It's huckleberry season!We enjoyed red huckleberries a few weeks ago and now the black huckleberries are ripening. Huckleberries are found in the wild throughout North America. Europe has very similar berries that go by a variety of names such as bilberries, … Continue reading →
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This classic strawberry rhubarb jam is sure to win you over with its wonderful burst of fresh, fruity flavor!Growing up I always looked forward to rhubarb season. One of my favorite desserts that my mom made was rhubarb crumble. Sweet and juicy rhubarb topped with … Continue reading →
Best Marinara Sauce for Canning
It's hard to beat a simple dish of fresh pasta topped with homemade marinara sauce. The key is using quality products and when you have those these simplest of dishes come to life.The Italians have relied on the best of the best tomatoes for centuries: Sun-kissed San … Continue reading →
Honey Peach Cardamom Sauce
Peaches are in season here in Washington State and I picked up a bulk load of 75 pounds of them last week! I've been busy chopping and freezing them for smoothies, canning them, making fruit leather, peach cobbler and peach crisp, and thought I'd try something new - this … Continue reading →
Homemade Blackberry Syrup
This year saw the best crop of blackberries we've seen yet with the largest, juiciest, sweetest blackberries I've ever tasted. I think it must somehow be connected with the all-time, record-breaking long, cold, wet Spring we had this year. It was miserable to live in, but … Continue reading →
Dill Pickled Green Beans (Dilly Beans)
If you've never tried Dilly Beans you don't know what you've been missing! These have been a beloved classic for generations.They're perfect for snacking and the delightfully crunchy texture of dill pickled green beans also provides the perfect contrast and pairing for … Continue reading →
How To Can Diced Tomatoes
There are several reasons it's a great idea to can your own tomatoes. The first reason is this: BPA's. Nearly everyone's heard of this chemical because of the health risks associated with it. Sadly it continues to be used in so many of our food products. In the case of … Continue reading →
Cherry Barbecue Sauce
A deliciously flavorful and fruity barbecue sauce you can enjoy on your grilled meats, chicken, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, and used in any recipe that calls for barbecue sauce!What would you do with 75 pounds of cherries?That's what I picked up this past … Continue reading →
Pickled Asparagus
Asparagus is something I look forward to every year. Steamed and served with a Hollandaise sauce, sauteed with butter, added to stir-fries, made into a creamy soup, roasted or grilled and added to a Mediterranean salad...I love asparagus every which way. And that includes … Continue reading →
Maximizer Fruit & Apple Cider Press Review + How To Bottle & Preserve Fresh Apple Juice
I received this cider press from Pleasant Hill grain without any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.We purchased our dream home last December - a 104 year old historic home on nearly 8 acres, complete with a barn, stone greenhouse and … Continue reading →
Caramel Pear Butter
If you're an apple butter fan you've got to try this with pears. A fuss-free recipe utilizing the slow cooker, simply dump in the ingredients and let the slow cooker work its magic. The result is a wonderfully deep, caramelized flavor that comes from slow cooking the pears … Continue reading →
Plum Butter (Pflaumenmus)
Plum Butter brings back memories of the time I spent with my Oma and Opa growing up in southern Germany. There it's called Pflaumenmus and you can readily find it in any grocery store next to the jams and marmalades. My Oma used to make Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) … Continue reading →
How To Can Peaches (Without Sugar, With Syrup or Honey)
Canning is such a great way of preserving food to enjoy over the long haul. Buy your produce locally when it's in season, can it and then you can enjoy it all the year round. Canned peaches are an especially wonderful treat, whether you're enjoying them straight out of the … Continue reading →
Pickled Turnips
Pickling is a method of preservation that dates back to Neolithic times around 7000 BC. During this anaerobic fermentation process strange and wonderful things happen that transform the original product into something quite different. And very healthy with all those … Continue reading →
How To Can Cherries, Dehydrate Them & Use The Pits
It's cherry season! And that means bounteous harvests of gorgeous, plump, juicy globes of sweetness.We picked up two bulk loads of Washington cherries, a combination of Rainier and Bing, 80 pounds total!I've been preparing them several ways: Canning, dehydrating, … Continue reading →
How To Make Homemade Canned Boston Baked Beans or Pork and Beans
Here's the thing, if I'm going to make the effort to can I like to make a huge batch to make my efforts worth it, because it doesn't take any longer to do so. But it does save me the time of making a second batch later. But, you need a really large stock pot.The best … Continue reading →
Pressure Canner Chili Con Carne
I've been canning for several years, but only using the water-bath method. So that means I've mostly been making jams, relishes, chutneys, pickles, salsas and other high-acidic foods that are safe for water-bath canning. For most other things you have to have a pressure … Continue reading →
Blueberry Lemon Apricot Jam
What says comfort like a slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter and homemade jam?I've been experimenting with a few jams this Summer and this one has become a family favorite. The combination of blueberries-nectarines-lemons works beautifully and I'm sure … Continue reading →
Peter Piper’s Pickled Peppers
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked? (*scratching my head*) Have you ever stopped to really think … Continue reading →
Homemade Pickled Beets
I've always been a fan of pickled beets. I'm not sure how or when this love affair started, but even as a little girl I remember eagerly diving into these, whether at the dinner table or as a quick snack.Beets are healthy and superbly high in a variety of vitamins. I … Continue reading →
Homemade Sweet Corn Relish
One of the things I love about canning is that it enables you to enjoy the fresh flavors of Summer produce long after the growing season is over. It's also a great way to make use of sales when you can buy in bulk for a good price and especially if you have your own garden … Continue reading →
Homemade Bread & Butter Pickles
Have you been noticing the sales on cucumbers lately? Well gather up the cukes and make yourself enough Bread and Butter Pickles to last you until next season! They're super easy to make, you'll be delighted with the results, and you'll experience that wonderful feeling of … Continue reading →
Easy Homemade Dill Pickle Relish
It's relish like this that makes eating a sandwich or hot dog just that much better. It also adds a wonderful dimension to your pasta and potato salads. Last Summer I posted my recipe for Sweet Pickle Relish and here is the more savory version with a more pronounced dill … Continue reading →
Restaurant-style Mexican Salsa
It's National Tortilla Chip Day! Who knew there was such a thing? Well there is, and what better way to enjoy the crunchy tortilla chip than with a bowl of homemade salsa? … Continue reading →
Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish
Nothing fancy, just a humble homemade sweet pickle relish. But it's downright good. In fact, it's the best I've ever had. It adds a wonderful dimension to your sandwiches, hot dogs, pasta and potato salads. So easy to make with instructions for canning so you can enjoy … Continue reading →
Indian Mango Chutney
Winter brings with it a generous harvest of tropical fruits. And though National Mango Day is August 14th, you've probably noticed some good deals on mangoes lately. I scooped up a basket full of them to make a big batch of Indian Mango Chutney to bottle.Chutney … Continue reading →
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