Aimée Wimbush-Bourque

Around my family table, my husband and I relish deep bowls of borscht and hearty chowder; the kids put up with winter soups for the sake of the homemade crackers in the center of the table. This accompaniment to our soup comes in all shapes and sizes, with crispy, cheesy edges and fork marks in the center — just like the crackers of my childhood.

Family, friends and food make up much of our Christmas fête in Montreal. There’s a slow stream of guests who duck under the twinkling porch lights, stamp the snow from off their boots and step in from the cold. From the hot-spiced apple cider and shortbread at my annual cookie swap in early December to the tartines and bubbly in the wee hours of the morning on New Year’s Day, we celebrate a month of bringing people together over food and drink.

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and if you’re wondering what to do with your brood, why not get the gang involved in a summer preserving project? It’ll keep everyone busy and you’ll be rewarded with delicious treats for many months to come. We asked Aimee Wimbush-Bourque, the Simple Bites blogger and author of Brown Eggs & Jam Jars to share what a day of preserving looks like for her and her family of five.