Sweet, easy to peel and full of juice, mandarins add brightness to both sweet and savoury dishes.
We’ve included two simple recipes showing how the fruit can be preserved and turned into a fresh, citrusy dressing.
Bright mandarin oranges are generally seedless, small, sweet, juicy and easy to peel. What’s not to love in the middle of winter? They’re available, one variety or another, for most of the year, but really come into their own from November to March when California growers are busy harvesting their oranges.
Classified as Citrus reticulata, the most popular and common mandarin varieties are the larger, dark orange tangerine; the satsuma, a seedless Japanese variety with very loose and easily bruised skin; and the clementine, among the smallest mandarins. Also called “cuties,” the seedless and tiny clementines are popular and make the perfect snack.
Outside of China, the first mandarin oranges were exported to Europe from Tangiers in Morocco, hence the moniker “tangerines.” “Mandarin” and “tangerine” are often mistakenly used interchangeably. This can be confusing because although a tangerine is a mandarin orange, not all mandarin oranges are tangerines … but enough head-spinning culinary etymology.
From a splash of lemon in a vinaigrette or an orange glaze on a duck, to the sublime pairing of lime juice in tropical dishes, citrus fruits are as versatile as they are refreshing. Delicious on their own, mandarins also add natural sweetness to a variety of dishes, including salads, Asian entrées, baked goods and even yogurt.
They’re easy to recognize thanks to their small, slightly flattened shape and bright orange peel that separates easily from the flesh. Compared to traditional oranges, mandarins are smaller, less acidic and have a tender, juicy texture.
Mandarin oranges should be easy to find almost anywhere this time of year. They’ll keep well for up to 3-4 weeks, bagged, in the refrigerator. Mandarins are harvested when ripe and do not ripen after harvest. It’s tempting to want to show them off when you find them with the leaves on, but they’ll only last a week or less in a fruit bowl.
Mandarins are often found canned and preserved in a light sugar syrup — many recipes actually call for canned mandarin. I’m looking at you, ambrosia salad. Preparing mandarins in syrup at home is pretty straight forward and a great way to preserve the fruit when it’s at its peak and plentiful. They taste better too.
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Ingredients
- 2 lb mandarin oranges, peeled
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Peel the mandarin oranges and discard the peels. Separate the segments, and carefully remove as much of the pith as you can.
- Make a light syrup by combining the water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil. Stir to dissolve and keep warm.
- When the syrup is ready, pack the mandarin segments into clean hot jars. Pour in the syrup, leaving ½ inch of head space.
- You can apply lids and rings, and process using a standard method (check for altitude) or cool and simply keep in the fridge, which I prefer.
Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup mandarin orange juice, from 6-8 mandarin oranges
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, or good quality white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- generous pinch of kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups good quality olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cider vinegar, mandarin orange juice, white wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar), honey, shallot, mustard and kosher salt in a blender. Pulse to combine.
- While the blender is running, very slowly add olive oil in a steady stream through the top opening of the blender.
- Transfer to a jar with a lid. Refrigerate the vinaigrette for up to one week.
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