Clementine Margaritas

Clementine MargaritaYou have about a month to make these before Clementine season is officially over. Don't miss it. 

Have you ever had a Clementine? They are tart, tangy and have a slight sweetness to them. A cross between a mandarin and a sweet orange, they are easy to peel and taste slightly different than both. It has distinct enough flavor that I always make sure I enjoy them throughout the season.

And here's the thing, they are supposed to be seedless, however I am having a hard time finding seedless Clementines. I've heard they lose their desirable seedlessness when they are cross-pollinated with other fruit, bees are the usual culprit.

My latest batch of Clementines was full of seeds, which made them a much better vehicle for making margaritas than just peeling and eating them.

Salt the rims of your glasses and fill them with ice. I used regular refrigerator ice, but if you have chipped ice...even better. A must is silver tequila, I prefer Patron. A gold tequila would just over-power the nuances in this drink.

It's amazing how much fresh juice makes a difference in a cocktail, there is really no comparison. I don't even strain the pulp, it tastes great as is.

Clementine Margarita
Recipe Created by Cathy Pollak for NoblePig.com | Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1/8 cup fresh lime juice
0.5 ounce Cointreau
generous 1/3 cup fresh Clementine juice
2 ounces silver tequila (I prefer Patron)

Directions:

Salt the rim of your glass (wet with a lime wedge and dip in coarse salt) and fill with ice. Add lime juice, Cointreau, Clementine juice and tequila, in that order. Serve with a stir stick and garnish with a lime wedge and Clementine slice.

Cathy owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living.  She lives with her husband and two sons.  You can visit her at noblepig.com.