Oh, My! Clementines!

Pick up a box or bag of super-sweet, snack-sized clementines. The tiniest member of the mandarin orange family, fragrant clementines taste uniquely sweet and tangy compared to their slightly tart tangerine cousins, another variety of mandarin orange.

Found only in specialty grocery stores up until just over a decade ago, clementines were rapidly imported to the U.S. after a harsh winter devastated Florida’s citrus crop in 1997. Today, clementines are primarily grown in California, Spain and North Africa.

Effortless to peel, clementines are the perfect winter citrus snack food for kids. No knives are ever required for this lunchbox favorite. Just use your fingers or the tip of a spoon to gently puncture the clementine’s skin.

Snack-sized and portable, an average clementine contains a mere 35 calories and 60% of your daily requirement of vitamin C! Fat, cholesterol, and sodium-free, they’re also a good source of fiber and other important nutrients. Only around for a short time, clementines peak now through January, but should remain available well into the winter months.

One of Mother Nature’s greatest gifts, recognize friends, family, teachers, coaches, colleagues, hosts and hostesses with a basket full of clementines. The perfect stocking stuffer, clementines deliver sweet sunshine this winter.