Move Over Apple Hill, Mandarin Hill Is Back

PENRYN (CBS13) – Apple Hill is always a big draw for visitors at this time of the year, but if you want to avoid the crowds, you might want to check out a place celebrating another fruit in season right now.

Mandarin orchards in Placer County start picking their fruit on Halloween and finish in January, said Tom Aguilar, whose family owns Mandarin Hill. Unlike apples, mandarins are selectively clipped from trees when they become ripe.

Mandarin Hill Orchards is one of 80 orchards in Placer County. It ships mandarin oranges from Reno to the Bay Area.

The award-winning Mountain Mandarin Marketplace is being held 11/20-22 at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn.

According to a recent study, Placer County mandarins are said to contain the highest concentration of naturally occurring decongestant pseudoephedrine.