No, it has nothing to do with the weather, the rain or when the mandarin was picked. Whether a mandarin practically peels itself or comes with the peel stuck on is a trait of the variety. It happens mostly with hybrids, which tend to be small mandarins with very tough skin. There's no trick that changes it, because it isn't a problem with that week's batch: that's just how that variety is.
Why do some mandarins peel easily while others come with the peel stuck on?
It doesn't depend on the climate, the rain or when it's picked. It's simply a trait of the variety. Some varieties peel well and the market loves them for it, and others don't peel so easily. Those ones are usually really good to eat, though, even if getting the skin off takes a bit more work.
This happens mostly with hybrids, which are small mandarin varieties with very tough skin.
If you get a batch with tough skin, what happened in the field that week?
Nothing in particular that week. If it arrives with tough skin, it's because that variety is naturally like that, not because something happened while growing or harvesting it.
Is there a trick to make it easier to peel?
No, there's no trick that changes this. If the variety has tough or clinging skin, there's nothing you can do right before eating it to fix that. It's a trait of the fruit, not a one-off that can be corrected.
FAQs about hard-to-peel mandarins
Is it a defect if the mandarin doesn't peel well?
No. That's simply how that variety is. In fact, many of the varieties that are harder to peel are among the tastiest.
Do rain or cold make the peel stick more?
No. How easily a mandarin peels doesn't depend on the weather or when it's picked, but on the variety.
Is there a home trick to peel it better?
There's no trick that changes this. If you've got a tough-skinned variety, it'll stay that way whatever you try.
If the opposite happened and your mandarin arrived green on the outside, here we explain why the colour doesn't always tell you how ripe a mandarin is. And if it tasted dry when you ate it, here's what might be going on.
Why not try our Ruby Mandarin.
