Vitamins and Minerals Found Inside Ugli Fruit

How ugly is the Ugli Fruit? The ugli fruit was discovered growing wild in Jamaica over 80 years ago. The original tree is believed to have been a hybrid formed from the Seville orange, the grapefruit and the tangerine families and is now generally categorized as an exotic tangelo.

UGLI® is the registered trade mark under which Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd. markets its brand of exotic tangelos from Jamaica.

As you might have already guessed, the ugli fruit got its name because, quite frankly, it looked ugly. (Not all of them look this ugly... Really!) With its unsightly appearance of rough, wrinkled, greenish-yellow skin, wrapped loosely around the orange pulpy citrus flesh you might be surprised at how juicy it is inside! It also has more of the sweetness of the tangerine than the somewhat sourness of a grapefruit.

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

• What vitamins and minerals in an Ugli Fruit make it so good for us?
• What is the best method for juicing Ugli Fruit?
• What are some great buying tips for Ugli Fruit?

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

Let's begin our exploration of Ugli Fruit...

Vitamins and Minerals in Ugli Fruit

Ugli tangelos, like most other citrus fruit, are probably best known for being loaded with Vitamin C and when eaten, its high fiber content. One ugli fruit can contribute up to 70% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C.

Falling under the category of "calming foods" the ugli fruit have much to offer in the way of healthy nutrients.

In addition to its high vitamin C content, the ugli contains similar nutrients to other citrus fruits with an important difference -- interestingly, furanocoumarins which are generally found in grapefruit (and which many doctors believe may interfere with some medications) do not appear in the ugli. Also, the ugli fruit appears to be more palatable for people who have an aversion to oranges.

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

Juicing Tips for Juicing Ugli Fruit

Juicing Ugli Fruit can add both flavor and valuable nutrients to most any home-juiced cocktail... but as with other citrus fruit -- be sure to peel it first before juicing!

Here are a few tips for juicing Ugli Fruit that may help turn your juicing experience into something you look forward to and thoroughly enjoy. 

Being seasonal (available in most supermarkets from November through to April) the sweeter ugli fruit are generally found later in the season, however even the early ripe ugli are generally sweeter than grapefruit.

As the skin is quite easy to remove, you might find juicing ugli fruit easier than juicing some other citrus fruits.

Again, as with other citrus, keep the membrane and pith on when you juice ugli fruit as they are chock full of vitamins and minerals, too! 

Purchasing Tips for Buying Ugli Fruit

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

As mentioned above, ugli fruit later in its season are generally sweeter.

When at its peak ripeness most of its green blemishes turn orange.

The ugli fruit should feel heavy with no signs of drying at the ends; but as the ugli fruit is commonly thick skinned, the thicker skin may not indicate it having a lot of skin and pulp and not much juice (unlike other citrus).

Ugli fruit should give with slight pressure, similar to a grapefruit. Color is not important when selecting ugli fruit, and pot-marks and small dents are normal.

As it is an exotic tangello, storing recommendations are similar to tangerines, meaning they should be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and eaten or juiced within a week of buying them.

General Information About Ugli Fruit

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

Ugli fruit are sold under two different brand names: Uniq Fruit which is a registered trademark of Brooks Tropicals, LLC. and UGLI which is a registered trademark of Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd.

An ugli fruit is usually slightly larger than a grapefruit (but this varies) and has fewer seeds.

Being mostly seedless and so easy to peel, the ugli fruit makes a great snack and addition to salads but they can also be cut in half and spooned out like a grapefruit. Because ugli fruits are sweeter than a grapefruit, you don't really need to add sugar when eating them this way.

UGLI® fruits are native to Jamaica and have been propagated in the United States since the 1930s. They are said to combine the best qualities of tangerines, grapefruit and Seville oranges. Children love the taste and their intriguing name.

Americans pronounce the name "ugly," but in Jamaica, where it's grown, it's pronounced "HOO-glee."

Like other citrus fruits, ugli fruits are only harvested and sent to market after they have ripened on the tree, so what is found in the store is always ripe fruit even though the skin may be green. Inside, the flesh is always orange to deep orange.

Ugli fruit can be used as a substitute for any dish that usually contains citrus fruits, even for cold souffles.

Additional Sources/Resources for Ugli Fruit

Newport Market Foodieopia - Ugli Fruit

UGLI® is the registered trade mark under which Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd.

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