Its that time of year and the sky turning orange as well as my kitchen.
Winter is finally arriving (hopefully !) and I’ve fallen in love with him all over again yes he is round, dimpled skinned, and bitter, the Seville orange or as its is in Spain the naranjas. This beautiful word I believe originates from the Sanskrit language meaning fragrant. If you can visit Spain in the spring, then you must each street is filled with the aroma or azahar, it is intoxicating and you will fall in love with a flower. So if you get chance go and visit such cities as Serville, Cordba and Malaga and experience the magic.
But now I’m in not so sunny England, I am dreaming of oranges and my mind can only think of marmalade making, and as most marmalade makers will tell you its about the process and rituals that make their version the best ever and so they are, each and every jar. Their hand me down recipes, generations old recipes, even new modern recipes, on line recipes and cut of of a magazine recipes, all make their marmalade special and I’m no different my ritual beings on page 50 of Nigel Slater’s Kitchen diaries II, its almost like a poem to me, I’ve read it so often. He is our nation treasure he tells a story that bring the recipes to life that you just have to cook them right there and then.
So I turn to read page 50 and his words fill my head and even without an orange I feel the zest in the air , I see the rose garden of my family home and my mum and while I smile at his misfortune at as the zest hits his rose pruned thumbs, it reminds me it’s time to prune the roses! Then my childhood memories leap onto the page with taste of marmalade right out of the pan, I see my mum in her rose garden. Its all perfect and I am so thankful to page 50, and so it becomes the best page ever written.
I’m a happy cook, contented in my kitchen, feeding the jars to be enjoyed with toast, in cakes in cocktails or even straight out the jar! Thanks to my mum. So be inspired get out to your local Waitrose and buy the best Huerta Ava María Seville oranges (the only supermarket to stock the organic oranges) and cook marmalade, take the time, and let the sunshine in.
A few facts about oranges!
Now where was I? Oranges! did you know that Spain exported around 150 million tonnes of oranges each year! That incredible and out of that an amazing 15,000 tonnes of Seville produced are exported to the United Kingdom for marmalade. No wonder Paddington left Peru to find his new home in London he must have heard about the fruit markets. (source http://www.fao.org/)
“The fruit is a type of berry and sweet oranges belong to the species Citrus sinensis (the bitter Seville oranges are C. aurantium).”
“Oranges are thought to have their origin in a sour fruit growing wild in the region of South West China and North East India as early as 2,500 BC. For thousands of years these bitter oranges were used mainly for their scent, rather than their eating qualities”.
First introduced into Spain more than a thousand years ago by the Moors, No puedo agradecerles lo suficiente!
naranjas sanguinas is the name for blood orange and a firm favourite of mine. Great in cocktails.
Check out my recipe page for recipes and ideas all about oranges this month.