![]() It was crossed with either the pomelo or grapefruit to create most of the significant “tangelo” varieties and was the parent of the Frua and Fortune Mandarin Oranges, the Dweet and Mency tangors, and the Pixie Tangerine of the Ojai Valley. Its historical importance as a product was matched by its crucial role as breeding stock. For the first seven decades of the twentieth century, most of the tangerines grown and consumed in the United States were Dancy tangerines. The 20th century saw its expansion to southern California and Arizona. In the 1870’s the Dancy tangerine spread throughout Florida and Cumberland Island, Georgia. Orchards were grafted or budded, and the old seedling groves that had characterized Florida citrus plantations were abandoned because of Dancy’s innovations. It became the first Florida citrus variety around which a breeding discipline was imposed. Dancy recognized the high quality of the fruit and distributed cuttings to his circle of fellow growers in 1872. Since the parent was thought to have been from Morocco, it bore the name of “tangierine” alluding to Tangiers. Dancy’s fruit (like many citrus trees grown from seed) produced fruit different in quality, configuration, and taste than that of its parent. Grown from the seed of a Mandarin orange planted in Florida, Col. ![]() Home growers of the Dancy tangerine developed methods for canning and preserving the fruit, such as thin slices of the fruit in syrup. While most frequently shipped as fresh fruit for direct consumption, the Dancy tangerine was the first mandarin category citrus fruit to be processed commercially into tangerine juice. It became known in the 20th century as the Christmas tangerine. Its compact size, easily peeled skin (it was called the “zipper tangerine”), and tendency to become ripe in mid-December made it a favorite holiday season treat. Adam Dancy in 1867 or 1868 in Florida. This acidic, richly flavored fruit immediately established a new category of citrus product in the United States – less tart than an orange, more complex and bright than a pomelo, and not oversweet like the Chinese sweet orange then in fashion. The first tangerine was introduced to the market by the legendary citrus grower Col.
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