The smallest among all the mandarin oranges or the Citrus Reticulata is the Clementine. About two inches or 5 cm in diameter, the fruit to some extent is a flattened sphere. The orange peel is glossy and is loose on the fruit that’s why it is easy to peel. Not like its relative the tangerine, the Clementine is seedless. In fact, when in some cases that Clementine has seeds, it is an indication that the bees have been working on cross-pollinating the tree with another fruit. Because of this, serious works are done to separate the Clementine trees to keep it seedless.
In 1902, the Clementine was officially given cultivar status. It is named after an Algerian monk, Father Clément Rodier, giving the fruit its other name “Algerian Tangerine.” According to stories, Father Clément made the fated discovery of a distinctive hybrid in his orphanage’s mandarin garden. However, a lot believe that it existed earlier in Asia and ultimately found its way to the Mediterranean region.
In 1914, the Clementine was incorporated in the California commercial citrus agriculture. By the year 1925, Clementine was grown commercially in Spain. Right now, Spain is a major exporter and producer of the fruit. From late fall through January is the time when the crop is abundant in California.
During the winter holidays, Clementines which are packed tightly in their specific small scale wooden fruit crates are popular scenes. Because of this, aside from being known as “Algerian Tangerines”, clementines earned the nickname “Christmas Oranges” as well. They start appearing in stores around mid-November and are usually available until February.
Clementines can be grown at home gardens as a container plant if it is grafted onto dwarf root stocks and pruned to retain a height of about 6 feet or 2 meters. Having a fruit that is bright and attractive, the Clementine is an evergreen tree. It is possible to bring the Clementine tree indoor, provided that there are enough light and space.
Because of the ease in peeling Clementines as well as the fact that it quickly separate into about ten to twelve sections, they make amazing add on to both green and fruit salad. Loose-skinned, seedless and honey-sweet, the Clementine is everybody’s favourite, adult and children alike, making this fruit the perfect lunchbox item.
Clementines are great energy booster, and they contain fibre. They are also good sources of vitamin C, thiamin, potassium and niacin. An average Clementine contains only about 35 calories and virtually is fat-free.
Clementine orange juice tastes great! Too bad it is has more calories than navel oranges…
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