This three ingredient fig jam is designed for canning and uses just fresh figs, sugar, and lemon juice. It’s bright, flavorful, and so easy to make. If you find yourself awash in figs every year, keep this recipe handy! Hello friends! I realize that it has been an absolute age (more than a year!) since I’ve posted anything new here. I have desperately missed sharing my canning practice with all of you, and while I can’t promise anything like my old regularity, I very much want to show up here more often. So let’s dig back in. I’m kicking my triumphant return off with a recipe for the simples ..read more

I get a lot of emails every summer (particularly during peach season) from people who have canned fruit for the first time and they’re wondering if their sealed jars are safe to be tucked away on the shelf. The reason they’re worried? The finished jars are sticky on the outside. Friends, this is an entirely normal thing to experience when canning fruit in liquid like syrup, juice, or water. Raw or lightly cooked fruit flesh contains air. During the canning process, that air escapes from the fruit and pushes its way out of the jar (this is why we only tighten the canning rings to finger tip ti ..read more

Hello friends! Goodness, it sure has been a long time, hasn’t it. Between the pandemic, parenting, and burnout from all those sponsored posts last year, I forgot how to show up here. But after a little break, and the blessed addition of a regular babysitter, I’m finding myself itching to reclaim my identity and role as a canning blogger/writer/teacher. I knew it was time to get back to work when I started composing blog posts and recipe headnotes in my dreams. Part of my motivation in returning to this space is that I’m seeing a big uptick in people looking to learn how to can. And I get tha ..read more

Make a batch of mulled apple cider syrup to keep in your fridge. You’ll be ready for festive sparkling drinks all season long. This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* Between fertility treatments, being pregnant, and time spent nursing, it’s been over than four years since I’ve had more than a tiny sip of alcohol. In that time, I have developed a deep appreciation for syrups, shrubs, and other flavorful mixers that can bring easy interest to a glass of sparkling water. When my friends at @ballcanning asked me to come up with something festive for the holiday ..read more

Sweet, crunchy spiced nuts are simple to make and win raves from everyone who tastes them. Add them to a cheese board or add them to a hearty winter salad. This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* My list of to-make holiday treats is ever evolving. Every year, I start baking thinking that I know exactly what I’m going to make. And then I spot a new recipe and am overcome with the urge to try it out. This is doubly true if said treat can be gifted in a festive Ball® Snowflake Keepsake Jar. You all know how I feel about jars! Last year, at the very moment when I th ..read more

Cleaning and reorganizing my spice shelf using a whole bunch of Ball® Mini Storage Jars has left me with a storage solution that is beautiful and easy to use! This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* The week before Scott and I got married, my dad cut a hole in my kitchen wall and built a massive spice shelf into the space he carved out. As soon as he put the final shelf into place, I filled up those shelves with jars of spices and never looked back. That was a little over 12 years ago now. I’m embarrassed to admit that in the intervening years, I’ve never ta ..read more

Attending an autumnal potluck? Have a friend in need of some care? Fill a Ball® Quart Jar with butternut squash soup and take it to go! This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* This time of year always awakens my urge to make a huge amount of food and gather people around a table. There’s just something about the cooler days of fall that makes me long for the coziness of a small (or not so small) party. Before kids and the pandemic, I was known among my friends and family for my willingness to host or be hosted, always with plenty of delicious things made for ..read more

Earthy and unusual, this Lemon Peach Turmeric Chutney is an unexpected winner. Pair it with crumbly cheddar and a tender oatcake. This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* Chutneys are one of my favorite things to make, particularly during the waning days of the canning season. After months of carefully cooking batches of jam to the set point and hand packing jars of pickles, I like a preserve that allows you to dump everything in a pot and simply cook it until it has thickened. This Lemon Peach Turmeric Chutney from @ballcanning has all the ease of a traditi ..read more

Just a small spoonful of this homemade harissa sauce brings a powerful boost of flavor to soups, stews, and braises. Add some to your next pot of chili! This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* I started keeping store bought jars of harissa sauce in my fridge a handful of years ago. It’s such an easy way to add a punch of flavor to a quick skillet meal or a simple pot of soup. One of my favorite dishes to make when I only have myself to feed is a speedy simmer of chickpea, onion, spinach, and harissa (just use a little. It packs a punch!). Even though harissa sau ..read more

It’s National Canning Day! In honor, the makers of Ball® home canning products asked me to turn some of the preserves I’ve made using their recipes into a meal. Given that my sons are my best culinary audience these days, I sharing our regular Sunday morning meal of pancakes with preserves. This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.* Canning is an act that always gives pleasure twice. The first fun happens in choosing the recipe, getting the ingredients, and making the product. Later, comes the joy of opening the jar and enjoying the contents. I love the su ..read more