Have you ever wondered what happened to all those oranges that fall onto the pavements from the fruit trees that are situated up and down our streets and avenues. Well, unfortunately, most of them lie abandoned to simply rot away.

In Dolores, however, an initiative launched jointly by the town council and the local housewife’s association is promoting the circular economy, gathering them up to be turned into marmalade that will be distributed at the next Artichoke Festival.

The entire production process has been carried out in the unique setting of the Huerta de Dolores Museum and needless to say, the mayor, Joaquín Hernández, provided a hand, together with councillors Carmen Gil and Raquel Sirvent, in collaboration with local housewives, represented by Cloti Soria, Conchita Gelardo and Susi Sierras.

The oranges used for the production come from the trees on municipal streets, which, to date, have always been donated to local ranchers. The amount that has been collected this year, however, has been used to make the first example of this marmalade. Residents are encouraged to prepare this recipe themselves at home, since it only requires oranges, which they can find on the trees in their streets, sugar and a little of their time.

The mayor has highlighted the benefits of “this activity as part of the circular economy concept to recycle, reduce and reuse, so that it can be sampled today, as well as used for tasting by the general public during the next Artichoke Festival in Dolores.

Councillor Carmen Gil said that “it is a luxury to be able to take advantage of oranges, which in addition to decorating the trees are used to make a product which can be used at breakfast. These are traditional recipes inherited from our grandmothers and mothers, and, above all, made with a lot of love, by the housewives.