Vitamins and Minerals Found Inside Tangerines

Tangerines are loaded with nutrients our bodies seek, including Vitamin C, beta carotene, and potassium. Tangerines can be both nutritious and delicious when juiced with other ingredients.

Here are a few of the questions we attempt to answer about tangerines.

• What vitamins in Tangerines make them so good for us?
• What is the best method for juicing Tangerines?
• What are some great buying tips for Tangerines?

Plus, we'll do our best to provide some general information about tangerines that you might not find so easily elsewhere on the Internet.

Let's learn more about tangerines...

Vitamins and Minerals in Tangerines

Tangerines are probably best known for their high Vitamin C content, but they are also a great source of pectin, a soluble fiber that helps control blood cholesterol. Here is a brief snapshot of the vitamins and minerals found in tangerines.

Vitamins in Tangerines

• Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
• Niacin (Vitamin B3)
• Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
• Vitamin B6
• Folate
• Vitamin C
• beta carotene

Minerals in Tangerines

• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Zinc

The next time you think about tangerines... think about how they might add a powerful boost to your daily nutrition through juicing.

Juicing Tips for Juicing Tangerines

Juicing tangerines can add both flavor and valuable nutrients to most any home-juiced fruity cocktail. Here are a few tips for juicing tangerines that may help turn your juicing experience into something you look forward to and thoroughly enjoy.

IMPORTANT NOTES: First, it is important to note that oils in tangerine peels may irritate the skin of some people. Equally important, you should ALWAYS PEEL TANGERINES before juicing them. The skins are difficult to digest and can cause problems in the colo-rectal area. (This is also true of orange and grapefruit peel.)

You'll want to leave the white rind and membranes on because they also contain naturally occurring Vitamin C and bioflavonoids which can help strengthen capillaries and blood vessels.

When you put citrus fruits like tangerines into your juicer you can, as with most other fruits, put the seeds and membranes directly in the hopper.

Purchasing Tips for Buying Tangerines

Here are a few tips for buying tangerines that may help you get the freshest ingredients. We'll also include a few storing tips for tangerines that you might find helpful.

Tangerines come in a wide range of varieties, the most common of which are:

• Kinnow (thin skinned, may be hard to peel)
• Satsuma (very sweet, nearly seedless, from Japan)
• and Clementine (seedless and sweeter than most other varieties)
• Mandarins (loose, easy-to-separate skin and are tart, very juicy and have lots of seeds)
• Honey tangerine (originally called a murcott, very sweet)
• and Tangellos (a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit, slightly tangier than a tangerine, slightly sweeter than a grapefruit)

One of the oldest and most popular varieties is the Dancy tangerine, but it is no longer widely grown. The Dancy was known as the zipper-skin tangerine, and also as the kid-glove orange, for its loose, pliable peel. Its peak season is December, so children would often receive one in their Christmas stockings. For this reason it is commonly known as a "Christmas Orange."

There are more varieties, but the above are generally the most common.

Tangerines and their sister fruits are generally available (in season) from late November through early February.

Unlike some fruits, citrus fruits do not ripen once they're picked. Don't fall for the marketing ploy where some marketers make claims of "tree-ripened fruit" ...all citrus fruits should be tree-ripened.

Citrus fruits should feel heavy, otherwise it might be old and dried out; and thick skins indicate a lot of skin and pulp and not much juice. 

All members of the citrus family should be bought in season when they are most flavorful, stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and eaten or juiced within a week of buying them.

General Information About Tangerines

This article wouldn't be complete if we didn't include a little general information about Tangerines, as well as a few helpful links if you want to explore tangerines further.

Native to the Far East, tangerines are now available in the United States year-round, but they are at their most flavorful in the winter.

Tangerines have been cultivated for over 3,000 years in China and Japan. They did not reach Europe and North America, however, until the nineteenth century. The name tangerine comes from Tangier, Morocco, a port from which the first tangerines were shipped to Europe.

One segment of a tangerine (and/or other citrus fruit) is called a carpel.

In the USA, tangerines are grown in Florida, California, Arizona, and Texas.

Additional Sources and Resources for Tangerines

• NutritionData.com - Tangerines, (mandarin oranges), raw
• Wikipedia - Tangerine
• Dole Superkids - Parent's Section

Be sure to check out both our "Juicing" and our "Smoothies" sections for delicious recipes and more using Tangerines!