Honey Murcott Mandarin | Mandarins.com.au

Honey Murcott mandarin is the sweetest mainstream variety available in Australian shops. It arrives late in the season, carries a high seed count, and has a rich honey-like flavour that sets it apart from the earlier Imperial. If you want maximum sweetness for juicing or a fruit plate, Honey Murcott is the one to choose.

At a glance

Season: July to October (Queenslandpeak July to August; southern states August to October)
Peel: Thin, yellow-orange. Tighter than Imperial and requires more effort to peel
Seeds: Moderate to high. Expect several seeds per segment
Flavour: Rich, sweet, low acidity. High juice content
Size: Small to medium, flat oval shape
Best for: Fresh eating, juicing, fruit platters, dessert preparation

Season in Australia

Honey Murcott is a late-season variety. Queensland growers harvest from July, with supply peaking through July and August. Victorian and South Australian fruit follows, carrying supply through September and into October. Ironbark Citrus, a Queensland grower, ships standard Honey Murcott from mid-July to early September, alongside premium selections bred for lower seed counts.

In some years, Honey Murcott fruit appears as early as late June from warmer growing regions. By October, supply typically thins out before the season closes.

Flavour, peel, and seeds

Honey Murcott is consistently described by Australian fruiterers and growers as the sweetest mandarin variety available. The flavour is rich and almost caramel-like at peak ripeness, with a honey note that explains the name. Juice content is high. Citrus Men, a specialist nursery, describes it as producing a “firm, excellent flavoured medium sized fruit” with “rich” flavour and high juice content.

The peel is thin but not as loose as Imperial or Afourer. It takes a little more work to remove, which matters if you are preparing fruit for children or for batch cooking. The trade-off is the flavour intensity.

Seed count is the variety’s main drawback for some buyers. Expect multiple seeds per segment. If you are juicing, this is not a problem. If you are cutting segments for a salad or a child’s lunchbox, deseeding takes a moment.

A commercial selection called Royal Honey Murcott has been developed on Queensland farms (Ironbark Citrus, Gin Gin, QLD) with superior sweetness, easy-peel skin, and little to no seeds. It is available at some retailers and farmers markets from May to June, before standard Honey Murcott season.

Where it is grown

Honey Murcott is widely grown across Australia. Queensland, the Riverland (SA), Sunraysia (VIC/NSW), and Carnarvon (WA) all produce significant volumes. It is the second most widely planted mandarin in Australia by area. Murcott and Honey Murcott account for around 29% of Australian fresh mandarin production. Nutrano, a major citrus grower operating across Queensland, Sunraysia, and the Northern Territory, includes Honey Murcott as a key variety in its export program to South-East Asian markets.

Origin and history

Murcott mandarin is of American origin, developed in Florida. The “Honey” prefix is a retail name used widely in Australia to describe the sweet character of the fruit. The variety is sometimes labelled simply as Murcott in wholesale markets and export documentation, while retail shelves in Coles and Woolworths tend to use Honey Murcott.

Over the past decade, Australian growers have bred or selected low-seed and easy-peel Murcott selections for the domestic and export market. The Royal Honey Murcott, developed on Ironbark Citrus farms in Queensland, is one example. These selections aim to keep the flavour of the original while reducing the seed count that puts some buyers off.

Best uses in the kitchen

Honey Murcott’s high juice and sugar content makes it the best mainstream mandarin for juicing. One kilogram of fruit yields a generous quantity of sweet juice with little need for added sugar.

For cooking, Honey Murcott works well in:

Cakes: the sweetness and juice reduce the need for added sugar. Boil whole mandarins then blend for mandarin cake bases.
Curd: the rich flavour holds well after cooking.
Dressings and glazes: the high juice content makes a good reduction for pork or poultry glazes.
Mandarin marmalade: seeded varieties make marmalade with good natural pectin. Deseed before cooking or sieve after.

The zest is aromatic. Use it in biscuits, shortbread, or mixed with salt and pepper as a seasoning for fish.

How it compares

Honey Murcott vs Imperial: Imperial is earlier, easier to peel, and lower in seeds. Honey Murcott is sweeter, juicier, and richer. Choose Imperial for convenience; choose Honey Murcott when flavour is the priority.

Honey Murcott vs Afourer: Afourer is usually seedless and arrives at a similar time of year. Afourer has good flavour and juice, but Honey Murcott is generally sweeter and more intense.

See the Imperial vs Honey Murcott comparison for a detailed side-by-side.

Buying and storing

Look for Honey Murcott in Coles and Woolworths from July. The label usually reads “Honey Murcott” though you may also see “Murcott” at markets and independent grocers.

Choose fruit that feels heavy for its size. A puffy or very loose skin on a Honey Murcott can indicate the fruit is past its best: the tight skin style of this variety means natural loosening is a sign of over-maturity rather than ripeness as it is in Imperial.

Store in the fridge in a bag or crisper drawer. Honey Murcott’s thin skin means it dries out faster than an orange. Use within one to two weeks of purchase.

Growing it at home

Honey Murcott trees are vigorous and grow to 2 to 5 metres in the ground. They suit subtropical and warm temperate climates and handle light frost once established. Trees fruit in the second to third autumn after planting. Nursery sources list harvest months as September to December from backyard trees, which are typically a few weeks behind commercial production.

Honey Murcott can be grown in a 35-litre or larger pot. The tree tends to overcrop, which can cause branch breakage. Thin developing fruit in heavy-crop years to protect the tree and improve fruit size.

For more on growing, see mandarin tree care and best backyard mandarin trees.