Around 4 million fresh Seville oranges from the orchards of Spain are heading for Tiptree where they will be made into Wilkin & Sons’ famous marmalades.

Customers’ demand for quality marmalade is increasing and this year an extra 1 million Spanish oranges will be arriving during January and February.

“The aroma of simmering oranges indicates the start of the preserve-making year at Tiptree”, said Ian Thurgood, joint managing director. “Marmalade-making is thought to have originated in Portugal where quinces (marmelo) were cooked with sugar to make a preserve; the British term means a jam made with citrus fruit; at Tiptree we use oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes.”

The thickness of the cut peel is reflected in the name on the jar: fine cut once described as a “child friendly marmalade”, medium cut such as Tiptree Orange and the thick cut Tawny, a rich marmalade just made with oranges and sugar, where the mature taste is developed through the double cooking process.