I’m not talking about a boy band. (Not that there’s anything wrong with having a thing for cute twenty-something musicians.) I’m actually referring to my latest obsession in the produce department.
These are called satsuma mandarins, and I can’t get enough of them. They are in season for about a month right around the holidays, so grab some while you can. They are truly easy to peel, and I have yet to find a single seed. And they are crazy good…a perfect blend of sweet and tart.
Satsuma mandarins are related to the tiny canned mandarin oranges that appeared in all those scary jello salads in the early seventies. The ones with mini marshmallows and fruit cocktail floating in a jiggly red blob. Yeah, that’s a salad. Since you eat these fresh, instead of drowning in sugary syrup, they are obviously much better for you.
Satsumas have a decent amount of vitamin C, and some beta carotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. If you have been following this blog, you know by now that I am big on vitamin C, because it brightens the skin and promotes collagen production. Vitamin A is great for skin health as well. I’m not a calorie counter, but each satsuma has only 45 calories.
One thing to keep in mind…it’s always a good idea to balance the sugar in fruit with some high quality fat or protein (or both) to keep your blood sugar steady. So maybe have a satsuma with a matcha latte, or a coffee with coconut milk, or a handful of nuts.
So how do these cute little oranges keep us happy, healthy and hot? Easy! A sweet delicious treat that requires absolutely no work makes everyone happy. The vitamin C and A help us stay healthy, and they are supporting glowing, firm skin…that’s hot! Listen to “Perfect” by 1D while you’re eating your satsumas. Or Justin Bieber”s new song “Love Yourself.” Or anything by 5SOS. Music makes everything even better.
YUM! I love those, too! I see the leaves in your pic – do you have a tree? I bought an indoor kumquat and orange tree last year (and I haven’t killed them yet, which is a small miracle), but still no fruit yet. I bought my mom a mandarin orange tree for mother’s day and she already has tons of little mandarin oranges on it. They are even more amazing picked right off the tree!
Oh I wish I had a tree, Kelly! I bought these at Wegmans. They are so adorable with the leaves still on. For just a few weeks in the spring, they have a similar
fruit but much larger called a sumo. I am crazy for them!