Jellies and Jam Recipes

Homemade giardiniera with carrots, cauliflower, celery, peppers, and onions brined overnight and pickled in a spiced vinegar with mustard seed, celery seed, and chili peppers.

Harissa sauce made with fresh or dried red chiles, garlic and a deeply aromatic Moroccan-style broth of chicken, chickpeas, saffron, cinnamon, orange peel and honey. A vivid North African accompaniment for couscous.

Homemade herbes de Provence blend with marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary, sage, and fennel seeds. Mix in minutes and store in jars for seasoning chicken, vegetables, and meat.

Homemade citrus Dijon mustard with fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice, honey, and grated zest. Four ingredients, no cooking, ages for two weeks then refrigerate.

Lemony strawberry butter simmers pureed fresh strawberries with sugar and lemon juice into a thick, spreadable fruit butter. Three ingredients, no pectin, water-bath canned for shelf-stable jars.

Pesto mushroom caps stuff fresh button mushrooms with homemade basil pesto and crown each one with a walnut half, then bake until hot and fragrant. A 10-minute vegetarian appetizer that punches way above its weight at a cocktail party.

Homemade pastrami from beef brisket cured for 3 weeks with salt, pickling spices, and black pepper, then smoked low and slow. A true from-scratch charcuterie project.

Peanut butter and jelly French toast sandwiches dipped in egg batter and pan-fried in butter. A kid-friendly breakfast that combines two classics in one.

Peanut butter sandwich cookies filled with grape jelly. The classic PB&J turned into a soft, brown-sugar peanut butter cookie hugging a sweet jelly center. Lunchbox nostalgia in cookie form.

Old-fashioned pickled peaches: small ripe peaches studded with cloves and put up in a sweet, spiced cider vinegar syrup. The Southern relish tray classic that bridges canning season and Christmas dinner.

Pickled or corned beef (or venison): a traditional barrel-cure brine for beef or wild game using salt, saltpeter, and molasses. Old-fashioned homesteader method for preserving large cuts.

Plum conserve with lemon, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts. Old-fashioned chunky preserve thicker than jam, perfect for cheese boards, scones, or roast pork accompaniment.

Port wine jelly made with port, fresh grape juice, sugar, and liquid pectin. A jewel-toned preserve that pairs with cheese boards, roasted meats, and holiday gift giving.

These are amazing instant cheesecake, very easy to make, and so delicious.

Homemade raspberry currant syrup for sparkling water, cocktails, and sodas. Fresh berries simmered with sugar, strained, and bottled for a concentrated fruit cordial.

Homemade Thai red curry paste (nam prik kaeng daeng) with dry-roasted cumin and coriander, dried chilies, lemongrass, galangal, shallots, and shrimp paste. Pounded by hand for authentic depth.