Journal · Page 5
Notes from a Redlands citrus family: the grove, the kitchen, the fragrance and California history.
What's in a beeswax lip balm, and why it works
Beeswax, a butter, a plant oil and a little flavor. What each part of a beeswax lip balm does, where petrolatum fits, and what the...
Charcuterie board ideas for the holidays, built around marmalade
A holiday charcuterie board in five moves: how much to buy per guest, what goes down first, how long it can sit out, and a...
Perfume discovery sets are the smarter way to give scent
A discovery set lets the person who will wear a perfume choose it. Why that matters, what sizes sets come in, how to test one...
Edible wedding favors that survive the reception and make it home
Half of couples who give favors choose something edible. The ones that make it home are sealed and shelf-stable. A ranking by heat tolerance, real...
Corporate gifts clients actually keep, and the rules on what you can spend
The corporate gifts people keep are the ones they eat or use up. What to send, what the IRS lets you deduct, which recipients have...
Eau de parfum vs eau de toilette, and which one lasts longer
Eau de parfum carries more perfume concentrate than eau de toilette and usually lasts longer. The published percentages disagree, though, and the materials in the...
Jam, jelly, preserves and marmalade, by the legal definitions
The FDA writes standards for jelly, jam, preserves and fruit butter, and treats jam and preserves as one product. Marmalade has no federal standard. What...
Hostess gifts that aren't a bottle of wine, and when the host will use them
A good hostess gift asks nothing of the host on the night and gets used in the days after. Ideas sorted by when they'll be...
What is marmalade, and what makes a good jar
English law wants 200 g of citrus in every kilo of marmalade; US federal law doesn't define it at all. The word's quince origins, the...
California gifts that ship well, and why they arrive in one piece
The California gifts that travel best are the ones that keep for months in a box. Here is what to send, who it suits, and...
Why Citrus Is More Than Vitamin C: What the Science Says About the Whole Fruit
Citrus is famous for vitamin C, but the fruit also contains fiber, pectin, flavanones, carotenoids, and other plant compounds—many concentrated in the peel and white...
California Didn’t Just Grow Roses—It Made Rose History
California played an outsized role in American rose history. From nineteenth-century Riverside climbing sports to twentieth-century breakthroughs from Armstrong Nurseries and Descanso Gardens, these five...