# where have all the oranges gone



## mickw (Jun 13, 2011)

Having lived in benittachell in 2000/2002 , i have just spent the weekend in benidorm (hotel melia) and on my first visit to the breakfast i went straight for the orange juice,which was so watered down it didnt even resemble squash!! the red wine at lunch was the same and the food not much better, i then took a drive up to moraira,javea and calpe and it hit me, the vines and orange groves have disapeared and if still there they are unkempt,not nurtured and spoilt by their owners as times before.Is this the cost of greedy land prices in the boom years?
Back then olives,wine and oranges were providing families with an income, im not so sure it can cover costs these days.... its a sad demise from a country i would still love to return to live:juggle:


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Dunno, I still see plenty - although it could be that all the rain that we had late last year spoiled the crope through over watering etc... I've lived in the Jalon Valley for 8 yrs and can't say that I have noticed much of a decline over these years.


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## neilmac (Sep 10, 2008)

We are picking oranges everyday on our walks and since the recession there is a revival of plot tending. We also heard that Kaki( persimmon) will be planted as they represent a better return. So in our neck of the 'campo' it does seem that people are making the most of what they have.
We have however noticed that hotel orange juice just isn't - it seems to be some watered down nectar rather than zumo. Seems odd especially on the orange coast.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The "watering down" could have a number of causes, the first being that the vendor/hotel is maximising profits or it could be that the oranges were picked after some heavy rain. In bars, the juicing machine is usually there in front of you so you can see if any water is added. Maybe your sense of taste has changed.

The oranges we've been getting for juicing (€3.00 for 8 kg) have been fine. Sometimes a few oranges in the sack are a little tart cutting the sweetness a bit but SWMBO who eats them (I like juice) says they are fine.


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Nothing but oranges and mandarinas everywhere I go or everywhere I look.around here.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Various people in the village have started bringing the bitter Seville oranges that grow in the streets to us. It started when the police would pick the oranges and bring them to the door to avoid having the kids playing football with them and has gone on from there.

So the 2013 orange marmalade production has started and the house, for the next few weeks will smell of oranges and marmalade. In general, Spaniards don't particularly go for orange marmalade (some do) it is mostly immigrants fom UK and USA.

*CAUTION:*
Before anyone gets the idea of going out and picking the oranges in the street, get permission from the Ayuntamiento. It is illegal in some towns and cities (Cordoba and Sevilla are two places)


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> Various people in the village have started bringing the bitter Seville oranges that grow in the streets to us. It started when the police would pick the oranges and bring them to the door to avoid having the kids playing football with them and has gone on from there.
> 
> So the 2013 orange marmalade production has started and the house, for the next few weeks will smell of oranges and marmalade. In general, Spaniards don't particularly go for orange marmalade (some do) it is mostly immigrants fom UK and USA.
> 
> ...


We asked about this around here but were warned off because of the chemical spray they use on them.

Luckily we have two trees in the garden and have always made our own.

We've also found a great fruit & veg shop. We asked about seville oranges and were told that the Spanish don't normally sell them. Luckily the owner had a couple of trees and promised us all of his fruit. He was ecstatic when we gave him a few jars of 'English' marmalade in exchange for his oranges.


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## mickw (Jun 13, 2011)

i did however find a bar on the beach front that did do fresh orange juice from the machine with all the bits, oh my word it brought back taste buds i had forgotten about,absolute heaven from the orange blossom coast i remember so well, i think the hotel was maxing on profit in the recession times. im now back in blighty to the grey skies and -2 weather.All going well i will be residing in moraira in may for eternity(now personal problems are sorted out) oh happy days. Just like to say thanks to this friendly,informative and unbiased forum for the last thee years for keeping my hopes,interests and dreams alive..


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

We still have lots of Oranges, Tangerines and clementines on the trees in our orchard. We have fresh juice every morning and we will do until late March like last year. The same goes for all orange groves around here (Murcia).


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Juicing oranges arond here are about the same price as in Baldy's pueblo..Our friend has a finca and brought us some excellent fruit last week. Equally good oranges are on sale at our local Mercadona for 1 euro a kilo. 

Baldy's marmalade tale reminds me of something I read years ago....After a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Madrid, during which the Embassy building had been pelted with oranges -it was of course over Gibraltar - the Embassy staff went out when it was safe, collected the oranges and made marmalade....


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> J
> Baldy's marmalade tale reminds me of something I read years ago....After a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Madrid, during which the Embassy building had been pelted with oranges -it was of course over Gibraltar - the Embassy staff went out when it was safe, collected the oranges and made marmalade....


But that was when people retained a sense of resoucefulness, now they just buy a jar at the shop.


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## Katiebelle2882 (Dec 17, 2012)

Orange juice is one of my favorite things in the world. I would imagine the fresh juice over there is just amazing!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Katiebelle2882 said:


> Orange juice is one of my favorite things in the world. I would imagine the fresh juice over there is just amazing!


It is!

No more than 30 seconds from tree to glass!


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> Juicing oranges arond here are about the same price as in Baldy's pueblo..Our friend has a finca and brought us some excellent fruit last week. Equally good oranges are on sale at our local Mercadona for 1 euro a kilo.
> 
> Baldy's marmalade tale reminds me of something I read years ago....After a demonstration outside the British Embassy in Madrid, during which the Embassy building had been pelted with oranges -it was of course over Gibraltar - the Embassy staff went out when it was safe, collected the oranges and made marmalade....


Ah that story reminds me of one of my favourite quotes in life

When life gives you lemons......... Go out and buy a large bottle of gin and several bottles of tonic and get stuck in !


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