Seville Oranges

As far as I know Sue, these are not normally sold in Spain to the Spanish,  In Spain, if people want toast with butter and something to spread, they more often go for strawberry or peach jam!  You can buy marmalade but it is usually made from sweet oranges, if it is a spanish brand, and people do not normally make batches of jam or marmalade unless they are foreigners!

The bitter oranges from the ungrafted plant are used here as decoration on the streets and I suppose that many town halls crop them to export where they can receive a good price for the bitter, pithy fruit.  Obviously, Seville does this.

It is more and more popular in southern Spain to eat spanish bread toasted and eaten with a good virgin olive oil, often with tomato or serrano ham, which is delicious, and no doubt healthier.  In the north (Galicia, Asturias, Leon), the jam and butter version is more popular, as are pies and pasties which you seldom see here. 

Thanks Juanida. La Vieja Fabrica make a delicious 'Naranja Amarga' marmalade - in fact, all their 'mermeladas' are very good. But I'd still like to have a crack at making my own. I've thought about taking a few oranges from the ornamental trees, but, as you say, I believe they are actually harvested and sold - I know they are in Seville, anyway - so it would feel like stealing. I was just hoping that someone might have a tree in their garden - or know of a market stall holder who could get hold of some. Maybe I'll just try planting my own tree - I think it's Citrus Aurantium.

if you pass aplace with trees just stop and ask if you can have a bag then try them out

See if you can buy ungrafted trees from a garden centre.  We bought a dozen trees in Pulpi from a specialist citrus vivero called Citroplant a few years ago and they would probably have some there if you can't find them anywhere else. 

Problem with city oranges is you do not know how much pollution they have endured or if they have been sprayed. Most spanish oronges are sold for eating and the culture of Marmalade, English style, is exactly that. Spanish style is like jam making and totally different. I will ask a friend who gave me some excellent dark, slightly bitter marmalade where her daughter got them from - but they are on holiday in South Africa at present .... :)

Thank you very much - I'd like to know.