We've been featuring great homemade food gifts here on The Kitchn this week, and with holiday leftovers abound one can always appreciate a savory condiment to freshen things up and add new flavors. Today we're going to show you how to make a Cranberry Mostarda, with the help of Chef Mat Clouser of Swift's Attic. Then we're going to wrap things up and gift some to our friends for the holidays. More

Earlier this autumn, I was invited by Rainier Fruit Company to spend a day in their orchards, seeing how apples are harvested and brought to market. It's an astonishing mix of old-school and modern — all the apples are picked by hand in orchards that don't look much different than they did decades ago, but then they get scanned back at the sorting facility by computers that can spot that one sneaky bruised apple in a group of thousands. Ever wonder how that perfect, shiny apple wound up at your grocery store? It probably looked something like this. More

Even here in Los Angeles, the evenings are finally chilly enough to warrant a mug of something warm and spiced. I've been dressing up plain apple cider with cranberries, which give this seasonal drink a lovely, rosy tartness. More

Q: I decided to can some apples this fall. After peeling, slicing, stuffing into hot jars, covering with a light syrup and processing, there was a problem: the syrup in the jars no longer covers the apples! I want to try again, but want to preserve the apples correctly. Any idea what I did wrong? More

One of the greatest discoveries upon moving to Northern California was the fig tree in the back yard of my apartment building. I could hardly believe the bounty of fruit this tree gave me that first autumn. Since then, I have set about collecting all the ways of using figs that I can possibly can. Love figs? What do you do with them? More

Cranberry sauce is one of the easiest and most forgiving Thanksgiving dishes to make from scratch — and now is the time to do it. Simmer a batch of sauce on the stove tonight, store it in the fridge, and you can cross at least one thing off your list for Thursday. Here are a few recipes to get your started, from a traditional spiced sauce to Canal House's port-infused take on the usual canned jelly. More

Here's what makes a tarte tatin so fabulous: even if your crust isn't perfect, even if it crumbles a bit when you flip it (as my buttery crust has done this time), and even if the tarte is not perfectly centered on your serving platter, it will still taste like something that came directly from heaven. Creamy-soft apples in a deeply caramelized sauce will cover a multitude of other culinary imperfections. Tell your guests that it's meant to be "rustic" as you pass out the forks and carry on with the devouring. More

Imagine if apple crisp, cool vanilla ice cream, and boozy bourbon all were married into one delicious bite. The house will smell of warm spices and vanilla, and you'll wonder how you've not thought of this combination before on your own. Well, that's what we discovered in this stand-out baked apple recipe. More

End of Summer Prune Plum Pie

Plums seem to be the one reminder of late summer in the grocery store these days. That and tomatoes, I suppose. And even more: the plums this year have been incredible. While they're great as a snack, folding them into simple fall desserts and is an obvious choice. They add a soft sweetness to everything from cakes to tarts to pies, and variations and inspiration abounds! More

Q: I just moved to Anchorage, AK for my husband's job. I am a major fan of using fresh lemon and lime juice in my cooking, but I've just learned that the lemons and limes here are terrible quality because they've been shipped so far. Is there a good substitute for fresh citrus juice? More