Are you thinking about the holidays yet? Is the Black Friday madness closing in around you yet?

As I write this, there is a little "Claim Black Friday deal" button at the top of my screen urging me to upgrade my email subscription. What does business software even have to do with holiday gifts??

Because I'm a business owner, however, of course I'm thinking about Black Friday, whether I want to or not. Starting about a month ago, I was bombarded by marketing *for* marketing: Services aimed at helping businesses take advantage of this juicy shopping season.

It's all a bit much, eh?

Yes, I will be putting Orta products on sale for the holidays like usual, and I'll tell you more about that next week.

But for now, on Seedurday, I want to tell you about what I'm doing for the holidays as just a regular person, thinking about gifts for people I love.

This morning I walked to a neighbor's house to pick up a couple bags of yuzu from his tree's bumper crop. Such bounty! Such an amazingly beautiful aroma.

I'm processing them into yuzu marmalade, which is my absolute favorite. It makes a special holiday treat, partly because it's just so delicious, and partly because it's almost impossible to buy. It's homegrown & homemade or nothing.

Making it is so intensely fiddly though. Check out the seed density inside a yuzu:

So many seeds!! Slicing each one thinly and removing all the seeds takes a very. long. time.

It's tedious work. But it's also a pleasure. The fragrance is just so gorgeous. It fills the kitchen with a sharp perfume that's like nothing else.

I also know that the couple hours I'll put into making this batch will produce at least a dozen, maybe 2 dozen jars of marmalade ready to give over the holidays.

With free fruit and jars that cost about $1 each, it's a very low cost, high value gift.

And I'd waaaaay rather spend 2 hours chopping and inhaling yuzu fragrance than fighting crowds at the store, or stressing about what the best deals are online. Wouldn't you?

Even if you don't have access to bags of free citrus at this time of year, you can very easily make your own marmalade.

Here's my basic 3-day marmalade recipe:

• Citrus, any type you like. (The classic combination is one orange, one lemon, and one grapefruit. I also love to use blood oranges because the color is so pretty! Pro-tip: choosing seedless varieties will save you tons of time.)
• Sugar

Day 1: Remove seeds, if any, and thinly slice all the citrus into an enamel or glass pot. (No metal!) Add water until the fruit just starts to float. Leave to sit on the counter overnight.

Day 2: Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool and sit on the counter overnight.

Day 3:

• Put a plate in the freezer before you begin.
• Measure the volume of fruit and water mixture. Add that same volume in sugar. (For example, if your fruit and water measure 2 cups, add 2 cups sugar.) ** This is A LOT of sugar. I usually add about 1/3 that amount to start and then add more to taste. I prefer a more bitter/sour marmalade.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-60 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
• After about 30 minutes, start testing the marmalade on the frozen plate. If it stays runny, even when cool, keep cooking. If it gels and solidifies nicely when cool, it's done. ("Nicely gelled" is subjective - you make the call!)
• Water bath or pressure can your jars according to your usual method.
• If you don't know how to can, look it up! Or put the marmalade into clean jars and keep it in the fridge for up to a month.

Happy almost holidays! And happy (yuzu) Seedurday

Anne

When you’re ready, here are some more ways I can help you grow a thriving garden from seed:

1. Plan your seed-starting schedule with our ​free printable planner.​

2. Download the free ​Orta Seed Starting Handbook with all the basics you need to succeed with seeds.​

3. Take the guesswork out of watering with Orta Self-Watering Pots. (Find discounted factory seconds here!)

4. Join the Orta Seed Club to have 5 hand-picked, unusual & high-yielding varieties delivered to you every season.

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