After interviewing Allison Carroll Duffy and getting her 5 Essentials for Summer Canning, I couldn't wait to check out her new cookbook, Preserving with Pomona's Pectin. If you are interested in low- or no-sugar jams, or you'd like to sweeten your preserves with sugar alternatives such as honey or agave, then you should definitely check out Pomona's Pectin and this lovely, informative new cookbook!  

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It's June and the summer fruit is starting to roll in, which basically translates to jam time in my kitchen.  Like many people, I love jam but sometimes I'm a little taken aback by how much sugar is called for in many classic jam recipes.  For this reason, I always keep a box of Pomona's Universal Pectin in my cupboard.  Pomona's is a low-sugar pectin, meaning you can make jams and jellies using very low or no sugar. 

Accomplished home canner and blogger Allison Carroll Duffy has been working with the people behind Pomona's to create a new cookbook, just released this month, with recipes that use this marvelous product.  Read on for her take on the 5 essential things a home canner should know!

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It wasn't that long ago that you could pick up old blue canning jars for just a few quarters at your local thrift shop. Now they're a hot vintage item and you're likely to pay ten times that amount or more, if you can even find them. But the blue jar situation is no longer so difficult, or expensive, thanks to Ball, the 125 year old producer of canning equipment. In honor of the 100 year anniversary of the first Ball canning jar, they've released the vintage-style-but-brand-new blue-toned Heritage Jar collection.

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Ready to spearhead the world of homemade pickles but not sure where to start? You don't need elaborate canning equipment or tools to pickle, just a little time. Read on for our best tips on pickling from which vegetables to use to favorite brines and spices! More

The first few times I tried kimchi it was not, I must admit, my favorite food. Then I met my Korean-American partner, Gregory, moved in with his mom — a superb cook — and within a few months I was wholly converted. These days my mouth waters at the slightest whiff of pungent, fermented cabbage and I'll eat it with everything from fried rice to dumplings, summer rolls, or, ahem, straight out of the jar. I still have a lot to learn from Mom when it comes to kimchi making (there are over a hundred different kinds!) but this mak kimchi, or simple kimchi, recipe has been a great place to start. 

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Q: I have been given tons of beef jerky. As much as we like to it, there's only so much beef jerky one can eat. Does anyone have good ideas on how I could cook with it? Or other ideas for using it?

Sent by Wee

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We've all encountered, and possibly even served, a boring crudité platter. As a vegetarian and gluten-free guest and host, I've had my fair share of raw broccoli and carrot sticks while other party guests indulged in more interesting hors d'oeuvres. But these pickled baby carrots? These ones with the zingy bite that will be ready in just a couple of hours? You might want to double the recipe. 

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I don't think I have been appreciating green olives nearly enough, either inside the martini glass or out. I'm talking about the pitted green olives from a jar, the kind that often come stuffed with a sliver of pimiento or garlic. Nothing fancy. Making those Cheddar Olives this week reminded me just how much I love these salty little things with their meaty texture and slight tanginess. Have you made anything with green olives recently?

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My idea for this iced tea-slash-mocktail has been brewing ever since one of our readers suggested pu-erh as a possible non-alcoholic alternative to bourbon. (Thanks, missjulia!) Bourbon is my favorite liquor, but my partner is allergic to alcohol, so it seemed a fun challenge to create something we'd both enjoy. And pu-erh turned out to be the perfect ingredient.

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So you thought preserved lemons sounded like a cool ingredient and you got yourself a jar! ...Now what? There are only so many Moroccan chicken tagines a person can make, after all. Here are a few ideas for using up that whole jar.

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