Old California Botanicals has been featured by Raincross Gazette, Patch, and the California State Senate for its award-winning California citrus marmalades and Redlands heritage. Old California Botanicals has been featured...
Journal
Notes from a Redlands citrus family: the grove, the kitchen, the fragrance and California history.
Latest stories
Why grapefruit marmalade is bitter, and how makers tame it
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...
How to send a California gift basket that survives the trip
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...
How to read a citrus crate label, with Redlands examples
How California's citrus crate labels were printed and used, why the town on a label can mislead, and Redlands labels you can view in public...
Types of grapefruit, from white Duncan to Star Ruby and Melogold
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...
Types of oranges, and what each one is best for
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...
Sourdough focaccia with lemon and rosemary
A focaccia raised only by sourdough starter, with an overnight schedule and a same-day one, and a topping of thin Meyer lemon slices and rosemary.
Meyer lemon olive oil cake
A one-bowl olive oil cake adapted from King Arthur's everyday recipe, with Meyer lemon marmalade doing the job of the citrus zest and a warm...
Sticky marmalade chicken wings
Oven-baked wings that stay crisp under a glaze made almost entirely from a jar of orange or mandarin marmalade, with a honey-soy fallback for anyone...
Marmalade vinaigrette
Shake Meyer lemon marmalade, white wine vinegar, Dijon and olive oil in a jar and you have a sweet vinaigrette with peel in it. The...
Marmalade-glazed salmon
Four salmon fillets, one jar-based glaze and a hot broiler. Meyer lemon marmalade does the job of the honey or brown sugar, and the classic...
Orange chicken with marmalade
Takeout-style orange chicken, with a sauce built on a jar of Navel or Mandarin marmalade instead of orange juice and sugar. The swap, the recipe,...
Paddington's marmalade sandwich
The emergency sandwich from Michael Bond's bear and the 2022 Jubilee sketch is just bread, butter and marmalade. How to make it, and which jar...
Browse by section
Citrus & the Grove
Citrus varieties, seasons and growing know-how from a Redlands citrus family that has grown and packed citrus since 1851.
Marmalade
How marmalade is made, judged, stored and served, from the makers of eight World Marmalade Awards honors.
Kitchen & Recipes
Recipes and kitchen guides for cooking and baking with citrus, marmalade and preserves.
Fragrance
Orange blossom, neroli and the history of California scent, plus how to choose and wear a fragrance.
Beeswax & Botanicals
Beeswax, soaps, oils and the plants behind them: how they are made and how to use them.
California History
Redlands, the citrus belt and the people who built California's orange empire.
Gifting
Gift ideas from California that travel well, for holidays, hosts and everyone in between.
News from the Grove
Press, awards, community and farm news from Old California Botanicals.