The clementine was first discovered by priest Father Clément in 1902įather Clément was responsible for the orchards of an orphanage near to Oran in Algeria.Īmongst his trees was one where the fruit did not look like any of his mandarins. 'Because we concentrate mainly on one variety, consumers will always know what to expect when they buy.”

20% are Cassen, and are the first of the season, sold in the first fortnight at the end of October, and the majority, 80% are Fine de Corse. That is down to the geography of our region and the climate, which produces a fruit with a unique taste, and particularly fine and easy to peel skin. 'The green leaves sold with the fruit are proof they are fresh.”Īnother important difference is the taste: “Our clementines are sweet with gentle acid overtones, whereas most others are solely sweet. 'We harvest by hand with a snip of the secateurs and only take the fruit that is ripe, so we have to go and cut our clementine every day' 'Many overseas producers harvest all their fruit in one go and leave them to ripen in warehouses. 'For example, our fruit has to be sent to market within six days of being harvested, so they are always fresh when sold. “We have had a Protected Geographical Indication since 2007, which guarantees our clementines’ origin, but also their quality, because we have seventy control points we must respect,' he told The Connexion. Corsican clementine producer and chief flagwaver for the juicy fruit, Jean-Paul Mancel | Photo: APRODEC

Clementine growing season