News — Canning

How to Can Pears I don’t normally wear an apron when I’m cooking, but sometimes I’ll remember to tie one on while I’m canning. So around this time last year, I was wearing an apron to can when my then 3-year old son walked in the kitchen and immediately spotted the problem, “Mama! Your cape is on backwards!” I love that kid. I think about that pretty much every time I put food into jars now. There’s something about home food preservation, whether it’s drying or freezing or canning, that makes me feel like I’m tapping into a long line...

Maybe it has to do with the soil, perhaps it’s the variety we select. Whatever the reason, for the last few years our onions have been tiny – but bountiful. We had a ton of onions to pull this year, and although they were small, there were a lot of them. I was hesitant to simply cure and store them since they would take up so much room and offer very little usefulness on their own. Then the thought came to me – pickled onions! I’ve had pickled onions before in restaurants and absolutely loved them. They are a staple...

Peach Vanilla Bean Jam Studies have shown that preserving food by canning is intimidating for 99.9% of people who are trying it for the first time. Okay, I just made that up. I don’t know of any studies, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this is an area of homemaking that can be totally overwhelming. Head space? Processing time?! A bubble remover?!? Ack! Take a deep breath. You can do this, and jam can help. Seriously, it is a great place to start. Simply chop the fruit, add the sweetener and spices (which can be changed...

Peach Vanilla Bean Jam Studies have shown that preserving food by canning is intimidating for 99.9% of people who are trying it for the first time. Okay, I just made that up. I don’t know of any studies, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this is an area of homemaking that can be totally overwhelming. Head space? Processing time?! A bubble remover?!? Ack! Take a deep breath. You can do this, and jam can help. Seriously, it is a great place to start. Simply chop the fruit, add the sweetener and spices (which can be changed...