Clementines: what they are, why they're seedless, varieties and season

Why clementines are seedless

The clementine is seedless for a botanical reason: its flowers cannot be fertilised by their own pollen. If they receive no pollen from other citrus varieties, the fruit still grows, but without seeds. It is the same mechanism that makes Navel oranges seedless.

Why do you sometimes find one? If other compatible citrus trees, such as some mandarins or hybrids, are flowering near the grove, bees can carry their pollen to the clementine flowers: in that case one or two seeds form in the fruit. That is why clementines are said to be "almost always" seedless.

Clementines or mandarins: which are seedless? Clementines. The true mandarin has plenty of seeds, while "mandarancio" is simply another Italian name for the clementine. Find all the differences in our guide clementines or mandarins.

Our seedless clementines grow in the Sibari Plain and are picked by hand only when you order: order a 15 kg box.

When are clementines in season

In Calabria the harvest starts between late October and November with the early varieties and continues until February with the late ones. These are the months when clementines are at their sweetest and juiciest.

Want to know when oranges, lemons and grapefruits are in season too? See our Calabrian citrus calendar.

Clementine varieties

There are many clementine varieties, which differ mainly in ripening time: combined, they cover the harvest from October to February. The main ones:

• Early (October – early November): Caffin, Spinoso, Marisol.
• Main season (November – December): Comune, the classic and most widespread clementine, with selections such as SRA 63, and Nules.
• Late (December – February): Tardivo and Hernandina.
• Clementine hybrids: Nova (December – February) and Tacle (late December – January), a cross with the Tarocco orange. Late mandarin hybrids such as Tango and Mandalate are also on the market, often sold as clementines.

Seasons and characteristics of each variety, with a closer look at Nova and Tacle, in our guide to clementine varieties.

We grow the classic, most widespread varieties in the Sibari Plain and harvest them from late October to January.

How to choose clementines

• Weight: pick fruit that feels heavy for its size, it is the juiciest.
• Colour: the peel should be bright and evenly orange.
• Scent: ripe clementines have an intense, inviting aroma.
• Leaves: fresh green leaves mean they were picked recently.

How to store them

At room temperature, in a cool, dry place, clementines keep well for about a week; in the fridge, in the fruit drawer, even longer. Avoid closed plastic bags: they need to breathe.

Nutritional value

One hundred grams of clementines provide about 47 kcal and about 48 mg of vitamin C. Clementines are therefore a source of vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Read more in our article on vitamin C in citrus fruits.

History and origin of clementines

The clementine is linked to Brother Clément Rodier, who found it in the early twentieth century in the garden of the Misserghin orphanage in Algeria, and after whom it is named. More recent genetic studies confirmed that it is a cross between mandarin and sweet orange.

How clementines are grown

Clementines need a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers: that is why the Sibari Plain is one of the ideal areas. The trees are pruned every year to encourage quality fruit and harvesting is done by hand, once the fruit is properly ripe.

From the tree to your table

In our grove we pick clementines when you order and ship them with no post-harvest treatments, straight from the grower to your home.

Clementines in the kitchen

Besides being perfect fresh, clementines are a versatile ingredient:

• Juices and smoothies: their juice is sweet and fragrant.
• Jams and marmalades: great for tarts and breakfast.
• Fruit and green salads: they pair well with apples, pears, kiwis and fennel.
• Savoury dishes: for sweet-and-sour sauces and to flavour white meat and fish.

Find plenty of ideas in our citrus recipes.

Clementine, mandarin or mandarancio?

Clementines and mandarins look alike but are different fruits, while "mandarancio" is what the clementine is called in many parts of Italy. We collected all the differences in our guide clementines vs mandarins.

More questions about clementines

What is the difference between clementina and clementino?

There is no difference in the fruit: in Italian, clementino is the name of the tree, like arancio for the orange, while clementina is the fruit. In some parts of Italy, though, "clementino" is also used for the fruit.

What is seedless fruit called?

It is called seedless or apyrenic fruit. Seedless fruit often develops through parthenocarpy, meaning it grows even though the flower was not fertilised: this is the case of clementines and Navel oranges. Other examples are bananas, seedless grapes and seedless watermelon.

Do Nova clementines have seeds?

They can. Nova is a clementine hybrid and, like the clementine, cannot be fertilised by its own pollen. But if other compatible varieties are flowering nearby, bees carry their pollen and the fruit can develop quite a few seeds. Grown in isolation, it has few or none.

When do late clementines ripen?

Late varieties ripen between December and February: Tardivo in December and January, Hernandina from January to mid-February, and the Tacle hybrid from late December to January. They extend the season as the classic clementines come to an end. Our seedless clementines are harvested from late October to January.

Buy clementines straight from the grower

Choose a box of seedless clementines or one of our mixed citrus boxes, with oranges and clementines together.