Clementines! 8 Ways to Eat, Drink, & Decorate with Them

Citrus season is slowly rolling in on the East Coast, and we're starting to see boxes and bags of bright orange clementines in the markets. Mostly we just eat them as they are, but we've rounded up eight ways to use them in recipes, cocktails, and, if you can resist the urge to snack, home decor.

The sweet, tart taste of clementines makes them perfect for desserts (especially paired with chocolate), but we also love the sound of the couscous, below, or a clementine relish over chicken or fish. We can't imagine a prettier color for a cocktail than the peachy-orange of clementine juice, and they're equally beautiful set in a bowl on a countertop.

How are you using your clementines?

EAT:
• Couscous with Clementines, Chickpeas, Olives, and Dates, from Bon Appétit
• Clementines in Ginger Syrup, from Gourmet
• Candied Clementine Cake, from Vegan Yum Yum

DRINK:
• Clementine Negroni, from Bon Appétit
• Clementine Gin Cocktail, via Tastespotting

DECORATE:
• Clementine Place Cards, from Martha Stewart Weddings
• Clementine Candles, from Apartment Therapy
• Quick Citrus Centerpiece (below), from the Kitchn

(Images: Faith Durand; Elizabeth Passarella)

Comments (7)

Does anyone have a good suggestion for buying good ones? Seems like I will get one box that is out of this world then the next will be very watery, little flavor and slightly bitter - sometimes even a bit harder. Basically inedible.

This post reminded me of an awesome and easy recipe I saw on Nigella Bites once. I went to her website and it's today's featured recipe!

Also, you can just put a small taper candle in them and use them as a candle holder... your guests can blow out the candle and eat the clementine! :)

Totally agree about the home decor suggestion. We bought a juicer a couple months ago, so now we always have a big bowl of juice oranges around and I love how it brightens the kitchen. I think I'll buy some clementines to juice next...

After I peel them, I put the skins in a bowl to dry at room temperature. It makes a pretty addition to potpourri, if you're into that sort of thing; I just like the citrusy smell that lasts about a day or so.

I love decorating with clementines! (And eating them, too.) For a Halloween edible centerpiece I carved little faces into a bunch of clementines and displayed them in a trifle dish. So fun!

Hi Astur, the best way I check to see if they're ripe is to judge how firm the skin is. If it feels loose, as though the fruit has pulled away from it, then that usually means it's a bit old and the fruit has gone past it's prime. If the skin is still bright and fresh looking, without any paler, soft spots it's usually better and more likely to have firm, tastier segments.