MURCOTTS ARE HERE!
All men’s gains are the fruit of venturing. ~Herodotus (484 – 425 BCE)
My favorite fruit of all is the murcott. Never heard of it? Don’t expect to. The name has been replaced by the more common honey tangerine; don’t ask me why. Murcott was a perfectly serviceable name but I guess the marketers didn’t agree. And they are much better than mere tangerines. Sweeter and juicier. And isn’t that pretty much all we ask for in a piece of fruit?
Murcotts have seeds sometimes, and sometimes almost none; the skin smoother than that of tangerine, and a little yellower, although early murcott peels have some green on them. The murcott season varies, but is on average from January through April, but I’ve noticed that it seems to be getting longer every year. While tangerines come in a wide range of sizes, the murcott is about the diameter of a baseball, somewhat flattened.
While the early murcotts are not picked at their peak, they are still juicy and sweet. They will only improve in the coming months. The aroma that emits from breaking the skin of a murcott is memorable. You can smell the sweetness. Believe it or not, I think a murcott is better tasting than any candy. See if you don’t agree.
