CANNING CHERRY JELLY

 

There is something deeply satisfying about preserving the simple gifts of the season and filling your pantry with jars of homemade goodness. When cherry trees are heavy with ripe, juicy fruit, making and canning cherry jelly is a wonderful way to capture that fresh summer flavor and enjoy it long after the harvest has passed.

Yield: About 6 half-pint jars

CHERRY PIT SIMPLE SYRUP

 

If you're anything like me, you hate seeing parts of the harvest go to waste. After pitting a big batch of fresh cherries, I decided to make a simple syrup from the pits. 

Cherry pits add a delicate flavor to simple syrup with almost no extra effort. It's a great way to get just a little more from your cherries while creating a unique syrup that's perfect for sweetening drinks or drizzling over your favorite desserts.

BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY BUTTERCREAM

These homemade blueberry cupcakes wi are soft, fluffy, and bursting with sweet, juicy blueberry flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and topped with a creamy blueberry buttercream frosting, they're the perfect dessert for birthdays, baby showers, brunches, summer parties, or any occasion that calls for a homemade treat. Whether you use fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried blueberries, this easy blueberry cupcake recipe bakes up light, moist, and full of delicious berry flavor in every bite.

Short on time? Skip the homemade batter and use a boxed white or vanilla cake mix. Just fold in the blueberries before baking and finish with the blueberry buttercream.

Easy Refrigerator Cowboy Candy Recipe (Small Batch, 1 Pint)

If your garden is producing more jalapeños than you know what to do with, this easy refrigerator Cowboy Candy recipe is one of my favorite ways to preserve the harvest without spending an afternoon canning. It is a simple small-batch recipe that transforms fresh jalapeños into sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy peppers that are incredibly versatile.

Made with a handful of pantry staples, this recipe creates the perfect balance of sweetness and heat. Since it is a refrigerator recipe, there is no pressure canning or water bath canning required. Simply simmer the peppers in a flavorful syrup, pour everything into a jar, and refrigerate.

One thing that makes my Cowboy Candy a little different is the addition of sweet onion. As the onions simmer in the syrup, they become tender and soak up all that sweet, tangy, spicy flavor. They are just as delicious as the jalapeños and make a wonderful topping for burgers, sandwiches, and barbecue.

This recipe makes just one pint, making it perfect if you have a few peppers from the garden or want to try Cowboy Candy before making a larger batch. After the flavors have had time to meld together, these candied jalapeños are delicious on burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, nachos, pizza, or served over cream cheese with crackers.

Whether you grow your own peppers or pick up a fresh batch from the farmers market, this easy recipe is a great way to enjoy them long after harvest.

SAUSAGE STUFFED SQUASH

If you are looking for a way to use up all of that summer squash that is packed with flavor, this Sausage Stuffed Squash is one recipe you will want to make again and again. Tender squash is wrapped in crispy bacon, filled with a savory sausage mixture, and baked until everything is perfectly cooked. It is the kind of comforting meal that looks impressive enough for guests but is simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

MAKING DANDELION JELLY

Turn those sunny dandelions into a beautiful homemade jelly with a delicate honey-like flavor. This old-fashioned recipe is a simple way to bring a little bit of spring to your table.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ¼ cups water, or more as needed
• 4 cups lightly packed dandelion petals, divided
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
• 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)