What to Do With Your Etrog After Sukkot Ends
Sukkot is over. The sukkah is packed away, the lulav is starting to dry out, and you’re left with a single, fragrant, and slightly mysterious fruit: the etrog. It feels wrong to just toss it in the compost. You spent all that time selecting the perfect one, protecting its pitom, and using it in your daily prayers. It’s a ritual object, and it feels like it deserves a better fate. So, what to do with etrog after sukkot? The answer, it turns out, is a delightful mix of culinary creativity, folk tradition, and a touch of gardening. Here are a few ideas to give your etrog a worthy post-holiday life.
Turn Your Etrog Into Etrog Jam
Making etrog jam is perhaps the most popular and delicious way to repurpose your fruit after Sukkot. The peel of an etrog is intensely aromatic, and while the fruit itself doesn’t have much pulp, it’s perfect for making marmalade or jam. The process is similar to making any other citrus jam. You’ll need to slice the etrog thinly, boil it to soften the peel and reduce the bitterness, and then cook it down with sugar and water. The result is a fragrant, slightly exotic etrog jam that is fantastic on toast, with cheese, or as a glaze for poultry. It’s a way to literally savor the sweetness of the holiday long after it’s over.
Save and Replant Etrog Seeds After Sukkot
Saving and planting etrog seeds is a beautiful way for the green-thumbed among us to extend the fruit’s life and meaning. Carefully cut open the fruit and extract the etrog seeds. Rinse them and let them dry for a day or two. Then, you can plant them in a small pot with good quality potting soil. Etrog trees are sensitive to cold, so unless you live in a very warm climate, you’ll need to grow it as an indoor plant. With a little luck and a lot of patience, you might just be able to grow your own etrog tree. It’s a long shot, but it’s a beautiful, symbolic act of renewal and hope.
Traditional Ways to Use the Etrog After Sukkot
There are a number of fascinating folk traditions associated with the etrog sukkot. One of the most well-known is to stud the etrog with cloves, creating a fragrant pomander, similar to what people do with oranges at Christmastime. This can be used as a besamim box for the Havdalah ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat, providing a beautiful and symbolic scent to usher in the new week. Another tradition suggests that a pregnant woman who bites the pitom of the etrog will have an easy labor—though we can’t vouch for the medical accuracy of that one!
Making an Etrog Garland for Decoration
If you’re feeling crafty, you can slice the etrog into thin rounds and dry them in a low oven or a food dehydrator. These dried citrus wheels can then be strung together to create a beautiful and fragrant garland. You can hang it in your home, in your car, or even save it to use as a decoration for your sukkah next year. It’s a simple, elegant way to preserve the beauty and aroma of the etrog and be reminded of the holiday throughout the year.
So, before you say goodbye to this year’s holiday, take a moment to consider what to do with etrog after Sukkot 2025. Whether you turn it into jam, plant its seeds, or craft a fragrant keepsake, your etrog can continue to bring meaning and memory into your year.
Planning for next year’s Sukkot? Sukkah Market is your source for everything you need, from a complete sukkah kit to our popular ez lock sukkah and durable panel sukkah options. For any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Sukkah Market.
