Once in Corsica, the ancient Romans learned to grow citrus trees, to collect and use their fruits in food. But only half a century ago, such an exotic fruit as clementine came into the world.
Pick your recipe
Mandarin or orange?
Clementine is a hybrid of mandarin and orange. From a smaller relative, he took the form (slightly flattened), from a larger one - color, saturated orange, sometimes almost red. And in itself it turned out to be much sweeter and more juicy than other citrus fruits. Another difference from tangerines is the presence of a large number of sufficiently large seeds in clementines. In some varieties - up to 12 seeds per fruit. Speaking of grades. There are three of them, clementines are:
-Montreal (ripen in October);
-Spanish (the most numerous among imported);
-Corsican (orange-red, have no seeds inside).
It is the Corsican clementines that are considered the best, because in addition to enveloping sweets, they have a rich citrus aroma. This “fragrance” is given to them by a large number of essential oils contained in a thin, but dense, smooth skin. By the way, the skin of clementines should be shiny, less loose than that of mandarins.
What are they used for?
Clementines are actively used by the world's leading culinary specialists to prepare all kinds of desserts and pastries: mousses, jellies, cakes, rolls, pastries, jams. Among the dishes of Mediterranean cuisine there are also salads, sauces and drinks from juicy clementines. For example, sangria, liquors, brandy do not do without fragrant cloves of this citrus.
But in order for the culinary delights to be of truly outstanding quality and, accordingly, taste, it is necessary to choose the right fruit. It is better to pay attention to those citruses that are sold with twigs and leaves. Fresh and juicy clementine leaves must be saturated green and not necessarily dry.
To keep the fruits fresh longer, you can not store them in polyethylene. Better put in a container and send in the refrigerator. The best temperature for them is in the region of + 5 ° C with high humidity.
What is hidden under the peel?
The composition of clementines includes a huge amount of vitamins, fighting for the vitality of the body and raising immunity. Ascorbic acid, potassium and titanium also help maintain health and youth.