A fruit cut in half
Marmalade

Why grapefruit marmalade is bitter, and how makers tame it

By JP Beall

Grapefruit's bitterness lives in the same thick pith that sets the marmalade, which is why cutting it all away backfires. The chemistry, the techniques makers...

White box on white table
Gifting

How to send a California gift basket that survives the trip

By JP Beall

A California gift basket travels well if it's built for the mail. What to put in it, how carriers want glass packed, and the USPS...

A group of grapefruits sitting on top of a wooden table
Citrus & the Grove

Types of grapefruit, from white Duncan to Star Ruby and Melogold

By JP Beall

The pink and red grapefruits came from branch sports on Marsh and other trees in Florida and Texas and, later, from irradiated seed. A variety...

Sliced orange fruit on white table
Citrus & the Grove

Types of oranges, and what each one is best for

By JP Beall

Navels, Valencias, blood oranges and sour oranges, sorted by season, seeds and what each is actually good for. With the reasons navel juice turns bitter...

Brown gift box
Gifting

Client gifts under $50, priced with the postage in

By JP Beall

A $50 client gift can lose a third of its budget to the post office. Here are gifts sorted by what they cost delivered, using...

White blossoms on a green branch against blue sky
Fragrance

Why citrus perfume fades, and what makes one last past lunch

By JP Beall

Orange and lemon oils are mostly limonene, one of the quickest-evaporating materials a perfumer uses. The numbers behind the fade, what a floral heart does...

Yellow lemon fruit on white ceramic plate
Marmalade

Lemon marmalade, Eureka or Meyer? What each lemon does in the pot

By JP Beall

Both lemons make good marmalade, but not the same one. A side-by-side of Eureka and Meyer on peel, pith, seeds, acid and season, and what...

Orange fruit on brown wooden table
Citrus & the Grove

Minneola tangelos, and why a Honeybell is the same fruit

By JP Beall

The Minneola is a USDA tangelo from 1931, sold in some markets as Honeybell. What a tangelo is, how to tell a Minneola from its...

Ripe oranges hanging from lush green trees in an orchard
California History

Redlands, the town oranges built

By JP Beall

The Smiley brothers get much of the credit, but Redlands was already a navel orange town when they arrived. The founders, the dam, the railroads...

Brown gift box on white surface
Gifting

Employee holiday gifts that feel personal, even for a team of 200

By JP Beall

Personal gifts for a whole team come from letting people pick, adding a written line and shipping to their homes. How to run it at...

Close-up of white orange blossoms on a green branch
Kitchen & Recipes

What orange blossom water is, and how to cook with it

By JP Beall

The flower water in Lebanese baklawa and the Ramos Gin Fizz is a by-product of distilling bitter orange blossoms. What separates it from neroli oil...

A wooden table topped with lots of jars of honey
Gifting

A Thanksgiving hostess gift worth bringing, and what to ask first

By JP Beall

A Thanksgiving guest should ask the host what would help, then bring that plus one small thing for later. Ideas for the cheese board and...

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