Pixies were one of the very first tangerines that I tried a few years ago, where they were so good that I made a point to remember the variety. They are sweet and succulent with the perfect acidity; And while they don’t have one of the easy zipper peels, they are seedless. Bonus! The pixies in this lot are a couple inches in diameter. I’ve had them as small as a golf ball when I visited Ojai last year (where they largely grow) and they are all delicious. Supposedly they are available starting in February, but I’ve never run into them until much later. Every year I fear I will be tangerine fatigued by the time they arrive, but it never ever happens. Get thee to the store and get some of these before they run out!

APPEARANCE 4 out of 5 stars

Typical tangerine looks: medium sized, with sunny orange flesh.

AROMA 5 out of 5 stars

Bright, sweet orange scent. I would love a candle that smelled like this. Mmmm.

TEXTURE 5 out of 5 stars

Juicy and luscious, seedless flesh. Lovely.

TASTE 5 out of 5 stars

Sweet and full tangerine flavor. Lightly and ideally acidic.

OVERALL 4.75 out of 5 stars

For me, this is one of the very best tangerines to eat, plus it has an adorable name. Pixie! Pixie! I’ve never had one at the same time as a Shasta Tangerine, so I can’t do an adequate taste test, but one of these two is currently my favorite.

OTHER NONSENSE

True confession: I also like the band, Pixies and the candy, Pixy Stix. So it is altogether possible that I just have a thing for the word pixie. Hard to say.

It is March – just about the saddest month for fruit EVER. I am completely bored of citrus and the spring berries aren’t quite ready. By summer I will be swimming in so many delightful bits of fruit that I won’t be able to try them fast enough and Mr. Maven will be threatening to call some sort of goverment agency to come in and find his wife in the pile of cores, pits and rotting fruit flesh in the corner of the dining room. But until then, it is March. Sad, sad fruitless March. But then this weekend I was walking through the grocery store and saw Shasta Tangerines. I literally thought – “Hey another tangerine. WHO CARES.” But I grabbed one (just ONE) any way because I am compulsive like that.  Believe me, if I had left without it I would have had to go back. What if that one kind of tangerine was the best tangerine ever and I didn’t bother to pick it up?! Unlikely, but what if?! And it turns that for once, my neurotic nature was right. This is hands down, the best tangerine I have ever had and I promptly went right back to the store and got an entire bag of them. Delightful.

APPEARANCE 4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful deep orange skin and flesh. Slightly larger than most tangerines I have eaten but not quite as big as the average orange.

AROMA 5 out of 5 stars

Extremely strong (can smell it all the way down the hall as it is being peeled), floral, delightful, pure, sweet tangerines.

TEXTURE 5 out of 5 stars

Super easy to peel – the easiest ever!, Very little pith and very few seeds. Juicy juiciness.

TASTE 5 out of 5 stars

Perfectly acidic, perfectly sweet. Pure and floral tangerine essence.

OVERALL 4.75 out of 5 stars

Have I already mentioned that this is my very favorite tangerine so far? Because it most definitely is, and that is saying something because I have tasted somewhere around 15 different kinds including common favorites like Page and Dancy. The shasta tangerine is a deep gorgeous color, insanely easy to peel and it’s bigger than most so you don’t have to peel two just to get a reasonable snack! Also I ate one at work and people were popping in to figure out what I was eating and where they could get one.  Extra points for making people jealous of me!!!

RECIPES

10 Ways to Cook with Tangerines

Despite this love, I had no idea there were so many tangerines in the world. No. Idea. I have reviewed quite a few mandarins and related hybrids (Page, Satsuma, Kishu, Mandarinquat, Rangpur Lime, Ugli Fruit) and I have tasted a few more that haven’t made it on to the site yet: Clementines, Cuties, Pixies, Honey, Algerian, Shasta (a favorite) and Sunburst. But there are so, so many more. It’s ridiculous. So I thought I would round up some ideas for you (for me really – let’s not kid ourselves). Pretty much all of these can be made with various oranges as well (see Cara Cara, Sanguinello, Moro). Let me know if you have more. As you might imagine, my fridge is full.

10 Ways to Cook with a Tangerine

1. Butter baking dish, sprinkle with tangerine zest and fill with contents from baked pasta recipe (red and/or white sauce). You will be shocked at how delicious this tastes.
2. Whip some fresh cream. Fold in a bit of fine zest and a tablespoon of rum. Use to top all kinds of desserts or just dip fingers and lick.
3. Boil a few sliced in half (can add limes, lemons, mandarinquats, whatever citrus you have) with a stick of cinnamon and a bit of fresh ginger. Strain into mug and add honey.  Drink and stay healthy.  (thanks keri)
4. Mix 1T zest with 1C sugar. Pulse in food processor to blend. Use wherever you use sugar.
5. Juice one tangerine and mix with equal amount of champagne. Indulge.
6. Place a small sprig of rosemary and the zest of a tangerine in a food processor and pulverize. Mix with half cup of fine sea salt and spread out on a tray to dry (5 hours+). Pat on to fish, shrimp, beef, pork or chicken. Drizzle with oil and grill.
7. Add segments to your favorite coleslaw.
8. Peel tangerine and blend with milk, ice and ice cream (best with a seedless type). Pour into old fashioned mug and grab a straw.
9. Mix a bit of zest, a squeeze of juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with fresh cut green beans or asparagus and roast at 425 degrees until tender.
10. Mix up a batch of chamomile tea. Squeeze in some tangerine juice and pour into popsicle molds or an ice cube tray with tooth picks. Freeze and enjoy. Turn up the heat, throw on some shorts and pretend it’s summer.

You might also be interested in: 10 Ways to Cook With a Lime