Mandarin Oranges – Why Are They Only Available In The Winter And Spring?

Q: Why are the little mandarin oranges, like Cuties or Halos, only available in winter and early spring?

A: Unlike with tomatoes or lettuce, which can be grown and harvested year-round, consumers are at the mercy of these delicious mandarins’ annual harvest time.”Cuties” and “Halos” are just marketing names. They are not actual varieties. Different varieties of these citrus fruits ripen at different times between November and April and are marketed as “Cuties” and “Halos”. Winter is the normal ripening period for citrus in California so that’s when you see them on grocery shelves. Sometimes you’ll find them at other times but it’s expensive to ship them here from south of the equator.