Marmalade Fruits

Marmalade can be made with any citrus fruits, but the traditional recipe uses bitter oranges grown in and around the beautiful city of Seville, the capital of Andalusia in southern Spain. These are available to buy in the UK for a short window of time in January and February. Almost the whole Spanish crop of Seville oranges is destined for the UK market each year.

The orange tree is an evergreen and some trees in Seville are reputed to be over 600 years old. Travellers write about the streets of Seville being lined with orange trees hanging with ripening, orange globes of fruit in winter. By springtime they are in full flower with white blossom which infuses the streets with an all-pervading fragrance.