Every winter, our social media feeds fill with images of the beautiful satsuma orange, with its lovely spherical bright body and leafy stem. But what actually is the satsuma? Is it worth buying? Here’s what you need to know about this unique mandarin orange variety.
What is a satsuma orange?
The satsuma orange is a seedless type of mandarin orange with a juicy, sweet flavor. Mandarin orange is a category of small, sweet citrus fruits that have loose skin, including tangerines, clementines and satsumas. What’s the difference of satsuma vs clementines? Satsumas are slightly larger and a little more citrusy in flavor. They’re more delicate than clementines, so they’re harder to find at the grocery. Satsumas are in season between October and December, so you may start to see them at your local grocery store in the winter months. In the US, they’re grown in California and the Southeastern states. It’s also grown around the world in Japan, China, Spain, Korea, and more.
How to store satsuma oranges
Satsuma oranges stay good at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, though they’re best within 4 to 5 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 3 weeks.
Satsuma nutrition & calories
Satsumas are a healthy food that’s full of vitamins (source). One satsuma orange has:
50 calories 2 grams fiber 11 grams carbohydrates 0 grams fat, cholesterol or sodium 73% of the daily value of Vitamin C (66 mg)
Note: they’re very juicy!
Satsuma oranges are very juicy. While they’re considered easy to peel, often we end up with lots of juice when we go to peel them. Keep this in mind as you use them in recipes. We prefer to either eat them as a snack or use recipes that call for their juice, like salad dressing or cocktails. Speaking of…
Recipes and ways to eat them
The best way to eat a satsuma orange? Snack on it raw! This variety of mandarin orange is delightfully juicy and perfect for snacking. But if you want to get a little more creative, there are so many ways to use it. Use the juice for salad dressing or cocktails, or slice it up for salads. Here are a few ideas: 1 from 1 review
