Do Satsumas Have Pips?

Number of Pips

• Whether a satsuma mandarin fruit has pips in it depends on the variety of tree from which it came. The most popular variety, "Owari," is considered seedless or nearly seedless, having an average of zero to six seeds in each fruit, but other kinds of satsumas, such as "Changsha," sometimes considered a tangerine, is very seedy with up to 30 seeds per fruit. "Kara" satsumas may have up to 20 seeds in each fruit. Other satsumas that average zero to six seeds per fruit include "Brown Select," "Early St. Ann," "Kimbrough" and "Silverhill."

Reproduction's Effect on Pips

• Satsumas produce fruits without seeds because they are reproduced parthenocarpically. That means you do not require a pollinator to see fruits on your satsuma tree. The pollen and organs in the flowers of satsuma varieties that produce seedless fruits are incapable of serving as pollinators or being pollinated by other trees and producing seedy fruits. If you plant the right type of satsuma in your yard, it will reproduce by itself and not produce seedy fruits, even if you have other kinds of citrus in your yard.

Fruit Structure

• Satsuma fruits have very thin skin that is simple to peel. The fruit inside each peel has an average of 10 to 12 sections and a hollow center core. The ease of peeling the fruit results from the slight separation of the peel with the flesh when the fruit ripens.

Pip Removal

• Pips inside a satsuma fruit are simple to remove prior to eating the fruit. If you run across any seeds, separate the fruit's sections. Cut off the pointed edge of one of those sections, and gently press its sides to slip out the pips. The same can be done with each section.