Cooking a fresh pumpkin for baking - it's easy! We are getting into fall here in Upstate NY, and for many of us, that means pumpkins. No - not pumpkin lattes! Real pumpkins out in the garden. They'll keep for a while, but not forever. So, knowing how to cook a fresh pumpkin is a good skill to have in your repertoire! Better than canned from the store You can certainly use canned pumpkin from the store. But we like to be self-reliant. Often fresh pumpkins are on sale through September and ... Read More about How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin
Food Preservation
Seedless Blackberry Jam {no pectin recipe}
Seedless Blackberry Jam doesn't use pectin This lovely Seedless Blackberry Jam, just has three ingredients - blackberries, sugar and lemon juice. Why not use pectin? I don't use pectin in any of my jams or jellies. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, using pectin means using more sugar. Pectin requires a higher percentage of sugar to set, and I don't care for that sweeter taste. It mutes the fresh flavor of the fruit. Pectin can also be tricky to use. I belong to several ... Read More about Seedless Blackberry Jam {no pectin recipe}
Beet and Horseradish Relish
Beet and Horseradish Relish is a fall treat Whether you have a garden of your own or not, this is the time of year for beets. Most Farmer's Markets will have a lot of them right now, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy them. Beet and Horseradish Relish is a perfect example. This relish is spicy, a little sweet and it hangs on to some nice crunch, even if you can it. The inspiration isn't new Though I learned a lot of canning from my grandma and my mom, this idea did not come from ... Read More about Beet and Horseradish Relish
Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa doesn't waste a thing! It is getting to be the time of year when gardeners begin to wonder if all of the tomatoes will ever get ripe. They often sit out there in the garden, bright, round globes of greenness that seem to defy the laws of nature. Tomatoes should be turning red by now, right? But say they're not - I've got you! Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa is going to have you hoping for green tomatoes! Green Tomatoes make a perfect salsa Green tomatoes don't ... Read More about Green Tomato Jalapeno Salsa
Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles - a reader favorite My Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles have long been a reader favorite. I realized recently that I have made a few tweaks here and there, so this is a bit of an updated version. Still just as good as ever, and maybe even better. [the original is in the notes, if that is the one you prefer] Why is this such a popular recipe? Beside the fact that they are delicious, I think it is because they are so incredibly easy to make. Just as is the ... Read More about Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles
Strawberry Preserves {No Pectin Recipe}
Strawberry Preserves do not need pectin to be thick You can have thick, sweet, and fruity Strawberry Preserves with just 3 ingredients: Fresh Strawberries, Sugar, and Lemon Juice. Why not use pectin? If you prefer to use pectin, then I'm not here to tell what to do. But - there are a few reasons to try this method. Making Strawberry Preserves with pectin requires more sugar. Using pectin to thicken jams and preserves involves a chemical process that needs a certain percentage of sugar to ... Read More about Strawberry Preserves {No Pectin Recipe}
Tuscan Herb Salt
Tuscan Herb Salt preserves the flavor of summer I utilize a lot of ways to save all that we grow through the summer. Canning, freezing, pickling, fermenting and dehydrating all serve to hold on to the flavor and nutrition of the things we grow. Tuscan Herb Salt is a way to preserve the bright freshness of summer herbs. Not to mention garlic! Growing herbs to preserve them is a great idea As I have mentioned lately here on the blog and on social media, I like to keep some pots of herbs ... Read More about Tuscan Herb Salt
How to Freeze Rhubarb
Freezing is the best way to preserve fresh rhubarb for baking If you love rhubarb as much as I do, this is one post you will want to hang onto. How to freeze rhubarb is a handy thing to know, and so simple to do. Why I love rhubarb My favorite thing about rhubarb is how it leaps out of the ground in the spring and by the second week of May, you can begin your first harvest. It is a definite sign of a season we so look forward to, here in Upstate NY. It is low maintenance. Keep it ... Read More about How to Freeze Rhubarb
Easy Citrus Jam
Easy Citrus Jam brings in the sunshine Our winter has not been bad at all this year. For people who like to work with seasonal ingredients though, February in the Northeast can be a challenge. But Easy Citrus Jam fixes that! We can't grow citrus fruit outdoors ever up here in the Northern states, so this is one case where we have to rely on the seasonality of ingredients from other regions. I make no apologies for enjoying citrus fruit in the winter. It helps a person feel ... Read More about Easy Citrus Jam
Homemade Apple Sauce
The Basics Series - Homemade Apple Sauce Homemade Apple Sauce is one of the first things I remember helping with when I was a kid. Both my Mom and grandmother made applesauce. Often they did it together, and, as the kids it was often our job to squish the apples through the old-fashioned Chinois with the wooden pestle. I don't know what has become of the chinois, but I still have Grandma's pestle. It's handy for all sorts of percussive tasks in the kitchen. Because of that, I admit it is a ... Read More about Homemade Apple Sauce
Basil Pesto
Classic Pesto or Basil Pesto? This could be called "Classic Pesto". I'm pretty sure Basil Pesto is the classic combination of ingredients to make this bright and delicious addition to your repertoire of sauces. If your garden is anything like mine, basil is abundant this time of year. I pinch off my basil plants throughout the summer, using the leaves in salads and veggies and pasta dishes. It's prime basil time right now So now, I have some beautiful, compact plants with lots of bright ... Read More about Basil Pesto
Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles
Bread and Butter Pickles you don't have to can! When I originally published this recipe, an unbelievable 10 years ago, I was an avowed Bread and Butter Pickle hater. Haters gonna hate, am I right? But not anymore. I changed my tune, I switched horses in mid-stream, and I turned over a new leaf. I can admit when I have been wrong, and I was SO wrong about this. What, you might ask is all of this drama about? It was Bread and Butter Pickles that I disliked. I would have said hated, ... Read More about Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles