Tangelo


The tangelo, Citrus × tangelo, is a citrus fruit hybrid of a Citrus reticulata variety such as mandarin orange or a tangerine, and Citrus maxima variety, such as a pomelo or grapefruit. The name is a portmanteau of 'erine' and 'pom'.
Sometimes referred to as honeybells, they are the size of an adult fist, have a tart and tangy taste, and are juicy at the expense of flesh. They generally have loose skin and are easier to peel than oranges, readily distinguished from them by a characteristic "nipple" at the stem. Tangelos can be used as a substitute for mandarin oranges or sweet oranges.

Varieties

Orlando

The early maturing Orlando tangelo is noted for its rich juiciness, mild and sweet flavor, large size, distinct zesty smell, and flat-round shape without a characteristic knob. California/Arizona tangelos have a slightly pebbled texture, vibrant interior and exterior color, very few seeds, and a tight-fitting rind. Orlando tangelos are available from mid-November to the beginning of February. The tangelo originated as a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy mandarin. W. T. Swingle of the United States Department of Agriculture is credited with creating the hybrid in 1911. When the Orlando tangelo was first cultivated, it was known by the name Lake tangelo. The trees of this variety grow to a large size and are easily recognized by their cup-shape leaves. Orlando tangelos are recognized as one of the more cold-tolerant varieties. Northern Florida grows significantly fewer tangelos, but they are much sweeter due to climate.

Minneola

The Minneola tangelo is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy mandarin, and was released in 1931 by the USDA Horticultural Research Station in Orlando. It is named after Minneola, Florida. Most Minneola tangelos are characterized by a stem-end neck, which tends to make the fruit appear bell-shaped. Because of this, it is also called the Honeybell in the gift fruit trade, where it is one of the most popular varieties. Both Minneolas and Honeybells are usually fairly large, typically in diameter; the Honeybells tend to be larger and sweeter. The peel color, when mature, is a bright-reddish-orange color. The rind of the Minneola is relatively thin, while the rind of the Honeybell is slightly thicker. Both the Minneola and Honeybell Tangelo peel rather easily. Both are very juicy. Both the Minneola and the Honeybell are not strongly self-fruitful, and yields will be greater when interplanted with suitable pollenizers such as Temple tangor, Sunburst tangerine, or possibly Fallglo tangerine. It tends to bear a good crop every other year. In the Northern Hemisphere the fruit matures in the December–February period, with January being the peak.

Propagation

In 2011, a troop of baboons were attracted to the higher sweetness of a new likely mutation in a Minneola planting in Cape Town, South Africa, prompting its propagation.

Drug interactions

One study thus far has shown that, unlike grapefruit, interactions with statins are not likely with tangelos. Although the tangelo is derived from a grapefruit crossed with a mandarin, the furocoumarins in grapefruit are not expressed in tangelos.