Why? Because you can! And pickle, and jam, or otherwise celebrate the resurgence of the domestic arts our forebears held so dear. Put on your best apron and step into our kitchen, won't you?
As summer is starting in Ohio, parks and public spaces are brimming with fruit - if you can find it. Juneberries and mulberries are nearing their peak, and seeking them out is more than worth the effort and purple fingers.
This peony jam needs nothing more than to be spread lightly on an airy slice of bread to bring you fully back to a perfect day in May, when a ray of sun is piercing through a cooling gray rain cloud.
Want to make the most of your small yard? Consider planting edibles in your front yard. With a small foundation bed and some good luck, I turned an unproductive corner of my yard into a berry patch in an hour.
Combining the sweetness of ripe, Ohio peaches with the piquancy of black pepper and the depth of thyme, this less sweet jam packs a big flavor punch. This savory peach preserve can stand up as the base for a sauce for poultry or pork.
Playing off the ingredients and flavor profiles of Kentucky bourbon, this jam combines the spirit the with an unexpected twist of sweet corn, while the brightness of fresh Ohio peaches shines through.
Strawberry jam is often too sweet for my taste, but this lower sugar recipe adds balsamic vinegar to lend a bit of savoriness to the jewel-like strawberry conserve. This recipe would be great for tiny, flavorful Alpine strawberries.
When you find perfect Rainier cherries, no small feat, eat as many as you can out of hand, and preserve the rest right away. These cherries in a light rum syrup will add a sophisticated kick to any ice cream sundae.
Blueberries are at their peak in Ohio right now, and they're just calling out to be made into jam. Fresh lavender gives a sunny taste to this firm-set, not-too-sweet, inky blue jam.
