A medium tangerine (about 88 grams) contains roughly 23 mg of vitamin C, which covers about 26% of the Daily Value. That’s a solid contribution from a single piece of fruit you can peel in seconds, though it’s less than what you’d get from a standard orange.
Vitamin C by Tangerine Size
Tangerines vary quite a bit in size, and the vitamin C content scales accordingly. A small tangerine (around 76 grams) provides closer to 20 mg, while a large one (around 120 grams) can deliver over 30 mg. Two medium tangerines would give you roughly half a day’s worth of vitamin C.
The current recommended daily intake for vitamin C is 90 mg for adult men and 75 mg for adult women. So a single medium tangerine covers about a quarter to a third of what you need, depending on your sex. Smokers need an additional 35 mg per day because smoking depletes vitamin C faster.
How Tangerines Compare to Oranges
Oranges contain more than double the vitamin C of tangerines, gram for gram. In a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, tangerines provide 44% of the Daily Value while oranges provide 89%. This is one of the biggest nutritional differences between the two fruits, even though they look and taste similar.
That doesn’t make tangerines a poor choice. Their smaller size makes them easier to eat as a snack, and most people will happily eat two tangerines in one sitting. Two medium tangerines bring you much closer to what a single orange provides, with the added benefit of being easier to peel and portion out for kids.
Other Nutrients in a Tangerine
Vitamin C gets most of the attention, but tangerines carry a useful mix of other nutrients. A medium tangerine provides about 139 mg of potassium (helpful for blood pressure regulation), 31 mg of calcium, and 10 mg of magnesium. It also contains roughly 572 IU of vitamin A, mostly from plant pigments like beta-cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene that support eye health and immune function.
Tangerines are also a reasonable source of fiber, typically around 1.8 grams per fruit. That fiber slows sugar absorption, which is why eating a whole tangerine affects your blood sugar differently than drinking tangerine juice. The calorie count stays low at around 47 calories per medium fruit, making it one of the more nutrient-dense snacks you can grab.
Getting the Most Vitamin C From Your Tangerines
Vitamin C breaks down when exposed to heat, light, and air. Eating tangerines fresh and raw, as most people do, is already the ideal way to preserve their vitamin C content. Stored at room temperature, tangerines keep their nutrient levels well for about a week. Refrigerating them extends both shelf life and nutrient retention to two or three weeks.
The white pith between the peel and the fruit segments contains additional flavonoids that enhance how your body absorbs and uses vitamin C. It’s slightly bitter, but leaving some of it on rather than picking it all off gives you a small nutritional edge.