Buyer's Guide to Florida Citrus

Buying Sol Zests

The Bottom Line

Sol Zests are a type of Mandarin orange that's seedless, easy-peeling, sweet, and perfect for kids and families. The Sol Zest was developed in Israel and is new to Florida, but we think you'll be seeing a lot more of them.

Appearance

Sol Zests have a classic mandarin appearance–smaller and squatter than a navel or juicing orange, but not tiny. Their exterior is a pretty, golden orange and their skin is thin and super quick to peel.

Taste

Sol Zests are sweet, juicy, fruity, and somewhat delicate–a very easy citrus to like! Kids will love these.

Juiciness

These are soft, juicy fruit that melt in your mouth.

Seeds

One of the things that make these likable and so snackable is that they are seedless.

Eating out of hand

This is one of our top choices for eating out of hand.

Availability

Sol Zests are available right around the holidays…December through January. They make an amazing gift for a family.

Best Used For

We think Sols are absolutely perfect for snacking and lunchbox use. The sections also will work wonderfully on a green salad.

Why Should I Buy Sol Zests?

Buy Sol Zests because your family loves the small snack-size citrus that's popular these days but wants to "step up" to a gourmet version that's fresh from Florida.

Interesting Facts

Floridians, want to grow your own Sol Zest in your backyard? Well…you can't. Sol Zest is so special, it's only available to commercial growers like us right now. Sorry!

Mandarin oranges are an important part of Chinese New Year celebrations. The plump, golden fruit symbolize good luck and good fortune, as well as being delicious.

History

Sol Zests are pretty new on the scene. They are a type of "Orri" mandarin developed in Israel, and their parentage is still a bit unclear, though most say they're a cross between the flavorful Temple orange and Dancy Tangerine.