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What is a Honey Tangerine?

By Sheri Cyprus
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 59,999
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A honey tangerine is also known as a Murcott orange and is grown only in Florida. The exact origin of the fruit is uncertain, but it's thought to be a mix of a tangerine and a sweet orange, which is called a tangor. The name Murcott refers to Charles Murcott Smith who ran a nursery in Bayview, Florida and is thought to have developed the honey tangerine in the early 1920s. J. Ward Smith and W.T. Swindle are also said to have been involved in the creation of this fruit.

The Murcott orange is the first fruit of its kind to be sold by the product name of honey tangerine. The color of the fruit varies, but it is often an orange-red unless the winter growing conditions were warm and then the skin may be more yellow-orange. It has the slightly flattened looking shape of a typical tangerine and is small to medium-sized. The flesh is a vivid orange and the seed count is fairly high with up to 12-24 seeds per tangerine. The skin is a little harder to peel than that of a typical tangerine.

The honey tangerine is named for its sweet taste and it's the sweetest variety of tangerine. It has a higher sugar content that the honeybell, or Minneola tangelo, which is another variety of tangerine. Juice from this fruit can be used in baking desserts such as orange cakes. The juice is also delicious in salad dressings and fruit salads. For a quick and simple summer dinner, you can add honey tangerines, canned fish, salad dressing and croutons to a bed of salad greens. You can also throw some honey tangerine segments into a stir fry at the very last minute to zip things up.

When buying honey tangerines, or Murcott oranges, look for fruit that feels heavy and that has a smooth, shiny skin. Tangerines that feel very light may not be that juicy. Tangerines with shrivelled skin, green spots other than at the stem end or white areas anywhere should be avoided. These fruits spoil quickly compared to other oranges and may only keep for a couple of days at room temperature and a week in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Honey tangerines are grown only in Florida and are usually only available between January and March or April.

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Discussion Comments
By anon163421 — On Mar 27, 2011

I found out today they're grown in Riverside CA too. Delicious!

By anon149783 — On Feb 05, 2011

Just bought some and looked up the name and found this site. as I peeled it I was reading the article and began eating it, it was just as described! It is so good and juicy with just a touch of tang at the end. And virtually no seeds.

By anon148473 — On Feb 01, 2011

I really enjoyed the honey tangerines we got from the store today. And would like to know will planting the seed of a "honey tangerine" produce a viable fruit given time?

By anon90982 — On Jun 19, 2010

Honey tangerines are so sweet and juicy, way better then clementines. I slice them and then cut away the seeds before eating them. I eat them all winter long.

By anon81242 — On Apr 30, 2010

I agree that anan64518 had a bad one, probably old and dried from his description. Really they're not that hard to peel, much easier than other oranges. Also, I've noticed that the ones I bought lately have far fewer seeds.

By anon81017 — On Apr 29, 2010

best citrus fruit ever.

By anon78954 — On Apr 20, 2010

Ignore the comment from anon64518. Honey tangerines are absolutely sublime! I don't bother peeling them. I just cut into slices and juice them in my mouth. I only started buying them a few months ago but they are now my favorite orange or tangerine. They are the sweetest and juiciest I have ever had. They do have quite a few seeds but I just spit them out. A small price to pay for fruit nirvana! I just bought a 40lb case!

By anon66043 — On Feb 17, 2010

No. 3: you must have got a bad one. They should be bigger than clementines and are delicious.

By anon64518 — On Feb 07, 2010

I bought some at local grocery store because I confused them with clementines and they are horrible! The skin is really hard to peel like this article said, at least every piece contains a seed, and it's so chewy you have to literally spit it out after "sucking" the little juice out! Avoid these and just stick to clementines!

By AuthorSheriC — On Dec 10, 2008

Interesting! Thanks for the comment!

By anon22601 — On Dec 07, 2008

Hi, I am in currently in Iraq and was given a honey murcott grown in australia. So I guess it's not just florida anymore.

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