Long before it was the urban strip-mall sprawl that it is now, the greater Los Angeles area had many orange groves—and at least one still exists. Founded in 1917, E. Waldo Ward & Son—farm, retail shop and fruit canners—continues to grow acres of delicious citrus on a 30-acre grove only 20 minutes from downtown L.A. The family-run business makes artisanal jam, jellies, marmalades, fruit syrups and spreads, barbecue marinades, and Spanish olives. All orange products are made with fruit from the backyard grove, and the company uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible — and, no, you won’t see corn syrup or preservatives listed anywhere on their labels. If you are an avid home jam-maker with a load of front-yard satsumas, E. Waldo Ward offers canning services out of its red-and-cream-colored farmhouse. And tours of the orchard, barn, kitchen, and creaky tin-roofed assembly-line room—complete with two WWII-era kettles—are available on Saturdays (except during the outrageously busy holiday season).
