Honeybell Oranges Are Not All Orange After All

?Honeybell oranges are not really oranges, but instead the result of crossing a tangerine with a grapefruit. The resulting hybrid is commonly called the Honeybell or tangelo orange today and they are prized for their exceptionally sweet and juicy fruits which reach peak ripeness in late January and early February. Honeybells are smaller than normal oranges, about the size of an adult fist and have loose skin with a raised nipple at the stem. They are easier to peel than a regular orange and are very juicy, as two average sized Honeybells can easily provide a full glass of freshly squeezed juice.
 
The specific fruits used in the hybridization to create the Honeybells are thought to be the Darcy variety of tangerine and either the Duncan or Bowen variety of grapefruit. However, the origin of the Honeybell is disputed with some people saying the original hybridization process can be traced back to the ancient Orient, while other more recent growers claim they discovered the hybrid themselves during the orange tree planting boom that occurred in Florida and parts of California immediately following World War II. Regardless of who actually discovered the breed, Honeybell tangelos are usually every grower’s most highly prized variety due to their consistent sweet flavor and unique bell shape.
 
There are two main varieties of Honeybell tangelos. The early maturing Orlando variety is credited by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Mr. W. T. Swingle who first creating the hybrid in 1911. Today they are mainly planted in California and Arizona, and Orlando trees grow to a large size and are easily recognized by their cup-shape leaves. Orlando Honeybell tangelos are also one of the most cold-tolerant varieties of orange.

The second main variety is the Minneola tangelo, a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine that was created in 1931 by the USDA Horticultural Research Station in Orlando, Florida. Minneola tangelos are characterized by a bell-shaped stem-end neck that makes them one of the most popular varieties in the gift fruit trade. Minneola Honeybells are very juicy with a thin skin and a bright-reddish-orange color.
 
Almost all Honeybell orange trees in the United States today are grown along the Indian River in Florida, where the unpredictable weather translates to an unpredictable crop yield from year to year. Honeybell oranges can be ordered online, or purchased directly from commercial orchards or through a variety of catalogs offering citrus fruit gift items. The rarity of Honeybell tangelos along with their specific harvesting and handling requirements make them a bit more expensive than other types of oranges and citrus fruits, but nearly everyone who is familiar with the extra juicy sweetness they deliver, is willing to pay more for the unique taste.