Fresh and juicy mandarin oranges are good for you and have a delightfully sweet flavor that makes them a favorite of kids and adults alike.
Whether you know them by brand names such as “Cuties” or “Halos,” or perhaps simply as clementines or tangerines, all are mandarins. And all are high in vitamin C and are a good source of vitamin A.
Agricultural Research Service scientist Dave Obenland at Parlier, California, and horticulturist Mary Lu Arpaia and colleagues at the University of California-Riverside are conducting studies to discover more about mandarin flavor and—equally as important—how to protect it as these oranges make their way from the orchard to the fruit bowl on your kitchen counter.
Their research focuses on uncovering more details about the natural chemicals in mandarins that contribute to the fruit’s pleasing flavor and on determining what causes changes in those flavors after the fruit is put into storage. That new knowledge may help citrus-fruit breeders, and the people who grow, store, ship, or sell the fruit, ensure that the oranges keep their delicious taste.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA's Agricultural Research Magazine