Sometimes there is a whole bag of mandarins at home, but instead of the expected sweetness, they turn out to be sour or tasteless. It’s a shame to throw them away, and eating them is a complete disappointment. Fortunately, there is a very simple and almost unknown method that can completely change the taste of mandarins and make them much sweeter in just 15 minutes. You won’t need any spices or sugar — just what you have in every kitchen.
How to Make Sour Mandarins Sweet in 15 Minutes
Place the mandarins in warm water. Fill a bowl with warm, not hot, water at about 45 °C. Submerge the mandarins completely and leave them for 10 minutes. What does this do? Under the influence of heat, the cells in the peel expand, and the fruit begins to release and redistribute natural sugars more actively. As a result, the taste becomes milder and sweeter.
Gently roll each fruit. After the warm bath, take each mandarin and lightly roll it with your palm on the table. Why do this? This softens the internal membranes, mixes the juice — and the taste becomes more even, more pleasant, and less sour.
Chill before serving. Place the mandarins in the refrigerator for another 5 minutes. After cooling, the sweetness is more pronounced — this is a feature of citrus fruits.
Mandarins contain natural acid and fructose. In warmth, the sugar becomes more pronounced, while the acid noticeably weakens. Thanks to this simple process, even the sourest citrus fruits become tastier.
Additional Hack for Very Sour Fruits
If the mandarins are completely unripe, try making a small cut and soaking them in water with a teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes. The salt will reduce the acidity, but you won’t taste it.
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