Tangerine
Marmalade
Our marmalades are
all made directly from fresh fruit, not preprocessed peel like the big
guys. Our tangerine marmalade is wonderful with your morning toast or
in your favorite recipes. Made from the Dancy variety.
Our price
is $4.50
Tangelo
Marmalade
Made from fresh tangelos of
the Minneola variety (a cross between tangerines and grapefruit).
This marmalade is a bit astringent and has a rich flavor.
Our price
is $4.20
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MEET THE
MANDARIN
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There's
no reason why mandarin oranges - irresistibly sweet, fragrant
and flavorful fruits that dominate citrus production in much of
Asia and the Mediterranean basin - should account for only 2%
of California's citrus acreage. Mandarins are suddenly a hot topic
for California growers. It is a new world of experimentation and
risk for farmers and diversity for citrus lovers.
Mandarins are generally smaller and flatter
than oranges with looser rinds and segments and a distinctive
spicy aroma. Indigenous to China and northeastern India, they
are one of three original species of citrus, along with pummelos
and citrons. All other citrus fruits arose from these three as
hybrids and mutations, including oranges which are crosses between
mandarins and pummelos.
Mandarins grow wild in China and have been
cultivated there for thousands of years but came to California
around 1870. Some of the first varieties, notably the Dancy, supposedly
came from Tangier in Morrocco, so they were nicknamed tangerines.
With the sudden popularity in growers developing
new varieties of mandarins for commercial use, you can bet that
E. Waldo Ward & Son will introduce a new marmalade using a
variety you have never heard of before. Try something different. |
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Some Varieties to taste
There are several varieties
of mandarin citrus fruit.
- Clementine - a group
name embracing many varieties. May have originated in North Africa
in late 19th century. Medium sized fruit with smooth, deep orange
to red-orange rind. Peels easily and the flavor is mild to rich
depending on ripeness and variety. Algerian variety is most common
in California.
- Dancy - an old Florida
variety, originating from a seedling planted in 1867. Rind is dark
orange-red, smooth and peels easily. Has a spicy, rich flavor. This
is the classic Christmas "tangerine", now mostly replaced
by Sunburst. Our Tangerine Marmalade is made from our own Dancy
tangerines.
- Encore - developed
in Riverside in 1965. Fairly large, with yellow-orange rind, often
marked with dark spots; flesh is deep orange, juicy, sweet, rich
and sprightly. Despite superb flavor, its mottled rind has foreclosed
commercial acceptance.
- Fairchild - developed
in Indio in 1964. Rind is deep orange, smooth, and often hard to
peel. Grown in Coachella; 35% of California mandarin production;
now meeting stiff competition from Fallglo and imported Clementines.
- Fallglo - developed
in Florida in 1987. Large, seedy fruit is a poster child for mediocre
commercial fruit; often harvested internally immature.
- Gold Nugget - developed
in Riverside in 1999. Rind and flesh are golden orange and fruit
has a rich flavor. Seedless and harvested mid to late season, holds
well on tree.
- Honey - name can
refer to three varieties, often confused: 1) Murcott, commercially
important in Florida; 2) California Honey, described 1943 but never
officially released; 3) Kinnow (marketed as Honey by Sunkist), has
a good flavor but peels poorly.
- Satsuma - group name
for class of mandarins; origin traced to early 15th century Japan,
probably as a seedling of a Chinese mandarin; much cultivated and
appreciated in Japan; reached California late 1870s. Rind is orange,
often bumpy, easy to peel. Flesh is orange and moderately sweet;
virtually seedless. Most cold-tolerant of commercial citrus.
- Sunburst - developed
in Orlando Florida in 1979. Rind is thin and dark orange. Segment
walls are tough and flavor lacks richness, often seedy. Looks better
than it tastes.
- And many more..
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