in the United States, fruit baskets were heavily marketed by distributors as a sign of platonic friendship and goodwill, used between family, friends, and businesses. The tradition of using tangelos in fruit baskets began in Florida, typically labeled under the Honeybell name, and over time, the baskets expanded in sales to the rest of the United States. Minneola tangelos are in the peak of their season over the winter holiday, and the fruit’s large size and juicy, seedless nature make them a popular alternative to tangerines. Minneola tangelos are also favored in gift baskets as their fresh nature offers a reprieve from the heavy and rich holiday baked goods. Each year, Minneola tangelo fruit baskets quickly sell out due to their limited availability, and citrus enthusiasts seek out the delicate, hand-picked fruits for fresh eating, beverages, salads, desserts, and sauces.

Geography/History

Minneola tangelos were created by the United States Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA, at their research station in Orlando, Florida, in 1931. The variety was believed to have been a cross between a dancy tangerine and duncan grapefruit and was selected for its thin, easy-to-peel skin, sweet-tart, juicy flesh, and seedless nature. Today Minneola tangelos are found in limited quantities through select growers in Florida, California, and Texas and are sold through specialty grocers across the United States.