Whatever happened to the Rex Union orange?

I’ve been closely involved in the story of the perfect marmalade orange — the Rex Union. Grown commercially on a farm just outside Rustenburg, the only one in the country producing the fruit, the Rex Union orange is a cross between an orange and a pomelo, and is a South African varietal similar to the Seville orange. Prized for its use in making excellent marmalade, the fruit, which is very bitter, doesn’t make for good eating; rather, the orange skin and thick pith serve to make the perfect English-style marmalade. 

The varietal was developed by George Wellington Rex, who came to South Africa from the UK in the mid-1880s to hunt big game. He stayed on and became friends with President Paul Kruger, who ceded part of his vast Magaliesberg land to Rex, who established his farm just across the road from the famed Hunters Rest Hotel. It was here that Rex — who missed his favourite breakfast spread, marmalade — selected this natural hybrid by grafting the first plants on the very farm, the original orchard of about 250 trees, many of which are still there.

The Rex Union orange is one of five uniquely South African products classified in terms of Slow Food International’s biodiversity system as an Ark of Taste Presidia product, which means it is at risk of extinction and must be protected. My involvement, as a marmalade lover and member of the Johannesburg branch of Slow Food, in saving the Rex Union orange trees has been an ongoing project.

Each year, the trees, which are usually laden with fruit, have had marmalade lovers countrywide scrabbling to get their share. But this year there is virtually little or no fruit available, and the preservers are in an uproar. Farm manager JC van der Berg says, “The biggest problem is that the fruit trees are old and, owing to a poor season with little or no rain and intense heat, and then the unseasonal heavy rain and hail late in the season, we lost the little fruit there was.” He tells me they managed to pick just 50 bags of Rex Union oranges this season. Van der Berg is not hugely optimistic about the future of the farm, as climate change has had a dire impact on fruit production. For now, he’s focusing on the new trees and keeping his fingers crossed for a better summer season with good rainfall. 

Meet marmalade expert Waha Vundla

Together with her two daughters, Vundla runs their small home-based preserving business, Orchidaceae, in Johannesburg. Vundla loves orchids — hence the name of their business — and ironically lives in Orchid Street. She chats to me while in the middle of making a large batch of her delicious marmalade. Orchidaceae makes eight varieties of preserves, chutneys and relishes, and in winter its four different marmalades — sweet orange, orange chilli, orange ginger with a touch of brandy, and grapefruit. The orange ginger product is one of their top sellers and is excellent with cheese. And I can vouch for their excellent grapefruit marmalade, whose beautiful hue immediately caught my eye. A gorgeous, clear amber-coloured syrup studded with pieces of ruby grapefruit peel, this preserve is beautifully tender but still has the requisite bite. It’s just the way I like my marmalade, and it’s utterly delicious.

The retired biochemist, who grew up in Kenya but has lived in South Africa for many years, credits her mother for her preserving skills, which she describes as a labour of love. “It’s just me who makes the marmalade. We are a female, family-owned business, but I’m the foot soldier here,” she says with a chuckle. And where did her love of the breakfast spread come from? “I was raised in Kenya, a British colony at the time, and grew up with marmalade,” she says. “In my home, you only got marmalade as ‘jam’ on toast or bread.” She tells me Kenya has always had a big market for marmalade. “We ate it because we were told it was the right thing to do,” she quips.

Waha is not sharing her secret recipe, but offers some excellent tips:

1. I use the best quality fresh fruit in making my jams, preserves and chutneys. 

2. There must be consistency in the type of fruit used in each of them. For example, for our marmalades I use the same variety of citrus fruit each season.

3. Making the marmalades is a three-day process. I first soak the fruit in water overnight, and then I weigh everything out, adding double the amount of water to the fruit. The next day, I slice the fruit, and cook it in the water to reduce the liquid, and then leave it overnight. When it is cool, I add the sugar. On day three, I cook the mixture and then bottle it.

4. I prefer making it in smaller volumes than huge quantities, as it’s easier to control on my gas stove.

5. I use only white sugar when making my preserves. I am constantly on the lookout for specials and stock up when I can.

Orchidaceae marmalades #orchidaceae_southafrica are sold at Cheese Gourmet in Linden, Johannesburg #cheese_gourmet_linden

Hilary Biller’s whiskey orange marmalade

Makes 6 x 400g jars

I use this recipe for Rex Union oranges, but you can replace them with another variety of orange. I’ve reduced the sugar because other oranges are sweeter than Rex Union ones. This year, I’m using the pretty, pink and sweet Cara-Cara variety of oranges sold exclusively by Checkers. The whiskey is optional.

6 large oranges

Water

White sugar (you can use the caramel sugar if you prefer)

60-90ml (4-6 tbsp) whiskey (optional)

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the fruit including the rind and into quarters. Then slice into thin slices, saving the pips and placing them in a square of Superwipe cloth tied with string.

2. For every cup of sliced orange, add two cups of water and leave to soak overnight with the bag of pips submerged in the water.

3. The next day, boil the fruit and water until the skin is very tender — a matchstick must pierce the skin easily. Remove the bag of pips and squeeze all the liquid from it into the fruit mixture. 

4. Measure the sugar. For every cup of pulp, add 1/2 a cup to 3/4 of a cup (180ml) of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit, to the pan.

5. Before bringing to the boil, place a couple of saucers in the freezer, which you will use later to test for readiness. Slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Then stir through the whiskey, if you are using it. The way to test to see if the mixture is ready is to remove a saucer from the freezer and drop a blob on it. Allow the sample to cool and then run your finger through it. If it leaves a trail, the mixture is ready. Pour the marmalade into sterilised jars, filling them to the top, and then seal and store.