What to do with lulav and etrog after the festival

Question

After the festivals, the lulav and etrog are left over. Is it permitted simply to throw them away, or must one treat them in a special manner? People say that jam is made from the etrog — is this a minhag, or merely a nice custom?

Rav Adiria Pinchas · Accepted Answer

Shalom u'verachah,

The 4 minim are tashmishei mitzvah, which may be discarded in a respectful manner, such as placing them at the side of the public domain (Yalkut Yosef, siman 664,30), but one may not treat them disgracefully, such as treading upon them (Shulchan Aruch, siman 664,8).

And in the sefer Kaf HaChaim (siman 664, ot 60) he wrote that their minhag is to place the lulav, hadas and aravah at the entrance of the house in which one sleeps, as a protection, until erev Pesach, when they are burned together with the chametz, and likewise in the oven in which matzot are baked. And from the etrog a sweet preserve is made, in order to eat it on Tu BiShvat, and this is a segulah for a woman to give birth with ease and not in pain, and that the child should come forth viable, to a good life. And he cited in the name of the sefer HaTanya that the aravot that were beaten are placed near the head of the bed, out of affection for the mitzvah, and it is a proper minhag. And this is a segulah for the removal of fear at night (Sefer HaMidot of the Maharan, Yafeh LaLev).

In summary, it is recommended to place the 4 minim at the entrance of the house or at the entrance of the bedroom until erev Pesach, and then to burn them with the chametz. And if possible — to prepare jam or the like from the etrog and eat it on Tu BiShvat, or to keep it until erev Pesach together with the other minim.