3 Things You Did Not Know About Honeybells

Honeybell oranges are very popular oranges because they produce a lot of juice and have a very unique taste that is a little bit and a little bit sour. Honeybells have a distinctive bell shape and have a deep orange and red colored peel.  Honeybells are easy to peel and do not have a lot seeds, so they are appropriate for everyone in the family even the small children. The juice from Honeybells is often substituted for other types of orange juice in holiday cocktails and other treats because Honeybell juice has a deeper, richer, slightly more tart juice than other types of citrus fruit which adds a unique flavor to recipes.  Here are some facts about Honeybells that you may not know:

Honeybell oranges are not actually oranges. Honeybells are a hybrid of a Darcy tangerine and Duncan grapefruit.  Technically Honeybells are one of several different types of tangerine hybrids called tangelos.  The tart taste of the grapefruit combined with the super sweet tangerine created the unique sweet and sour flavor that the Honeybell is prized for.  Honeybell tangelos are usually around the size of an adult mans fist, although in years with a low harvest they may be much smaller.

Honeybells are only available for about a month.  One of the reasons why Honeybells are so sought after is because they are only available for around four to six weeks in the middle of winter. Snacking on these sweet citrus fruits is a great winter treat, especially after the holidays when everyone is sick of chocolate and cookies. Crop sizes of Honeybells can vary wildly from year to year so some years there may not be enough Honeybells to fill the demand.  It is very common for citrus growers to have waiting lists for boxes of Honeybells. So if you want to try some Honeybell tangelos this winter do not wait, pre order yours and reserve your place on the growers waiting list in case the crop is small.

Honeybell tangelos do not freeze well  - Unlike other citrus fruits the juice of Honeybells does not freeze particularly well. If you want to keep some of the delicious Honeybell juice to enjoy throughout the rest of the year the smartest thing to do is to make some homemade preserves using Honeybell juice and fruit segments.  Honeybell preserves are a beautiful red orange color and taste just as juicy and sweet as a Honeybell fruit.

From:www.halegroves.com