Fun Facts About Clementines – The Groves (2024)

Clementines have been called the crown jewel of the citrus world. These tiny oranges are used in everything from salads and sauces to preserves. Clementines are a specialty breed of orange that is only available for a couple of months out of the year. Many people will make preserves or cook sauces that can be frozen with these rare fruits so that they can enjoy the Clementines all year round. These tiny bright orange fruits are known for their sweetness and their bright orange color. Clementines have only been in grown for the US for around a hundred years and so are not as well known as other types of citrus fruits to most people. Check out these fun facts about the tiny Clementine:

Clementines are very often called “Christmas oranges” because their limited growing season falls during the winter. Usually Clementines are only available from late November through early January, making them perfect for holiday gifts because they are just reaching their peak during the Christmas holiday. Giving Clementine orange as a gift has become very popular, and often people order boxes of Clementines for holiday gifts a year in advance.

Clementines are a variety of Mandarin orange that were introduced into the US in the early 1900s for commercial sales. Even though they have only been grown in the US for a relatively short period of time considering that oranges have been grown in the US since the 1500s Clementines are popular around the world and have been for hundreds of years. Clementines are related to the small and sweet Mandarin orange that is grown in China although there is some debate about whether or not Clementines are actually Mandarin oranges. Clementines are also grown in Morocco and Spain.

Clementines are one of the few varieties of citrus fruits that are seedless. Sometimes Clementines are called seedless tangerines because they are small and have a bright orange color like tangerines but are seedless. Because they are seedless and easy to peel Clementines are the ideal citrus fruit for kids who are just learning how to eat on their own.

There is a story that Clementines were created from a Mandarin orange and tangerine by a French clergyman, Pierre Clement, in an Algerian monastery but that history is disputed by some who say that the Clementine came from China in the same way that the Mandarin orange and other fruits did.