Are Cuties® Oranges?
Cuties ® are all California - produce mandarin ( Citrus reticulata ) , growing only in the warmer area of the state in USDA zone 9 to 11 . Trademarked by the maker Sun Pacific , Cuties ® are not just one type of mandarin ; they may be either Murcott mandarin orange or clementine tree , bet on the metre of year .
You might pick up the full term " Cutie oranges , " but Cuties ® are not Orange River ( Citrus×sinensis ) because mandarins are not oranges ( rigorously speaking ) .
Clementine mandarins ( Citrusreticulata’Clementine ' ) are usable during the wintertime months , and Murcott mandarins ( Citrus reticulata’Blanco ' ) are produced from February until April , so the months in which Cuties ® are available are November through April .
Tip
If you are conversant with Cuties ® , you have credibly also seen or purchase Halos ® produce by Paramount Citrus . Sun Pacific and Paramount Citrus were formerly in partnership but split into two venture in 2013 ; now , both produce clementine and Murcott mandarins in California .
What Is a Mandarin?
A mandarin orange is not a case of orangeness , nor is it of necessity a tangerine — although tangerines are indeed Mandarin dialect . There are generally four broad category of mandarins :
The intermediate - size Citrus reticulata tree diagram flourishes in tropical and subtropical areas , although it is the most cold - hardy of the many citrus variety . Mandarins are discrete from orange tree because of their fragile , loose rind and size of it . They are usually well peeled and bring about seedless yield when hybridized to do so .
Clementine Mandarins
A clementine is one of the smallest of the mandarin Orange . At just 2 inches in diameter , it has a fairly oval shape . Clementines , also known as " Algerian tangerines , " arise in the Mediterranean and were cultivate in Florida before they were planted in California .
clementine tree are a ruby - orange color and are highly redolent with a spicy scent .
Murcott Mandarins
Murcott mandarins are medium - sized , from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter , with the thin rind characteristic of all mandarins . TheUniversity of Riversidereports that they are less easily skin than clementines , but the maker does n’t report that . They are also grow in Florida , where they are marketed as " honey " tangerine tree .
Like the clementine tree , they are ruby - orangish but can have a more jaundiced - orange tree gloss in warmer winter .
What Are Cuties®?
Cuties ® establish as a brand in 2001 , a joint venture of two large citrus producer , Paramount Citrus ( with the parent company Wonderful Company ) and Sun Pacific . They successfully marketed Cuties ® as a kid - friendly citrus option to an orange that can easily be belt down into a lunchbox , is scrumptiously sweet , peels easy and separates into low , sexually attractive sections that melt in your mouth .
Their speculation was so successful that U.S. consumers speedily lift mandarin orange over oranges at the food market store , increasing demand to such a degree that California ’s acreage in hybrid of easy - to - peel Mandarin dialect increase from fewer than 3,000 estate in 2001 to more than 70,000 estate by 2021 .
With this success come more opportunities to snaffle grocery plowshare , and by 2013 , the two company split . Sun Pacific secured full mastery and ownership of the Cuties ® brand , but Wonderful Company immediately make its own brand , Wonderful Halos ® . They had more trees than Sun Pacific and huge marketing and financial resource . shortly , their Halos ® surpassed Cuties ® in market contribution .
However , Cuties ® continue to be broadly popular with consumers . The Cuties ® marque is so widely recognized that some consumer see Halos ® in the supermarket aisle and still refer to them as Cuties ® .
