A mandarin that's green on the outside can be perfectly ripe on the inside. If it's still green at the start of the season, the reason is simply a lack of cold.
Heat gives it sugar and cold gives it colour, so very often the flavour arrives before the orange of the peel.
This is one of the questions we get most when the citrus season kicks off. So we asked the person who knows best: one of the farmers we work with, who has spent his whole life among mandarin trees.
Here's what he told us, just as he said it.
Why are mandarins still green on the outside if they're already good on the inside?
The reason mandarins are still green on the outside is simply a lack of cold.
For a mandarin or an orange (it's the same thing) to reach its peak, besides time, it basically needs two things: heat and cold. Both of them.
That's why here in Valencia we have the best oranges in the world. Because at this time of year, temperatures stay fairly high during the day, but they drop a lot at night.
That's what makes the peel react. That sharp change in temperature makes the peel react and turn from greenish to orange. Heat gives it the sugar it needs and cold gives it the colour.
How can you tell a mandarin is good if the colour doesn't tell you?
To know if a mandarin is ready, the best thing is to taste it, of course.
But it also tells you itself, because when you touch it, the peel somehow gives way to your touch. It gives just a little. That means it already has all the juice it needs inside.
But without a doubt, the best thing is to taste one, naturally.
How long does a mandarin take to turn fully orange?
It all depends a lot on the variety.
Some varieties never lose that greenish tint, especially on the bottom, what we call the mandarin's bum out in the field. And it's a trait of the variety, not a defect.
Others, however, do turn more and more orange as the days go by and the sugar level rises. It all depends on the variety.
So if you come across a mandarin with a green patch, don't toss it aside for that. Very often, that's just how that mandarin is.
How to choose a good mandarin even if it has green patches
Here are our farmer's tips, the same ones he gives his family and friends:
1. If you can, buy it with the leaf on
His advice is to buy them with the leaf on whenever possible. It's a clear sign the fruit was on the tree the day before or two days before, because once you cut the fruit, the leaves start to dry out within very few days.
So that's the best test: try to buy them with the leaf.
2. If there's no leaf, look at the top
If there's no leaf, you need to look at the top, where it was attached to the tree: it should be a little green, not dry. That also tells you the clementine was picked recently.
3. Touch it: not rock hard, not too soft
When you touch it, it shouldn't be rock hard. Since it already has juice, it has a texture that's somewhat… not soft, but it does give to the touch.
But it shouldn't be too soft either. That's important too.
4. And above all, taste it
Colour can fool you at the start of the season. Flavour can't.
If you want more tricks for choosing citrus, we also tell you about it in how to tell if an orange is good, and in what the Orri mandarin is like, one of the most special varieties we have.
Our Valencian mandarins are picked to order, so they reach you just as our farmer described, fresh off the tree, with the colour the weather has given them and the flavour the field has given them.
Frequently asked questions about green mandarins
Is a green mandarin ripe?
It can be, yes. The colour of the peel depends mainly on the cold at night, and the sugar on the heat. At the start of the season, many mandarins are already sweet inside even though they're still green outside.
Why do mandarins change from green to orange?
Because of the sharp temperature change between day and night. When the nights start getting cold, the peel reacts and turns from greenish to orange.
Is it bad if a mandarin's bottom is green?
No. Some varieties never lose that greenish tint on the bottom. It's a trait of the variety.
How do I know if a mandarin is juicy without opening it?
Touch it: if the peel gives a little to the touch without being too soft, it already has all the juice it needs inside.
Why is it better to buy mandarins with the leaf on?
Because the leaves dry out within very few days of cutting the fruit. If the leaf is fresh, the mandarin was on the tree a day or two ago.
What if the mandarin has no leaf?
Look at the top, where it was attached to the tree. If it's a little green and not dry, it was picked recently.
We hope we've cleared up your doubts and that these tips straight from the field help you choose your mandarins next season.
Remember to visit our online shop to see the products we have available this season.
Thanks so much for reading!
