Canning & Preserving

Currants, members of the gooseberry family, are small berries that grow in clusters on bushes that can range from two to six feet in height. The berries ripen in mid-summer to a bright and almost translucent red. Though small, these delicate tart berries are filled with fiber and pectin and are an excellent choice for homemade red currant jelly.

Few things say summer as readily as the delicious scent of strawberry jam or jelly, even in the dead of winter. The tantalizing aroma of sun-warmed strawberries, bursting with flavor, is enough to send you back for seconds, thirds and more. The secret to successful homemade jams and jellies is knowing exactly what steps to take and to avoid. It is a skill that is learned from many years of practice and countless trials with plenty of error.

The dictionary definition of relish, which is "to savor, take delight in and enjoy," says it all. Sweet and spicy relishes are perfect before dinner, during dinner and after dinner. Relishes are also great go-betweens for snacking and on target when tucked into a festive jar and given as a gift.

This kosher dill pickle recipe will let you enjoy a classic deli taste at home, but be prepared to wait a few days for the pickles to reach their maximum flavor.

When canning peppers, be aware that vinegar is the only way to ensure they're canned safely.

If you want to make homemade pickles, you'll want to check out this refrigerator pickle recipe for details on how to make crisp, delicious pickles without bothering with canning.

Pickles require specific measures. To create a great batch of pickles, make sure you use the proper ingredients and tools. Though vinegar and salt are used, pickles still must be boiled in an open water bath to kill the enzymes that cause spoilage. Earmark hollow or odd-shaped cucumbers for relish and use only pickling cucumbers.

Plum jam recipes can be created with or without added pectin. Without added pectin, less sugar is needed, but less sugar also means more cooking. With pectin, the jam has a better chance of setting. Here's tips for getting the right balance.

Dill pickles are a fabulous snack, easy to eat and fun to make. If you've got a little room in your garden, you can easily grow enough cucumbers to make jars and jars of dill pickles.

Salsa can add spice and pizzazz to just about any meal. You can create salsa in the comfort of your own home with little effort because preparing and canning salsa is not difficult to do.

If you want to make your own homemade pickles, you'll want to follow these simple tips for canning pickles perfectly every time.

When harvesting fruit for canning, it's best to gather the fruit in the early morning, just after the dew dries and when fruit is at its best. Never choose overripe fruits. Instead, pick fruit that you could pick off of the tree and eat on the spot. When it comes to canning cherries, if the raw fruit is good, it'll be good when canned.

Keep the results of your garden tasty during the cold winter months. Canning green beans is a relatively simple process - once you know the proper procedure.

It used to be that the home canning process was the only way to preserve meats, fruits and vegetables, and jams and jellies. But even though modern conveniences have made preserving food a choice rather than a necessity, home canning remains a satisfying way to reap the bounty from your garden. Home canning isn't difficult to learn, but you do need to adhere to some strict safety guidelines to ensure that what you preserve can be safely eaten.

Dill pickle relish is the most common of relishes. Because relish has a bite to it, it is intended to be consumed in small increments, such as in a spread or as a garnish. Making fresh dill pickle relish is a task that can be accomplished easily, and because the most important ingredient is a jar of dill pickles, it can also be made at any time of the year.

This recipe for canning hot pickled peppers is great on sandwiches, crackers or served on its own. For those that love to add a little bite to their meals, this canned treat is the perfect addition.

Called the jewels of the garden, raspberries are indeed precious. Raspberry jam recipes, with that sweet yet tart raspberry taste, combined with the pure sweetness of white sugar, is hard to resist. While this fruit is a lot of work if you want to make seedless raspberry jam, regular raspberry jam is simple. In fact, when making raspberry jam, one only needs three ingredients: berries, sugar and a pat of butter.

Crunchy bread and butter pickles perk up any sandwich. There's no need to run to the grocery store to enhance your lunchtime meal. You can create your own pickles for canning with bread and butter pickles recipes that are sure to make your taste buds smile.