The harvest of the new early Sicilian blood mandarins was back in May. The fruit goes into cold store for a period of time to bring the colour out. This is typically for a minimum of four weeks – but after eight weeks the colour really starts to blush.
"The supply of these mandarins is limited just now," explains Penny Reidy, Marketing, BD & Communications Manager at South Australian Produce Market Limited. "As it is a new variety, there is not a lot of volume being yielded from the plantings at the moment, and there are only a handful of growers that have planted this variety."
"It will be at least 2-3 years before we see full yields from the growers that have already planted. As they are not yet popular with growers, they may continue to be a short supply for some years. This will provide for a boutique line that consumers can look forward to annually."
"These blood mandarins are often juicy and seedless, with easy to separate segments. They make a great choice for kids. They are known for their sweet and tangy flavour, often with a hint of tartness for balance. They are also a particularly fragrant mandarin."
The blood mandarin is not a very well known variety in Australia, as it has just started to appear on the market in commercial quantities.
For more information:
Penny Reidy
South Australian Produce Market Limited
Tel: +61 8 8349 4493
[email protected]
www.saproducemarket.com.au