CALAMANSI

Calamansi, a citrus fruit tree also known as Citrfortunella microcarpa or calamondin,grows natively in
the Philippines. Calamansi trees bear small, orange-like fruits, darkgreen foliage and white flowers.
The calamansi tree grows up to about 25 feet tall atmaturity, and it is hardy to U.S. Department of
Agriculture zone 9 and above. Like mostother citrus trees, calamansi grows readily from seed.
This is a reliable propagationmethod if you cannot find calamansi saplings or cuttings at a plant nursery.
Kalamansi is a smooth and slightly spiny plant growing to a height of 3 to 5 meters. Leaflets are elliptic
to oblong-elliptic, 4 to 8 centimeters long. Petioles are very narrowlyor scarcely winged, about 1
centimeter long. Flowers are axillary, solitary, rarely in pairs,white, and short-stalked. Fruit is yellow
when ripe, nearly spherical, 2 to 3.5 centimetersdiameter, 6- to 7-celled, and thin-skinned. The skin or
peel is green to yellowish green oryellow, loosely adhering to the flesh. The flesh contains a few light
orange seeds. Othercommon names of calamansi in the Philippines are kalamondin, kalamunding,
kalamansi, limonsito and agidulce. The calamansi tree has upright branches with thorns, and can grow
up to 10 feethigh. The calamansi fruit is about 1 3/4 inch in diameter, dark green when unripe and
yellow orange when ripe, with loose skin, segmented contents and the pulp is very acidic.
Its cultivation has spread from the Philippines throughout Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, the West Indies,
and Central and North America. In sub-tropical and parts of warm temperate North America,
Citrofortunella microcarpa is grown primarily as an ornamental plant in gardens, and in pots and
container gardens on terraces and patios. The plant is especially attractive when the fruits are present.
The plant is sensitive to prolonged and/or extreme cold and is therefore limited outdoors to tropical,
sub-tropical and the warmer parts of warm temperate climates (such as the coastal plain of the
southeastern United States, parts of California, southern Arizona, southern Texas, and Hawaii). Potted
plants are brought into a greenhouse, conservatory, or indoors as a houseplant during the winter
periods in regions with cooler climates. In its native homeland in Southeast Asia the calamondin grows
well in cool and elevated areas and in sandy soils rich in organic matter. Waterlogged areas are not
suitable for cultivation because no citrus tolerates continuously water-soaked soils. Budded or grafted
trees will start to bear fruit one or two years after planting. Trees may live for forty or more years.

Composition of Calamansi

The physicochemical and microbiological properties of calamansi highly determineits sensory

characteristics, shelf-life and nutritive value. The Philippine NationalStandards are documents providing,
for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines orcharacteristics for activities or their results, aimed at
the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

Total tiratable acidity of Calamansi

The measurement of titratable acidity in fruit juicemeasures the concentration of titratable hydrogen
ions contained in the fruit juice samplesby neutralization with strong base solution to a fixed pH. This
value includes all thesubstances of an acidic nature in the fruit juice: free hydrogen ions, organic acids,
acidsalts and cations.