Pickle & Preserve – FoodWatcher

Dry Your Own Herbs and You’ll Never Have to Buy Bottled Again

Can You Dig It is a monthly series by Kristin Guy in which a real-life garden DIY is tackled with style. Whether you’ve got an expansive outdoor plot or just a few houseplants, Kristin will inspire you to grow even more with easy-to-accomplish projects…

Can You Dig It is a monthly series by Kristin Guy in which a real-life garden DIY is tackled with style. Whether you’ve got an expansive outdoor plot or just a few houseplants, Kristin will inspire you to grow even more with easy-to-accomplish projects and horticultural know-how.

When you think about preserving summer produce, pickling and canning are typically what comes to mind. Drying tends to be an afterthought, but it can be just as powerful for saving summertime flavors! There’s something calming about the drying process, too—you quite literally have to slow down and be patient—and you can easily create your own drying tools to make this ritual even more special.

Don’t Forget to Sterilize Your Canning Jars—Here’s How

We’ve officially reached the point in summer when my garden is producing way more vegetables than we could possibly eat. I’m talking 3 or 4 pounds of cucumbers per day! Because I hate to see anything go to waste, I started learning how to preserve produce a few years ago, and now, canning is one of my favorite summertime activities. On any given weekend, you can find me pickling cucumbers, zucchini, and beets or making jam from homegrown rhubarb and peaches.

I’ll be the first to admit that canning can be a bit intimidating, as you have to follow recipes precisely and properly sterilize your equipment to ensure the food is safe to eat down the road. There’s a lot of different information online about how to sterilize canning jars, so we turned to the experts at Ball for definitive answers on how it should be done and when it’s necessary. Here’s what they told us.

This Grandma-Approved Tomato Recipe Has Our Community in a Tizzy

Stop what you’re doing and eat a tomato immediately. Unless, of course, you are already in the middle of eating a tomato, in which case well done; and while I have you, I hope, in between your tomato sandwiches and BLTs and no-cook sauces, you saved a …

Stop what you’re doing and eat a tomato immediately. Unless, of course, you are already in the middle of eating a tomato, in which case well done; and while I have you, I hope, in between your tomato sandwiches and BLTs and no-cook sauces, you saved a few of those summer jewels to can for later. Tomatoes are at their peak right now, and you can squirrel away some of that late summer flavor for the dark days of winter with just a little time and know-how.

Canned tomatoes are certainly a staple in my home kitchen—everything from quick pastas to Sunday afternoon braises benefit from the juicy-sweet addition. Of course, most supermarket shelves are lined with multiple brands of whole-peeled, crushed, and fire-roasted canned tomatoes, but have you ever made your own? Considering that it’s tomato season literally right at this very moment, it’s high time you considered doing some canning. The Food52 community certainly has.

How to Make a 6-Pack of Homemade Fermented Drinks

Many folks have jumped on the kombucha bandwagon, and it’s clear why—that vinegary, effervescent kick (with a bonus of probiotics) is a welcome thrill in the world of “before 5 o’clock” drinks. And the best part is that kombucha is just the begin…

Many folks have jumped on the kombucha bandwagon, and it's clear why—that vinegary, effervescent kick (with a bonus of probiotics) is a welcome thrill in the world of "before 5 o'clock" drinks. And the best part is that kombucha is just the beginning: It's not alone in its world of sour drinkables. For your experimenting pleasure, there are two categories of fermented drinks: those that require a starter or SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and those that do not (wild ferments).

The following drinks can be made at home, but some require a SCOBY—and who knows, all you might have to do is tap into your network (like our Contributors Editor Sarah did!) and you'll likely find fermentation enthusiasts who are thrilled to share these renewable resources with you. So up the ante of your fermented drink game by experimenting with a sampler six-pack.

How to Make Compote With Any Fruit You Have

Here at Food52, we love recipes—but do we always use them? Of course not. Because once you realize you don’t always need a recipe, you’ll make your favorite dishes a lot more often.
Today: Transform your season’s harvest into a simple, versa…

Here at Food52, we love recipes—but do we always use them? Of course not. Because once you realize you don't always need a recipe, you'll make your favorite dishes a lot more often.

Today: Transform your season's harvest into a simple, versatile compote, without fancy canning equipment—and without a recipe.

11 Canning Recipes to Make Now, Enjoy Later

Summer is all about the produce. And while we often use up all those fruits and vegetables the second they get home from the market (or picked from the garden), there’s a foolproof way to bottle up all those bright seasonal flavors for later. Can them!…

Summer is all about the produce. And while we often use up all those fruits and vegetables the second they get home from the market (or picked from the garden), there's a foolproof way to bottle up all those bright seasonal flavors for later. Can them!

Through the magic of canning, you can preserve peak produce (and meats and seafood, too) and enjoy it later on. Bonus: It makes a fun weekend project the whole family can get in on.