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The W. Murcott Afourer Mandarin, better known as the W. Murcott, originated in Morocco. Botanically it is classified as a Tangor Mandarin. A mandarin is typically defined as any orange colored citrus larger than a kumquat but smaller than an orange. This would include all Clementine Mandarins, Satsuma Mandarins, Other Seedless Mandarins, and Other Mandarins. The Murcott Honey usually grown in Florida is a cousin with quite different characteristics but is often confused due to the similar name. The Floridians have shortened the name of the Murcott Honey to just “Honey Mandarin,” to distinguish this variety from our W. Murcott Afourer Mandarin.
The parentage of the W. Murcott Mandarin is questionable. Some say that it was grown from the seed of a very old Murcott tree in Morocco. It could be a natural hybrid or a common mutation. No one knows for sure. The budwood was imported into the US from Morocco in 1985. A few scientists and nurserymen grew some trees for experimental purposes but there were no major plantings until after 2000.
The fruit is very stable and disease resistant. Unlike the Clementine Mandarin varieties, the W. Murcott can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks without any loss of flavor or decay problems.
I discovered the W. Murcott Afourer at a local nursery where my goal was to find the best tasting citrus fruit that there was available. The nurseryman showed me every variety that he had that was commercially grown and then those varieties of which he was experimenting. The day was getting long and it seemed that all of the different oranges and mandarins began to taste the same. He saved the best for last. It was the W. Murcott Afourer Mandarin. He had a very small experimental orchard. When I tasted the fruit it was immediately evident to me that this particular citrus fruit would be a big hit. The fruit is mostly medium sized, sort of flat shaped with a thin, smooth, easy to peel skin, with a perfect balance of citric acid and sugar giving it a rich flavor second to none. It isn’t such big piece of fruit that it becomes a meal in itself. It was just the right size. It was so easy to peel that even a small child could do it.
My first orchard was planted in 1997 and grown in a conventional manner using commercial fertilizers and traditional pest control. I was quite pleased with the production quality as were my customers. They clamored for more fruit even after the season was finished. I really enjoyed receiving letters and calls from my customers telling me how much they loved my mandarins. I began to think about how I could improve on what I perceived to be perfection. In 2003, I decided to plant another orchard of W. Murcotts but this time try to farm them organically. This decision comes with a significant risk, as a farmer never knows what pests or diseases may infect his orchard. I learned when growing organically there is a whole different mind-set. As an organic farmer my objective is to provide the tree with all of the natural nutrition, using compost, fish emulsion, limestone and other natural products to strengthen the tree and the soil. When you have a healthy and natural growing environment, the strong and healthy tree, along with the beneficial insects living in the orchard do a pretty good job at controlling crop damaging pests.
Occasionally, you may find a small scar on your mandarin. Don’t worry. It’s perfectly good to eat. You’ve shared the bounty with a tiny critter that had his turn a few months before. It’s all good!
