When do tangerines ripen?

Fresh vegetables and fruits in autumn and winter in Our Country are in great short supply. However, just at this time, the season of tangerines comes. Rich in vitamin C and other substances important for the body, citruses are an effective tool for maintaining immunity. But in order for fruits to bring maximum benefit, you need to be able to choose them correctly.

When are the tangerines ripening?

When exactly the tangerine ripening season begins depends on several factors. First of all, these are climatic and weather conditions in the region of cultivation, the quality of care and varietal characteristics.

When do tangerines ripen?

The “start” of the season falls on the last days of October or the beginning of November, it ends in January

However, the “earliest”, October tangerines are rarely grown on an industrial scale. In terms of taste and external presentability, they are usually inferior to later varieties, therefore, even before the onset of the season, they are not in great demand by buyers who prefer to wait a little longer.

When does the tangerine season start in Our Country?

In Our Country, tangerines are cultivated exclusively in regions with a subtropical climate – in the North Caucasus, in the Crimea, the Krasnodar Territory. But still, local conditions cannot be called ideal for citrus, so the tangerine crop is harvested here quite late – in November-December.

Important! The longer the fruits hang on the tree, the sweeter they become. But the first frosts will inevitably destroy citrus fruits.
When do tangerines ripen?

If you pull too long with the collection, there is a risk of being left without a crop at all.

Mandarin picking season in other countries

Most of the deliveries of tangerines to Our Country fall on Turkey, China, Spain, Morocco, Israel and Abkhazia. Each country has its own climatic conditions, respectively, the timing of mass ripening and the onset of the season for citrus vary:

  • November-December junction (Spain, Israel);
  • second decade of December (Turkey, China, Abkhazia);
  • the last days of December or the beginning of January (Morocco).
When do tangerines ripen?

Our Country is the world’s largest importer of tangerines

Important! Most often, varieties and hybrids are cultivated on an industrial scale, reaching full ripeness in December. But they “open the season” already in November in order to have time to sell citrus fruits during the period of maximum demand.

How long do tangerines ripen

The active growing season for tangerine trees begins in the last days of April or in the first decade of May. Its beginning is signaled by a very active growth of young shoots, accompanied by massive “leaf fall”.

When do tangerines ripen?

Buds are formed only on the growth of the current season, flowering occurs at the very end of May or the beginning of June

Fruit ovaries on tangerines appear in June-July. There are a lot of them; the tree is not able to provide each of them with the substances necessary for development in the right volume. Therefore, after 1,5-2 weeks, a massive fall of the ovaries begins. “Surviving” citrus fruits need at least 3,5 months to ripen.

Important! To improve the quality of the crop, sometimes they resort to its “rationing”, cutting off part of the buds even before flowering. However, this is a very labor intensive process.

Which tangerines are better to choose

In order not to buy a sour, unripe tangerine even in season, you need to know the characteristic features of ripe citrus fruits from different countries:

  1. Abkhazia. Most often, the ripeness of citruses harvested in the season is evidenced by the “glossy” peel and a very slight sourness in taste.
    When do tangerines ripen?

    A lot of different varieties are grown on the territory of Abkhazia, so it is difficult to single out general criteria for maturity.

  2. Turkey. Local fruits look rather inconspicuous, they are poorly cleaned. Their taste, even in season, is pronouncedly sour.
    When do tangerines ripen?

    The only plus of Turkish tangerines is the low price.

  3. China. Local tangerines are most often sold with twigs and leaves. They are small, noticeably flattened, bright orange (sometimes with a reddish undertone) in color.
    When do tangerines ripen?

    The peel of Chinese citruses is smooth, peeled off easily, in some places it even lags behind the pulp.

  4. Spain, Israel. Citruses are one-dimensional, regular shape. The peel is monophonic, bright orange, large-pored or slightly “bumpy”, peeled off very easily.
    When do tangerines ripen?

    Spain and Israel supply ‘premium’ citrus fruits that are not cheap even in season

  5. Morocco. They grow mainly clementines – medium-sized, almost spherical tangerines with rich orange, smooth skin, easily peeled from the fruit.
    When do tangerines ripen?

    Clementine – a hybrid of mandarin and orange

You can meet on the shelves in the season and obviously spoiled fruits. If citruses meet at least one of the following criteria, it is better to refuse the purchase:

  • uneven skin color;
  • “weeping” spots, resembling traces of mold and rot;
  • juice flowing from under the skin;
  • even minor mechanical damage on the surface of citrus;
  • “wrinkled”, obviously dry and hard skin;
  • dents remaining on the surface of the fetus after light pressing with a finger;
  • unnatural lightness or heaviness compared to fruits of similar sizes;
  • “heavy” smell, uncharacteristic for citruses, with hints of mustiness or its complete absence;
  • large size or strong “flattening”.
When do tangerines ripen?

The taste of the pulp of a mandarin that is moldy on the outside inevitably deteriorates.

Important! If the fruit is sticky to the touch, as if covered with a whitish coating, it was treated with ethylene to speed up ripening for the season. With regular consumption, this phytohormone accumulates in the body, turning into a toxin that “beats” the liver and kidneys.

Conclusion

The tangerine season falls at the end of autumn and winter, since its “historical homeland” is the tropics and subtropics. In Our Country, this citrus is almost an integral part of the New Year’s table and a valuable tool in the fight against seasonal diseases. But only ripe and fresh tangerines will be useful for health and immunity, respectively, you need to know what to look for when buying.

A couple of tips on how to choose the most delicious tangerines in a store or market

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