Seville oranges, renowned for their tart taste, arrived in Waitrose stores this week, as the traditional marmalade-making season gets into full swing.
Waitrose, which only stocks organic Seville oranges, is launching the product earlier than ever before and will be available until the end of February.
Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Seville Oranges will cost £2.79 for a 1 kg box, while loose organic Seville oranges will retail at £2.49/kg.
Waitrose citrus buyer Tim Stevens said: “Seville oranges mark the start of the preserving season and it is something our customers really look forward to. It’s a great time to make the most of this wonderful fruit at its very best.
“The pungent aroma and bitterness that Seville oranges offer make them perfect additions to fish stews instead of lemon or as marinades and sauces for duck or pork.”
One of the supermarket chain’s Seville orange growers is the Fraga family, based four miles south of Seville, which has supplied Waitrose exclusively for the last 17 years.
The aromatic, brightly coloured and bitter oranges grow without the use of pesticides, ensuring their organic status is kept intact. Once picked, they are brushed to give their peel its tangy flavor.
Seville oranges are well suited to marmalade because they have a high pectin content, which helps the jam set.
The aromatic fruit is also ideal as the acid component in a salad dressing or ceviche and the zest and juice can be used in custards, cakes and sponge puddings.
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