The Honey Murcott mandarins are eating absolutely superbly. This to me is the best mandarin of the year. They are definitely the sweetest of all mandarins and more consistent than the very popular Imperials where no matter how carefully we select them, the nature of their rootstock means the odd dry one gets through. Not so the Murcotts which are juicy, sweet and good sized fruit. Unfortunately, they’re not as easy to peel as Imperials and they do have a lot of seeds. People of my generation think seeds in grapes and other fruit is the norm but the under 45-year-olds don’t. So spit the seeds out, go to the trouble of peeling them and be rewarded. These next three weeks they are still fresh off the tree and at their absolute best. The price won’t get cheap again in the foreseeable future as a huge percentage of this crop now and in the future is committed to the Asian markets which seem to know no limits.
HOW TO PICK
For a juicier mandarin, pick fruit which feels heavy for its size, has glossy skin and is softer to touch. Avoid fruit that is rock hard and does not yield a little to pressure.
HOW TO STORE
Store in a cool place for up to a week. If you would like to keep them longer, store in the fridge.
