Afourer mandarin is a widely grown commercial variety of mandarin known as 'citrus reticulata afourer'. They are commonly grown in Australia, in regions with an extremely warm summer with full sun. In recent years, Afourer Mandarin citrus trees have been grown under trial here in New Zealand's Northland, where early evidence indicates that the plant is going to be a fruitful success.
What is an Afourer Mandarin?
Afourer mandarin is a late season variety which is harvested after the satsuma and is available in New Zealand stores in late winter, from mid August through to mid October.
This popular mandarin has a distinctive vibrant orange skin, which is easy to peel. It has a deliciously refreshing juicy flesh with a rich and sweet flavour. They're not entirely seedless and may contain a moderate number of seeds.
How to buy and store
When buying mandarin afourer look for ripe fruit which is firm but slightly soft to the touch, with a deep, vibrant orange skin. Select fruit that feels heavy in the hand, indicating juicy flesh.
When you get home, wrap and store inside the refrigerator for up to a week. Early consumption will reward you with its sweet flavour and all the health benefits below.
Health Benefits
- There are just 37 calories in one small mandarin, so these are a perfect sweet, guilt free treat.
- Afourer are a great source of Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant that's anti viral and has a valuable role to perform in wound healing, iron absorption, preventing cancer and neuro degenerative diseases.
- Good source of dietary fibre
- They're cholesterol free and a rich source of dietary fibre which helps to prevent cholesterol absorption in the gut and improve digestion.
Eating mandarin Afourer
- Eat in the hand Always peel fruit before eating. Fortunately these seedless mandarins are really easy to peel making them perfect for children's school lunch boxes, snacks and picnics where they can be eaten in the hand or individual segments. Find kid friendly lunchbox recipes here.
- Juice to drink or add to sauces, gravy and marinades.
- Candy the skin and add to yoghourt, desserts and ice cream
- Zest the skin and add to biscuits, slices and cakes you are baking.
- Separate the flesh into segments and toss through crunchy salads for extra sweetness and texture.