Tangelo

The tangelo (pronounced /ˈtændʒəloʊ/ TAN-jə-loh) is a citrus fruit that is a hybrid of a tangerine and either a pomelo or a grapefruit. It may have originated in Southeast Asia over 3,500 years ago. The fruits are the size of an adult fist and have a tangerine taste, but are very juicy, to the point of not providing much flesh but producing excellent and plentiful juice. Tangelos generally have loose skin and are easier to peel than oranges. They are easily distinguished from oranges by a characteristic knob at the top of the fruit.

Varieties

Orlando tangelo

This early maturing tangelo is noted for its juicy, mild, sweet flavor. Orlandos are flat-round in shape and larger in size. California/Arizona Orlandos have a slightly pebbled texture, good interior and exterior color, very few seeds and a tight fitting rind. Orlando tangelos are available from mid-November to the beginning of February. The Orlando tangelo originated as a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine. W. T. Swingle of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is credited with creating the hybrid in 1911. When the Orlando tangelo was first cultivated, it was known by the name Lake Tangelo. The trees of this variety grow to a large size and are easily recognized by their cup-shaped leaves. Orlando tangelos are recognized as being one of the more cold-tolerant varieties. However, because the Orlando tangelo is incompatible with pollination, it is suggested that they be planted with other varieties of oranges to encourage pollination.

Minneola

The Minneola tangelo is likewise a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Fancy tangerine, and was released in 1931 by the United States Department of Agriculture Horticultural Research Station in Orlando. Most Minneola tangelos are characterized by a stem-end neck which tends to make the fruit appear bell-shaped. Because of this it is called the Honeybell in the gift fruit trade where it is one of the most popular varieties, but the proper name is Minneola. The fruit is usually fairly large, typically 9 - 9½ inches in diameter. The peel color is quite good and when mature results in a bright reddish-orange color. The peel is relatively thin so the fruit peels easily. It is quite juicy. It has few seeds and numbers can range from zero up to perhaps as many as twelve seeds per fruit. The Minneola is not strongly self-fruitful and yields will be greater when interplanted with suitable pollenizers such as Temple, Sunburst tangerine or possibly Fallglo tangerine. It tends to bear a good crop every other year.

The fruit matures in the December-February period with January being the peak.

Drug interactions

One study so far has shown that unlike grapefruit, interactions with statins are not likely with tangelos, even though it is derived from a grapefruit crossed with a tangerine. This is apparently because the furocoumarins in grapefruit are not expressed in tangelos. Due to this, some reactions are temporary.

Translation

The word "Tangelo" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Dutch, Polish.

Translation(s) in other languages: German: Minneola, French: Citrus ×tangelo, Italian: Citrus × tangelo, Russian: Танжело, Swedish: Minneola.