By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Produce Merchandiser
This week’s owner coupon is 33 percent off three-pound bags of Halos mandarins. Learn more about the coupon below.
I’m here to answer everyone’s biggest citrus question once and for all: What IS the difference between a clementine and a mandarin?
The answer: A clementine is a type of mandarin orange, which are classified as a family of small-sized, easy to peel, segmented citrus with a tendency towards lower acid content. Clementines are the most popular of the mandarin varieties, being adorably small, seedless, sweet, and easy to peel. Tangerines are also a type of mandarin, and clementines are sometimes referred to as tangerines or mandarins.
The origin of the mandarin orange is, like that of many fruits, somewhat murky. The name mandarin originated because they were thought to have come from China. The name tangerine came about because they were thought to have come from North Africa, near Tangiers. Both are true actually, as the fruit made its way from Asia to the United States via North Africa, and is still widely grown in Asia and North Africa, as well as in Southern Europe, South America, and the Middle East.
As the weather starts to shift towards winter, cold and flu season starts to set in. While there isn’t necessarily proven evidence that Vitamin C will prevent the common cold, it does help boost your immunity by encouraging the production of white blood cells and increasing your blood antioxidant levels. Many people turn to orange juice for their daily dose of Vitamin C, and though OJ carries a load of vitamins with it, it is also loaded with sugar. Oranges (and all fruits), when stripped of their fiber through juicing, are almost pure fructose. Fructose is only processed in the liver, and over-consumption can cause fatty liver, insulin resistance, and even lead to diabetes. Whole citrus though, in their convenient little packages, are a perfect healthy food. Containing 2 grams of fiber as well as 32% of your daily Vitamin C recommendation, they are a much better answer for a snack when you have the sniffles. So go easy on the juice, and grab some mandarins instead!
In recent years, produce marketers have developed brands such as Halos and Cuties in convenient grab-and-go bags so you can grab a bag and have mandarins in your fridge all week long!
This week’s owner coupon is 33 percent off three-pound bags of Halos mandarins, good November 28 to December 5, 2018. Owners, look for the coupon in our weekly e-news, sent on Wednesday morning. If you didn’t get the coupon, you may need to update your email address in our owner database. Contact us at ownershares@weaverstreetmarket.coop.
Not an owner? Become one today to receive the weekly owner coupon as well as the other benefits of ownership, like invitations to the Co-op Fair, a logo T-shirt and bag, and the right to vote in board elections. Learn more here.