Gold Nugget Mandarins
The Gold Nugget Mandarin is the latest Tangerine variety to hit our local Grocery Stores and Specialty Produce Markets. It is a fairly new late-season variety that has just recently been finding it's way to the Mainstream Market Place. These are being grown in a small area just south of Porterville, California--the Heart of Citrus Country.The timing by Mother Nature couldn't be better, because the Satsuma Mandarins and Clementines that we've been seeing over the past few months are virtually finished. Although the semi-seedless W.Murcotts are still available, it's season will be ending soon as well. These Gold Nugget "Zipper Skin" fruits are easy to peel, Super Sweet, Completely Seedless, and Full of Juice!
Until a couple of years ago, Consumers had no options when it came to buying Tangerines once the Winter Season ended, and Spring time began. But things are much different now. Because of recent Research, we now have two late-season varieties to choose from this time of the year. And Mother Nature has saved the Best for Last!
The Gold Nugget is by Far one of the Sweetest of all the Mandarin and Tangerine varieties. And Science can prove it. The United States Department of Agriculture has a device that actually measures the sugar content of fruit in "Brix" units. The typical Tangerine and Mandarin meaures out at 7-8 brix. But the Gold Nugget measures out at a whopping 13 brix! Mandarins are members of the Tangerine Family that are both seedless, and easy to peel.
The Gold Nugget was developed by The University of Riverside, as a late season madarin. It is often referred to as "Pixe like", because it is a cross between the Pixie tangerine, and a lesser know "back-yard" variety mandarin. Although the Pixie Tangerines (13 brix) out of Ojai Ca. have also just begun, the Gold Nugget is a much better bargain, and has a much shorter season than the Pixe (another story for another time). So Now is the Time to Buy the Gold Nugget Mandarins.
The Gold Nugget is a very delicate fruit, and needs to be handled with special care. It bruises easily, which is why the larger Commerical Growers shy away from growing this Gem. Be sure to ask your Local Green Grocer for the Gold Nugget Mandarin!
FRESH from the MARKET ...
The Produce Guy
theproduceguy@yahoo.com
Comments
! Thank you so much for the "Gold Nugget Mandarin" article ... my wife and I we are glad to run in to your article and looking for that tree right now ... Once again Thanks.
VT
Huntington Beach, California
I'm a fellow HB-er and just went to Maddock Nursery in Fallbrook yesterday. You can't be Home Depot prices, but when it comes to variety and getting species that do well in our coastal climate, I find it's best to pay a few more bucks and get the right plant. You'll find that many nurseries in our area source from Fallbrook, so may as well make the trip yourself and get what you want. Coincidently, the nursery steered me into getting a Gold Nugget myself, so I'm going to plant it this weekend.