If you would have stopped by my home on Friday morning at about 10:30 am, you would have found me still in my robe, standing over a pot of hot, bubbling plums with a tiny spoon in my hand and a crooked half-smile on my face. The reasons for this, for all of this, comes down to two things: ripeness and painkillers. Or the unfortunate, yet fortunate, timing of both. Let me explain. More

Do you have a few almost-empty jars in your pantry? Some half-full containers in your fridge? Curious what to do with those crumbled tortilla chips or that bowl of egg whites? What about creative ways to use pickle juice, or what to do with packets of powdered hot chocolate? Before you throw them away, take a look through this list: there are a few handy tips to help you clean out and eat up!

CONDIMENTS
• How to use up molasses.
• How to use up miso paste.
• How to use up tahini.
• How to use up marmalade.

See the whole list below! More

There's an etiquette question in DIY circles that not everyone is familiar with: when gifted with a jar of homemade jam, pickles or other preserves, should you return the jar when you are done? Read on for my take on this gifting dilemma. More

While trying to decide on an artisan product to review, the first thing that came to mind is jam. Maybe it's because I enjoyed homemade biscuits last week, or maybe it's because the art of jam making brings to mind memories of our grandmothers—cooking down the puree over the stove, canning the preserves in an all-day affair. The maker of Confituras jam in Austin makes everything to order in small batches, all mixed in a large copper pot. It's truly artisanal and the flavors are worth writing about. More

I have fallen deep down the rabbit hole into the world of fermentation. First sourdough bread. Then beer, followed by kombucha. Miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi are on the bucket list. Does this scenario sound familiar? If so, you need this book. If there's anyone more fermentation crazy than us, it's Sandor Katz. More

While it's great to buy specialty products in-person from the maker, sometimes it's just not possible. (We don't all live near a food or farmer's market.) So to appreciate the full scale and variety of today's artisanal offerings, you have to go online. These nine marketplaces have you covered: More

Q: My family kept peanut butter in the fridge, but in college all my roommates kept peanut butter at room temperature and I loved how easy it was to spread! Now I keep my peanut butter at room temp too but I recently read you need to keep it in the fridge. Why? Is there a difference between PB with/without preservatives? Is my Jif OK on the shelf?

Sent by Tiffany More

Have you ever sipped a shrub? Not a bush, but a fruit syrup, preserved with vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol to make a tangy, refreshing beverage. An old-fashioned favorite, shrubs have steadily made a comeback, especially on cocktail menus, but they aren't solely the province of mixologists. Making a shrub syrup at home is a fun way to preserve and play with seasonal fruit, and this template may be followed for practically any fruit you have on hand. In addition to drinks, you can use the brightly flavored syrup in salad dressings, as a glaze for meats, or add a splash to homemade jam. More

Q: I desperately want to make crunchy, garlicky, salty, dill pickles. Any recipes or tips that get more garlic flavour into the pickles? Mine have turned out salty enough but not garlicky enough and adding more garlic doesn't necessarily seem to help. Do I have to make fermented dill pickles for this?

Sent by Audrey More

We're canning, you're canning, just about everyone is canning these days. And we think that's pretty fantastic. But before you fill your kitchen with steaming hot glass jars and pounds of tomatoes, we have a few insider tips that might just make your next canning session go a lot more smoothly. More