Tangelos — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Tangelos is a fruit available in New Zealand during July, August, September, peaking in August. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy tangelos, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
A cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit. Sweeter and juicier than oranges, with a distinctive easy-peel shape. Grown in Gisborne and Northland.
How to pick a good one
Should feel heavy and have a slightly loose, puffy skin. The neck (where the stem is) is the giveaway: tangelos have a distinctive bulge.
How to store it
Room temperature for a week, fridge for two weeks.
Goes well with
dark chocolate: The same logic as orange and chocolate. Tangelo is sweeter and juicier than orange, which makes the combination less bitter and more immediate.
ginger: Ginger's warmth and tangelo's bright citrus freshness cover opposite ends of the flavour spectrum. The combination is used in dressings and drinks where tangelo replaces orange.
honey: Honey's sweetness amplifies tangelo's floral aromatic quality. The combination is better as a dressing or glaze than as a direct pairing.
Recipes
Tangelo & Watercress Salad
Bright, peppery, winter pick-me-up.
Ingredients: 2 tangelos, 1 bunch watercress, 1 tbsp olive oil, squeeze lemon, pinch salt
Method: Peel and segment tangelos. Toss with watercress, oil, lemon, salt.
Tangelo Curd
Sweeter than lemon curd.
Ingredients: 3 tangelos (zest and juice), 3 eggs, 100g sugar, 80g butter
Method: Whisk juice, zest, eggs, sugar over simmering water 10 min until thick. Remove. Stir in butter. Jar and chill.
Tangelo & Ginger Sorbet
Refreshing. No machine needed.
Ingredients: 4 tangelos (juice), 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated), 80g sugar, 80ml water
Method: Dissolve sugar in water with ginger. Strain. Mix with tangelo juice. Freeze, stirring with fork every hour for 4 hours.
Nutrition
One tangelo provides over 100% of your daily vitamin C. Good source of folate and potassium. The bioflavonoids in the white pith help your body absorb the vitamin C more effectively. About 70 calories each. Nutritionally similar to oranges but juicier.