If you ask us, summer—in all its market-fresh glory—is far too short. The solution? Learn how to jam, pickle, infuse, dry, and ferment (it's simple, really!). We promise you'll be savoring the bounty well after Labor Day.
Our low-tech, picturesque strategy for drying herbs requires only a sunny space and a simple length of twine; the result will be more potent and vibrant than anything you’ve bought in a jar.
Why make your own jam? It’s a simple way to use up any bumper crop of fruit. It’s a no-brainer D.I.Y. gift. But we like it most because it lets us control the level of sweetness in the final product. (Raspberry jam should taste like raspberries, not raspberry sugar.)
Think of crunchy, tangy, no-hassle quick pickles as the gateway to all things preserved. These aren’t the labor-intensive, put-up-for-the-winter kind that your great-grandmother used to make—they’re easy, do-a-few-batches-in-a-summer-afternoon projects.
Fermenting produces some of the best flavor thanks to microbiology. It’s the process that turns cabbage into sauerkraut and cucumbers into sour pickles. Vegetables are brined in a solution that attracts the bacteria that produce lactic acid, which is what helps develop that wonderful funk.
Canning not your jam? There’s another awesome—dare we say lazier—way to keep the heart of summer pumping a bit longer. Nothing could be simpler than combining ripe produce with the alcohol of your choice to reap the rewards months later. The technique also works with nonalcoholic liquids like honey or vinegar. Endless summer!