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Quick Dish: Fried Rice

Recently, my family and I were away from home for a week. I don’t know about you, but when I get home from a week away, I need at least another day to reset. I do not want to do a thing but sit on the couch for hours, even if I was in the car for six hours leading up to getting home. And although the fridge is empty (if we did things right before we left), I certainly do not want to go grocery shopping. That, my friends, is unfortunate because I still need food for lunch the next day. However, I have discovered quick fried rice and my life has become a little easier and definitely a lot tastier.

After said trip, I looked around at what we had for food and realized we were low on proteins, at least any that were thawed. I am passionate about eating wholesome foods that are minimally processed, so this was a bit of a problem. However, I love me some brown rice with vegetables. I had some instant brown rice on hand as well as frozen Asian vegetables. Good. We also had cooked some Asian food while on vacation, so those flavors were on my mind. I opened the refrigerator to gather some liquid aminos and saw eggs. Eggs! Oh man, I can make a quick fried rice for lunch!

I felt as though I was winning at life. This meal had a starch/carb, vegetables, and a protein; a complete meal. It came together in less than 15 minutes, which is a major win in my book. Measuring is somewhat optional as you can really find flavors you love. Finally, nothing was processed and the ingredients are pantry items at our house. Let me tell you, this recipe is going into my everyday cooking brain when I need a quick, wholesome meal. I hope it does for you too!

Your Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown rice, cooked (instant or regular)
  • 8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1-2 eggs, whisked
  • ½ tablespoon sesame oil 
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic 

Seasonings, to taste: 

  • Ground ginger (¼-½ teaspoon) 
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Onion Powder
  • Soy sauce or liquid aminos (½ – 1 tablespoon)

Cook the vegetables according to the directions on the package. We adore these awesome steam bags that Ziploc makes for steaming frozen and raw vegetables in the microwave. (Here’s the link for them if you want to check them out: Ziploc Zip n’ Steam Bags)

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the rice, steamed vegetables, and seasonings to taste. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so. 

Push rice and vegetable mixture to the side. Pour in the whisked egg(s) in the cleared spot (spraying with cooking spray prior if there is worry the egg will stick. I add a touch more sesame oil). Allow to cook 1-2 minutes, as though you are going to scramble the egg. Once the egg is starting to become solid, fully incorporate it into the rice and vegetable mixture. Saute until the egg is fully cooked. Taste and add more soy sauce, ginger, or red pepper flakes as needed. 

Quick and easy. Delish, wholesome, and a complete meal from your pantry. That’s what I call a winner in my book. Give it a try next time you’re not quite ready to make a run to the grocery store. Or maybe anytime you need a meal at your fingertip in minutes. 

  • Push the rice aside. Eggs need room!
  • Add the eggs. Cook away little eggs.
  • Mix it up…
  • …and serve!

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Cooking

Tools of the Trade

Quick Fried Rice

Short on grocery store items? Put together this quick fried rice using ingredients from your fridge and pantry in 15 minutes flat!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups brown rice cooked (instant or regular)
  • 8 ounces frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1-2 eggs whisked
  • ½ tablespoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic

Seasonings, to taste:

  • Ground ginger ¼-½ teaspoon
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Soy sauce or liquid aminos ½ – 1 tablespoon
  • onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Cook the vegetables according to the directions on the package.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  • Add the rice, steamed vegetables, and seasonings to taste. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
  • Push rice and vegetable mixture to the side.
  • Pour in the whisked egg(s) in the cleared spot, spraying with cooking spray if necessary.
  • Allow to cook 1-2 minutes.
  • Once the egg is starting to become solid, fully incorporate it into the rice and vegetable mixture.
  • Sauté until the egg is fully cooked.
  • Taste and add more soy sauce, ginger, or red pepper flakes as needed.

Notes

This will always be better if you use rice you cooked a day or two before. But I get it, you may not always have thought ahead. Go ahead and use what you have. 
Keyword Brown Rice, Eggs, Fried Rice
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JessLeave a comment

Zucchini Margherita Pizza Bites

It’s Summer Time…

I love summer. I know, everyone loves summer, right? Sure, I dig the sunshine, time at the beach, and the longer days. But summer means it’s gardening season, and this girl loves some dirt under her nails and having fresh, homegrown produce straight from the garden. It brings me such immense joy to fill my family’s bellies with good for you food that is full of flavor. 

Right now, it is hitting zucchini harvest time. If you’ve ever had a garden or know someone with a garden, you know that zucchinis typically grow like crazy. You think you need 4 plants, and then you are trying to give zucchinis to every stranger because you can’t keep up! Sure you can bake bread, cake, you name it. Zoodling is popular too. But I wanted something simple as a side that would take 10-15 minutes to put together. Zucchini Margherita Pizza Bites were born. From the first bite, I was in love. 

From the Garden

It’s my absolute favorite when all the ingredients in a recipe come from things we have grown, harvested, or hunted. This comes darn close (If only I had a cow to make cheese! That sounds like a joke, and it mostly is….but seriously, how cool would that be?). 

What I love in these Zucchini Margherita Pizza Bites is the limited ingredients while still being full of flavor. I dig a recipe that everything is on hand, and if you grow herbs and you’re like me, this will be right up your alley. Ready to go? Head out to the garden (or store or farmer’s market), pick up a few tomatoes, a zucchini, and some fresh basil and let’s create!

Note: You’ll want to have a pan that can go from stove top to oven. I ADORE my cast iron pan by Lodge. It gets used multiple times a week for anything from corn bread to chicken breasts and venison to seared vegetables. If you have never cooked with cast iron, I can not recommend it enough. 

Your Ingredients (3-4 servings)

  • 1 medium sized zucchini 
  • ¾ cup diced roma tomatoes (you want a meatier tomato) 
  • 6-10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (thinly sliced) 
  • ⅓-½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • garlic salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil 

Your Steps

Preheat oven broiler to 500 degrees. (In addition to adoring cast iron, I really dig the broiler. It allows you to heat-crispy vegetables and give them that little char. It’s highly underrated, in my opinion). 

Begin preheating oven safe sauce pan or cast iron pan with olive oil over medium-high to high heat. 

Meanwhile, slice zucchini in thicker slices, ½ inch or so. Sprinkle both sides of zucchini with garlic salt and pepper, to taste. Once cast iron pan and oil is hot, place zucchini in pan. You want it to sizzle as you place them. If it doesn’t, the oil isn’t hot enough. Sear zucchini for 90 seconds. Flip and top with diced tomatoes, sliced basil, and mozzarella, in that order. Once topped, place pan under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, until cheese is melty and slightly browned. Watch it closely. The broiler is amazing, but food can go from just under cooked to burned in what seems like seconds. 

Serve these zucchini margherita pizza bites as a side or as a snack. We eat ours with some grilled chicken, a salad (I love ALL the vegetables), and some slices of homemade sourdough bread. Yum! 

  • Three simple ingredients.
  • Season it up.
  • Top with tomatoes…
  • ..and basil.
  • Finally, the cheese!
  • Get on that plate and in my belly!

Looking for other recipes? Check out the pages below!

Cooking
Preserving from the Garden
Clean Eating

Tool of the Trade

My husband and I both love love love our cast iron pan. In fact, it is used so often in our home that we just leave it on the stove top. It’s great for searing all sorts of meat. However, it has so many other uses. Completing a quick Pinterest search will result in all sorts of cast iron desserts, homemade breads, etc. Holy yum. I can’t recommend it enough. If you have never invested, make the jump. It’s worth every penny. This is guy we use multiple times a week.

Zucchini Margherita Pizza Bites

Garden fresh zucchini, basil, and tomatoes combine to make a quick pizza bite side dish for couple or light meal for one.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 3

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Pan or other stove to oven safe pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium sized zucchini
  • ¾ cup diced roma tomatoes you want a meatier tomato
  • 6-10 fresh basil leaves chiffonade (thinly sliced)
  • ⅓-½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • garlic salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven broiler to 500 degrees.
  • Begin preheating oven safe sauce pan or cast iron pan with olive oil over medium-high to high heat.
  • Meanwhile, slice zucchini in thicker slices, ½ inch or so.
  • Sprinkle both sides of zucchini with garlic salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Once cast iron pan and oil is hot, place zucchini in pan. You want it to sizzle as you place them. If it doesn’t, the oil isn’t hot enough.
  • Sear zucchini for 90 seconds.
  • Flip and top with diced tomatoes, sliced basil, and mozzarella, in that order.
  • Once topped, place pan under the broiler for 1-3 minutes, until cheese is melty and slightly browned, watching closely.
Keyword basil, Margherita Pizza, summer side dish, tomatoes, zucchini
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JessLeave a comment

Dilly Beans

It’s pickling season! Okay, really, it’s gardening season which means it’s canning season around our house. But if it is canning season, you can bet some pickling is going to go down. One of my favorite things to pickle are dilly beans. 

We always plant two to three rows of beans. This results in enough to eat plenty raw, put some in the freezer, pressure can some for meals, and then when I am feeling ambitious, some for dilly beans. Never had a dilly bean? They are similar to a dill pickle, but have a little more kick (if you want it), and stay crisp longer. 

In our home, we eat them when we grill out or simply for a snack. The bonus treat is the pickled garlic clove at the bottom of the jar. My kids fight over it every time. I don’t love a Bloody Mary, but they are a great addition to a killer Bloody. 

Originally, this recipe came from the Ball Canning and Perserving Book, but like any good recipe, has been modified to suit our needs in our home. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

New to canning? Check out the Ball’s Book of Canning or The National Center for Home Food Preservation for more detailed information. I will give you the low down, but it will be short and sweet. You will want to read up more, I promise 🙂 

Your Ingredients (per six pint jars) 

  • 2 ½ pounds green beans and/or yellow wax beans, washed and trimmed 
  • 4 cups vinegar
  • 4 cups water 
  • 6 tablespoons pickling salt 
  • ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, PER jar (to taste) 
  • 6 heads of dill 
  • 6-12 cloves of garlic (1-2 cloves per jar) 

The Utensils 

  • Water bath canner with rack and lid
  • Six pint jars with lids and rings (wide or narrow mouth)
  • Large, non reactive kettle for pickling liquid 

Your Preparation 

The prep: the most time consuming portion of this recipe. When you make regular pickles, you just slice and fill jars. However, dilly beans need to be cut to length. After a number of years of canning, the following method has worked the best for me. Trim one bean to length so that it will fit just under the rim of the jar, approximately 4 inches. Now you have two options: 

-Use this bean as your fondly called “measuring bean.” Measure the rest of the beans to that length, double checking from time to time because it’s easy to cut too long. 

-If you have a non-opaque cutting board (think thin, flexible boards), make a mark with a permanent marker on the bottom of the board. Use this line to cut your beans to length. This is my preferred method. 

Ultimately, you need to trim your beans so they will fit in your jar. Get there how you get there 🙂 

Additionally, peel the garlic cloves and have them prepared. 

Time to Can

Prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. I generally set the jars in the rack of canner and have it rest above the water.  Begin heating the water bath canner (make sure water will be at least one inch above jars once submerged). It is better to have too much water than too little. 

Fill each jar with one to two cloves of garlic, one head of dill, and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Stuff jars with trimmed beans, keeping the beans below the top ring portion. This generally takes longer than I think it should, but not too terribly long. 

Meanwhile, bring salt, vinegar, and water to a boil reduce to a simmer until the jars are prepped.  Pour the pickling liquid over beans, wipe the top of the jar with a damp piece of paper towel. Put lids and rings on, tightening to finger tip tight. Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil. Process for 10 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet). Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars. 

There is no need to tighten rings. In fact, it is recommended they are removed entirely while storing. Enjoy! My kids say the best part is the garlic but those beans don’t last long either 😉 

Trimming: the longest part of the process.
Dill and garlic: a must!
All stuffed.
I dig the double garlic. My kids will too!
Don’t forget the extra kick!
Ladle the pickling brine. Mmmm…vinegar.
Let’s get a waterbath!
Complete!

Dilly Beans with Garlic

Whether you are simply a pickle lover or you really dig a good Bloody Mary, these dilly beans are for you! A little garlic and cayenne pepper add zip!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Canning
Servings 6 pint jars

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ pounds green beans and/or yellow wax beans washed and trimmed
  • 4 cups vinegar
  • 4 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons pickling salt
  • ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper PER jar (to taste)
  • 6 heads of dill
  • 6-12 cloves of garlic 1-2 cloves per jar

Instructions
 

  • To prepare, trim beans so that they will just fit under the rim of pint jars, approximately 4 inches long. Additionally, peel the garlic cloves and have them prepared for canning.
  • Prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing and keeping warm. Begin heating the water bath canner (make sure water will be at least one inch above jars once submerged).
  • Fill each jar with one to two cloves of garlic, one head of dill, and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Stuff jars with trimmed beans, keeping the beans below the top ring portion.
  • Meanwhile, bring salt, vinegar, and water to a boil reduce to a simmer until the jars are prepped. Pour the pickling liquid over beans. Remove air bubbles.
  • Wipe the top of the jar with a damp piece of paper towel. Put lids and rings on, tightening to finger tip tight.
  • Lower into canner, raising heat and bringing to a rolling boil. Process for 10 min, adjusting for altitude (if over 1000 feet).
  • Remove the canner from heat, and allow jars to rest 5 min. Remove from canner and allow to cool at least 12 hours before storing jars.

Notes

  • Sealed jars are shelf-stable, meaning they can be stored on a shelf unrefrigerated. If your jars don’t ping (a sign that they have sealed), they are still good. Simply store them in the refrigerator.
  • Most sources recommend removing the rings from jars for storage so that you will know if they unseal for any reason. I generally just loosen them as much as I can without removing them.
Keyword Canning, Dilly Beans, Pickled Beans, Pickling, Waterbath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other canning and preserving recipes? Check out the page below!

Canning and Preserving
Tools of the Trade

There are a handful of canning tools I can not live without. I love my water bath canner but also use my pressure canner as a water bath canner when I don’t want to use two different ones! You also need a set of canning tools to make the process so much easier!

Jess1 Comment

Whole Wheat Gooseberry Muffins

A number of years ago, I tried a berry at a farmer’s market. There must have been samples, but the memory is vague. I loved the berry I tried, and told my husband we had to grow them. The following year, we purchased two gooseberry plants. I was so excited! A year later, we had berries. I tried them, and they weren’t at all what I remembered. (In hindsight, I think I had currants at the farmer’s market.) That’s life, right? Maybe it’s just my life. But luckily, I really loved the flavor that gooseberries had. Needless to say, I was grateful for my mishap. Recently, a friend stopped by, asked, what the plant was, and subsequently, what I use them for. Previously, I had only just snacked on them. Once I made a gooseberry gin jam (YUM!). Now I can say with confidence that they make slightly tart and sweet whole wheat gooseberry muffins that are delish! 

They are kind of cute, aren’t they?

But what does a gooseberry taste like?

Never had a gooseberry? They are about the size of a large blueberry, but look like a miniature watermelon with the texture of a grape. Typing that just makes me smile. It almost sounds like a description from a Dr. Seuss book, but I think it’s a great description. They can tart like a green grape or sweeter like a red grape. They grow on bushes with some gnarly thorns. I see that as part of the adventure of having them…can I get away without getting pricked? 

Anywho…we had a bumper crop this year, and I wanted to do more than freeze them. I wanted to bake. I love the way this recipe turned out. They have texture and beautiful color. The flavor is reminiscent of rhubarb with the sweet tart combination. Don’t have gooseberries on hand? I am certain that blueberries would be a great alternative and can’t wait to give that a try too! 

Your Ingredients for Gooseberry Muffins

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg 
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup milk 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1 ½ cups gooseberries, cleaned (1 ½ cups if you dig the tart flavor. 1 cup if you want it a little sweeter) 

Your steps 

If you haven’t yet, nip off the ends on the gooseberries. You only want the berry portion in the muffin. Then, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin. This recipe will result in approximately 12 muffins. 

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and olive oil. Whisk well. After the wet ingredients have combined, pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Fold in cleaned gooseberries. Again, you can use one to one and a half cups, depending on your preference of flavor. My family loves tart (think, rhubarb bread and pie), so I add more berries. 

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing. I think these gooseberry muffins are best served warm with a cup of coffee. 🙂 

Dry ingredients mixed together.
Whisk the wet ingredients. I like to use a fork.
Combine together.
Fold in berries.
Fill 3/4 of the way full.
Rest a little sweet muffins.
Just check out that texture. Yum!

Gooseberry Muffins

Sweet and tart combine for a muffin reminiscent of a rhubarb bread in these gooseberry muffins. You'll love the tart surprise you get as you bite into one.
1 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – 1 ½ cups gooseberries cleaned (1 ½ cups if you dig the tart flavor. 1 cup if you want it a little sweeter)
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • If you haven’t yet, nip off the ends on the gooseberries. You only want the berry portion in the muffin.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line a muffin tin. This recipe will result in approximately 12 muffins.
  • In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and olive oil. Whisk well.
  • Pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in cleaned gooseberries.
  • Again, you can use one to one and a half cups, depending on your preference of flavor.
  • Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.
  • Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing.
Keyword Breakfast, gooseberry, muffin, muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Hints and Tips

If you opt for all purpose flour rather than whole wheat, you may want to decrease the milk by a ½ tablespoon or so. Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than all purpose flour does. If you don’t decrease it, you may have a wetter batter. 

Fun fact! Upon further research, I learned that gooseberries were made illegal in the United States in the early 1900’s. They are also in the currant family! No wonder I confused the two 🙂 If you’re interested in the history, check it out here!

Looking for more recipes? Click the links below:

Baking
Canning and Perserving

Jess7 Comments

Raspberry Jalapeño Jam

Before I get to the raspberry jalapeño jam recipe, I want to share a little of my history. For as long as I can remember, raspberries have been my very favorite fruit. When I was little, I would go with my dad to bait deer stands (very Wisconsin, right?) and I could eat wild raspberries to my heart’s content while I wasted time in the woods. I am certain part of my love started there. I always had the rule that you couldn’t eat them until you were done picking. If you started eating, it was just impossible to stop. 

Now that I am an adult with a larger than life raspberry patch, I still hold true to that rule. A few years ago, we had the biggest bumper crop we had ever had. First, I made regular jam. After that, I froze them straight. I made raspberry sorbet (Check out that recipe here!). I even made raspberry salsa. The salsa inspired me to try mixing jalapeños and raspberries in a different way. Raspberry jalapeño jam was born. If you have ever had pepper jelly, this has a similar spicy-sweet flavor. This is better, of course 😉 

How would you eat a raspberry jalapeño jam? It’s great spread on top of cream cheese (or the healthier cousin, Neufchatel) and served with wheat crackers. If you have never had this, oh my goodness, you need to give it a try! I like to put it on burgers, replacing barbecue sauce. It even goes well on a PB and J, believe it or not. It isn’t so much spicy as it simply has a depth to the flavor. Serious yum factor. 

Okay, enough talking. Let’s get canning and make this delicious treat! 

The Supplies 

This recipe will result in approximately eight 8 ounce jelly jars. You can use wide mouth or narrow mouth jars. Just be sure you have rings and lids for them and that they will all fit in your canner at once. 

You will need a water bath canner or large stock pot with a lid. The jars need to be off the bottom of the pot. A water bath canner will have a rack to use if you go that route. If you use a stock pot, I would invest in canning racks. Alternatively, you can also put a towel down in a pinch, but it is MESSY in terms of getting water everywhere.  

It is also helpful to have the tools in a canning kit like this, but it isn’t necessary. Canning would be crazy challenging without the jar funnel and jar tongs. The lid lifter is also very handy. 

New to canning? Check out the Ball’s Book of Canning or The National Center for Home Food Preservation for more detailed information. I will give you the low down, but it will be short and sweet. You will want to read up more, I promise 🙂 

Your Ingredients 

  • 6 ½ cups raspberries 
  • 5 cups sugar 
  • 2 jalapenos, finely chopped (between ¾-1 cup) 
  • 4 ½ tablespoons powder pectin (or one packet) 

Your Steps 

Prep Work

To begin, prepare your water bath canner. Be sure to fill the canner with enough water so that once the jars are in the canner, they will be covered by at least one inch of water. Too much water is better than not enough, but remember that some water will be displaced by the jars. Cover and begin to heat over a medium-high heat. 

Meanwhile, measure out the sugar. Set aside. You want to do this ahead of time because the process of canning is slow until it hits “go time” and then you need to be prepared. You will stir this in when you hit a rolling boil. 

It’s Cooking time

First, place the raspberries in a large, non reactive kettle. Crush them. I like to use a potato masher for this task. Stir in the jalapeños. Add ¼ teaspoon of butter, if desired. This will reduce the foaming. Sprinkle and stir in the pectin. Cook over high heat until a rolling boil is reached, stirring consistently. 

At this point, stir in sugar. You will want to do this slowly. If you pour it all in at once, you will likely get clumps. Continue to stir until you reach another rolling boil that can not be stirred down. (I try to rush this and think it rolling before it really is. Be better than me 🙂 ). Once a rolling boil is reached, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Finally, ladle jelly into prepared jelly jars, wipe the rims with a damp cloth, add lids, and tighten rings to fingertip tight. Put into the water bath canner and process for 10 minutes. Once the jelly is done processing, remove the canner from heat and let jars rest in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Finally, remove jars from the canner and allow to cool for 12-24 hours before moving. Listen for the ping of the lids (best part of canning…apart from the eating of the beautiful food you create). 

Oh, and don’t forget to just try your jelly on the sides of the kettle after the jars are in the canner. It’s SO good. Trust me, you may want to make sure you have some homemade bread handy. 

I simply love the red!
Check that contrast!
Almost there!
Just before covering with a lid and ring!
Love that little left over!
Top that fresh bread for the win!

A few notes: 

  • Make sure you are using powdered pectin rather than liquid pectin. They do not set the same. Early in my canning career I didn’t know the difference and had a few batches of jelly never set. 
  • If you have never canned, you can reference the instructions within the pectin box for additional, more detailed directions. 
  • Sealed jars are shelf-stable, meaning they can be stored on a shelf unrefrigerated. If your jars don’t ping (a sign that they have sealed), they are still good. You will just need to store them in the refrigerator. 
  • Most sources recommend removing the rings from jars for storage so that you will know if they unseal for any reason. When I know they have sealed, I generally just loosen them as much as I can without removing them. 

Looking for other canning and preserving recipes? Check out the page below!

Canning and Preserving

Raspberry Jalapeño Jam

A little bit spicy. A little bit sweet. This raspberry jalapeño jam is great way to use your bountiful harvest this summer!
4.25 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Canning
Servings 12

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ½ cups raspberries
  • 5 cups sugar
  • 2 jalapenos finely chopped (between ¾-1 cup)
  • 4 ½ tablespoons powder pectin or one packet

Instructions
 

  • Prepare your water bath canner. Fill the canner with enough water so that once the jars are in the canner, they will be covered by at least one inch of water. Cover and begin to heat over a medium-high heat.
  • Measure out sugar. Set aside.
  • Place the raspberries in a large, non reactive kettle. Crush them. Stir in jalapeños. Add ¼ teaspoon of butter, if desired, to reduce foaming.
  • Sprinkle and stir in the pectin. Cook over high heat until a rolling boil is reached, stirring consistently.
  • Once a rolling boil is reached, slowly stir in sugar.
  • Continue to stir until you reach another rolling boil that can not be stirred down. Once a rolling boil is reached, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Ladle jelly into prepared jelly jars, wipe the rims with a damp cloth, add lids, and tighten rings to fingertip tight. Put into the water bath canner. When the canner has a steady boil going, time and process for 10 minutes.
  • Once the jelly is done processing, remove the canner from heat and let jars rest in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Finally, remove jars from the canner and allow to cool for 12-24 hours before moving.

Notes

  • Make sure you are using powdered pectin rather than liquid pectin. They do not set the same. 
  • If you have never canned, you can reference the instructions within the pectin box for additional, more detailed directions. 
  • Sealed jars are shelf-stable, meaning they can be stored on a shelf unrefrigerated. If your jars don’t ping (a sign that they have sealed), they are still good. You will just need to store them in the refrigerator. 
  • Most sources recommend removing the rings from jars for storage so that you will know if they unseal for any reason. I generally just loosen them as much as I can without removing them.
Keyword Canning, Jalapeño, Jam, Jam Recipes, Raspberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here are some of my other favorite ways to use Raspberries!

Jess25 Comments

Strawberry and Peach Sorbet

The Scenario…

Over picking at the strawberry patch because you don’t realize just how many berries fit in your bucket until you weigh it.

Looking at the fruits at the farmer’s market and buying it all because the color is beyond appealing.

Planting countless raspberry plants and then not being able to keep up with the bounty they produce in July.

The delicious solution!

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Let me tell you, I have experienced them all. One would think that I would learn from my mistakes, but I still continue to get sucked into ALLLLL the fruits and then need to find something to do with them. This week, it was strawberries and peaches. And thus, a homemade strawberry and peach sorbet was born. 

Strawberries and peaches

Last year, I had a crazy red raspberry crop. Crazy, as in it took me over an hour to harvest during its peak time. This meant I needed to find new and fun ways to preserve them. I made all the jam. I froze bags of them. Then I stumbled across a fruit sorbet recipe while flipping through my Ball’s Guide to Preserving Book. It sounded amazing, but had SO much added sugar. I modified it some last year, and now have improved it again to not use raspberries but the strawberries from our garden and peaches from the store. 

If you’ve been following me for a little time, you know that I like to use my son as my ultimate taste tester. He isn’t afraid to tell me something is too healthy tasting, too salty, lacking vegetables, etc. He’s a good egg, that kid. Anywho…I took a scoop of what couldn’t fit in the jars and had him try it. He closed his eyes, smiled, and kind of whispered, “What IS that?!” I don’t know about you, but that screams approval if you ask me 😉

Don’t have strawberries and/or peaches? I have such good news! This recipe is totally moldable to your favorite flavor combination. Ultimately, you will need 4 cups of chopped soft fruit. Think berries, peaches, nectarines, etc. (Ball says you can use melon, but I haven’t tested it). 

Your Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups chopped strawberries
  • 2 cups diced peaches, peeled first then cut up
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  • 2 tablespoons honey 

Your steps

Combine fruit. Use a blender or immersion blender to break fruit down. I use an immersion blender and blend right in the kettle I will be heating them in. Add remaining ingredients. From here, use the immersion blender to mix everything together once more. Once combined, heat over medium heat until the mixture is beginning to simmer, stirring often. Pour into a 9×13 pan, cover, and place in the freezer and allow to freeze solid. 

Once fully frozen, remove and allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. This will make it easier to remove the sorbet. Working in small batches, puree frozen sorbet. There are lots of options for this. You can use a blender, a food processor, or an immersion blender. For me, I dig the immersion blender because clean up is so easy. Scoop the puree into freezer safe containers, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top. I like to use 4 ounce jelly jars for ½ cup servings ready to go! Finally, be sure to label and return to the freezer until you’re ready to enjoy them! 

  • Chopping makes me happy.
  • Colors. All the colors!
  • Blend the fruit.
  • And blend again with the other ingredients.
  • Pre freezing.
  • Post freezing.
  • Scoop. If it’s too frozen, wait a little longer.
  • Seriously, I adore my immersion blender.
  • Oh my goodness, the fluffiness!
  • Freezer bound!

A few notes

When I initially found this recipe, I wanted to cut the second blending of the sorbet. It is critical to complete if you want fluffy sorbet that you remember from childhood. It’s worth the extra step. Don’t skip it! 

Initially, I tried this recipe freshly picked raspberries so feel free to mix it up in terms of fruit. Ultimately, you need 4 cups of chopped/crushed fruit so let your taste buds to the work here. 

Looking for an adult version? I found that adding ½ cup of lime twisted gin was a delight to the raspberry sorbet! Be mindful of how much alcohol you add as it will effect the ability of the sorbet to freeze. 

Have a sweeter tooth? The recipe originally calls for 2 cups of sugar. If you’d like, add more to suit your own tastes.

Tools I use

Hoping to use some of the tools I love for creating these? Here’s the link for the 4 ounce jelly jars I used as well an immersion blender. Seriously, the immersion blender is an underrated tool in the kitchen and it hardly takes up any storage space! If you don’t have one yet, I highly recommend investing. You’ll thank me! 

As for the jelly jars, I am usually a Ball or Kerr jar lover, but a friend gifted me these Verone jars and I loved that they came with two piece lids for canning as well as one piece lids for storage. Double duty in one pack of jars. Super cool 🙂

Looking for other ways to preserve your summer bounty? Check out my canning and preserving page!

Strawberry and Peach Sorbet

A fruit sorbet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Freeze Time 4 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Canning
Servings 7 1/2 cup servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chopped strawberries
  • 2 cups diced peaches peeled first then cut up
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Combine fruit.
  • Use a blender or immersion blender to break fruit down into a puree.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Blend once more to fully break down the fruit and incorporate added ingredients.
  • Once combined, heat over medium heat until the mixture is beginning to simmer, stirring often.
  • Pour into a 9×13 pan, cover, and place in the freezer and allow to freeze solid.
  • Once fully frozen, remove and allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to remove from pan. Working in small batches, puree frozen sorbet using food processor, blender or immersion blender.
  • Scoop the puree into freezer safe containers, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top. Label and return to freezer if not enjoying immediately.

Notes

Don’t have strawberries or peaches? No problem. Any soft fruit will do. Think, berries of any kind, nectarines, even melon perhaps? 
You may be tempted to skip the second blend step. Don’t! It’s critical for the sorbet to be fluffy, just the way you remember it. 
Keyword clean, peach, sorbet, strawberry, sweets
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JessLeave a comment

Quick Strawberry Bread

I never knew I needed strawberry bread in my life until I tried this recipe. A number of years ago, I was minding my own business at my end of the hallway while at school when three students ran over to me and HAD to share what they had just created in their Family and Consumer Science class. It was this bread. Let me tell you, it was delicious. If three teenage boys could create such a delicious treat, I knew I needed to give it a try on my own. 

I immediately went to the teacher and asked if I could have the recipe. She shared a folded up copy students had left in her classroom, and it went straight into my files. Now it’s a sheet of paper I hold dear because not only is it full of stains from repeated use (aren’t those THE best recipes?!), but it also reminds me of those awesome students I got to teach so early on in my career. 

Wondering what makes this strawberry bread so good? I believe it’s the Greek yogurt (or sour cream, if that’s what you have on hand). It makes for this moist, delightful summer bread. In fact, when I want an indulgent quick bread, I look for Greek yogurt in the recipe. It’s a secret, take this recipe to the next level, kind of ingredient. 

Now, I know most recipes I share have had a “let’s make it healthier” make over. This strawberry bread will not be one of those recipes. Sometimes you just need to follow your taste buds and enjoy a little sugar and sweetness, right? 

Your ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cup flour (I used whole wheat)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ½ cup butter, softened 
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 ¼ cup finely chopped strawberries 

Your Steps

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. 

In a larger bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugars and beat until light and airy. Beat in eggs, ideally one at a time. But let’s be real, who remembers to do that? I mean, I don’t ⅔ of the time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until well combined. 

Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Avoid over mixing. Fold in strawberries. Be gentle with them or you will end up with a pink bread. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake for 60-65 minutes in the center of the oven. 

Cream the butter.
Add the sugar…
and then the eggs.
Secret ingredient: Greek yogurt and then some vanilla.
All the colors in my kitchen. Really, that’s the purpose of this picture. It makes me smile.
Fold in the strawberries gently.
Spread into a pan.
Look at the delightful top! That color!

A few notes:

  • I know I said mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. But for real, I hate extra dishes. I am the kind of cook that will intentionally use a smaller measuring cup to measure out 1 cup measurements if it means using one less dish. That being said, I have often made this recipe by adding the dry ingredients to the top of the wet, mixing slightly to blend the spices, and then stirring it all together. But you do you 🙂
  • I ADORE my flexible cutting boards for all sorts of cooking. They are actually the only kind of cutting boards I use (if I can help it). If you haven’t used them before, check out the link below. They are color coded for different types of food and make scraping into a bowl or pan easy as can be.
  • I used fresh strawberries from our garden, which are generally smaller than store bought. Because of this, I simply sliced them rather than chopping them small. Again, do what you prefer.

Looking for other sweet treats to bake? Check out my baking page here!

Quick Strawberry Bread

Greek yogurt and strawberries combine to make a perfect addition to your breakfast table.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cup finely chopped strawberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • In a larger bowl, beat butter until creamy.
  • Gradually add sugars and beat until light and airy.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  • Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until well combined.
  • Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Avoid over mixing.
  • Gently fold in strawberries.
  • Pour into a greased bread pan and bake for 60-65 minutes in the center of the oven.
Keyword Breakfast Bread, Quick Bread, Strawberries
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Banana Ice Cream

Ice cream. It’s the go to treat at my house after dinner. My husband LOVES it, and has instilled the love to my children. I mean really, what’s not to love in terms of flavor?! For me, I indulge maybe once a week. Not because I am lactose intolerant or dieting. More so, I know my taste buds will want more than a servings’ worth and my “health conscious” stomach won’t dig the aftermath. Then I discovered chocolate banana ice cream and I instantly fell in love. It’s creamy, the right amount of sweetness, and full of good for you ingredients. A dessert I can enjoy a serving (or two!) a few times a week and know I’m actually fueling my body. In fact, I realized it makes a great pre-workout snack before my longer runs. How can it get much better?!

To create this delicious treat, it will take a little planning and ideally a large food processor. No 5-7 cup food processor? No worries! An immersion blender will work well in a pinch. Just know that it will likely need some help along the way as you blend the frozen bananas. (And this may seem like common sense, but make you unplug it before clearing the blades out. Believe me, I have the hospital bill and scar on my finger to prove it’s a good idea. Yikes!) Let’s get started!

Your ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter, your choice
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 tablespoon almond milk (or other milk), as needed
Optional mix ins: 

Coconut flakes, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, you name it! 

Your steps

Line a jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper. Slice bananas into ½ inch slices and place on paper. Stick the pans in the freezer and allow the bananas to harden, generally over a few hours. (If you are like me, you’ll forget about them for a few days, open the freezer and declare, “OH! MY BANANAS!” It’s okay, I get you 🙂 )

Remove bananas from pans and place in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to blend until smooth. This will take some time, but be patient. Add more milk if necessary to get desired texture. Add optional mix ins and pulse just a couple times to incorporate them into the blended bananas. 

Use a spatula to smooth banana ice cream into a freezer safe container and return to the freezer. Since there is minimal milk in the blended banana, it will freeze harder than normal ice cream. I usually take it out 5-10 minutes before I want to eat it to allow it to soften slightly. My absolute favorite is to sprinkle a little coconut and some salted nuts on top. SO GOOD! And even better news? You now have another idea for those overripe bananas you have sitting on your counter. 

  • Slice and freeze bananas on parchment.
  • Get ready to blend all the goodness!
  • Patience while it goes together…
  • And yum! It even looks just like ice cream!

As for the equipment I use

Initially, I used an immersion blender and loved it. I didn’t want to drag out my large food processor. Like I said earlier in the post, this did result in me being silly and trying to clear out the frozen mess with my finger and heading to the hospital. Learn from me, don’t do that 🙂 However, my mind was changed once I brought out my 7 cup food processor. It’s SO much easier to use and clean up isn’t bad at all. That being said, I ADORE both kitchen tools and they get used often in my home. Check out the links below if your interested in adding to your kitchen tool collection!

Banana Ice Cream

No added sugar and all the chocolate. A velvety smooth alternative to dairy ice cream made with good for you ingredients.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Freezing Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter your choice
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon almond milk or other milk, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Line a jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper. Slice bananas into ½ inch slices and place on paper. Stick the pans in the freezer and allow the bananas to harden, generally over a few hours.
  • Remove bananas from pans and place in food processor.
  • Add remaining ingredients and pulse to blend until smooth. Add more milk to gain desired texture, if necessary.
  • Use a spatula to smooth banana ice cream into a freezer safe container. Enjoy right away or return to the freezer for a snack later.

Notes

There are lots of optional mix ins you can add to this ice cream: coconut flakes, chocolate chips, nuts, etc. Add after you have done the initial blending and pulse a few times to incorporate.
Since there is minimal or no dairy in this ice cream, it will freeze quite hard. You will likely want to take it out of the freezer to soften 5-10 minutes before serving.
Keyword Banana, Banana Ice Cream, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats to create in your kitchen? Check out the baking page here!

JessLeave a comment

French Dressing From Scratch

Salads are life. I decide on a restaurant by the quality of the side salad I can get on a regular basis. They don’t have to be anything special: I am always down for some leafy greens, onion, tomato, carrot, and cucumber salad. Add a few black olives, croutons and french dressing and I am happy as a clam. I often get made fun of for this. Our best couple friends quote the Simpsons, “You don’t make friends with salad.” Maybe not , but I’ll be your friend if you have a strong salad game. 

French dressing has been my go to for as long as I can remember. After I made my health a major priority a few years ago, I tried to change over to a vinaigrette. Every change makes a difference, right? Ugh, it was so hard though. Don’t get me wrong, I do love some good vinaigrettes, but in the end my loyalty lies with French dressing. 

The search for a homemade recipe begins

I set out to find a recipe that I could make from scratch to cut out some of the “yuck” that comes with the dressings found in the inner isles of the grocery store. Namely, I wanted to cut the added, refined sugars and maybe the oil. It just feels good to know what is in the food you are eating. At first, I called this recipe “a work in progress” on Instagram. And while all recipes will always be work in process (Isn’t everything? That’s my growth mindset and fitness lover talking), I have been digging on this one more and more. It’s simple to put together with many “on hand” ingredients, which is a constant focus of mine. So here’s my work in progress, delicious, cut the sugar French Dressing. I hope you love it as much as I do!

YOur Ingredients

  • ¼ cup ketchup 
  • ¼ cup olive oil 
  • ¼ cup honey 
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder 
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic/garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Your steps

Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the ketchup, olive oil, and honey. (I am all about the least amount of dishes possible, so I like to do ketchup to the ¼ cup, olive oil to the ½ cup line, and then the honey to the ¾ cup line). Add onion powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Whisk together until well blended. It might take a little longer than you think it should because of the honey and ketchup. Once well mixed, pour into a container with a lid to be stored in the refrigerator. For best results, remove from the refrigerator 5-10 minutes prior to using and shake well just before pouring.

Measure in the measuring cup.
Less mess!
Add the spices and whisk.
Love these bottles for storing my dressing.
It just doesn’t last long. Salads all day, every day.

A few notes…

The flavors get better the longer you let them mingle, so if you have enough forethought, mix this up the night before. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll be mixing this 5 minutes before you put your salad together. Oh well, live and learn 😉 


Also, you may have noticed that I have a sweet mixer bottle for my dressings. I actually have two and they are almost always full of my own homemade dressings. They are the Kolder Salad Dressing Mixing Bottles and you can get them for yourself by clicking here or the picture below.

They clean up easily and are great for an even pour of your dressings. Notice, they also have recipes on them. Some I love, some I don’t. As a person who loves to experiment in the kitchen, I usually use them more for storage, but maybe the recipes will speak to you. Only way to know is to try them out!

Looking for some made dishes to go with your sides? Check out the links below or the cooking page for some inspiration!

French Dressing

French Dressing

A classic French Dressing sweetened with honey
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic/garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions
 

  • Using a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, measure out the ketchup, olive oil, and honey.
  • Add onion powder, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar.
  • Whisk together until well blended.
  • Once well mixed, pour into a container with a lid to be stored in the refrigerator. Shake well before pouring.

Notes

This recipe gets better with age, so mix a few hours before you plan on using it. It will pour easier if you take it out of the refrigerator 5-10 minutes prior to using. 
Keyword Dressings, French Dressing, Salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Pickled Asparagus

Here in Wisconsin, we are finally entering the full swing of gardening season. The seeds are sprouting, plants are in the ground, and the spring plants are ready for harvest. At our home, that means we have rhubarb, winter onions, and asparagus all around us. My husband and I love asparagus. Our kids, not so much. Generally, I am not the mom that avoids foods because her kids don’t like them (“suck it up buttercup”), but my son REALLY doesn’t like it even after we’ve made him try it countless times. Because of this, we have an abundance of it that isn’t being eaten during meals. So of course, I got my water bath canner out and put together some pickled asparagus. 

Since there isn’t a ton of other vegetables to be harvested out of the garden yet, I tend to forget to harvest the asparagus. My husband and I walk around the garden every morning with our coffee. And almost every morning I say, “OH! I must harvest the asparagus today!” If you know me, you won’t be surprised that it is out of my head by the time we get back inside and I am back to saying, “OH! I must harvest the asparagus today!” the next day. 

Why am I telling you this? Well, this factoid actually worked in my favor. I ended up with longer stalks than normal, but they made for perfect pickled asparagus. I could cut them into the exact length for a pint jar without wasting too much. So excited for that! And although I am not a Bloody Mary lover (gosh, I wish I were), I know that pickled asparagus is almost a quintessential accompaniment to the Sunday morning drink. 

Don’t have a garden to harvest asparagus from? Hop on over to your local farmer’s market, support local farmers, and make yourself something delicious you can enjoy, with or without a Bloody Mary underneath it. 

For this recipe, I had a 1 ½ pounds of asparagus, which was the ideal amount to make three pint jars. That is, you can assume you’ll get one pint jar per half pound of asparagus. The recipe will be written “per jar” so you can make as little or as much as you desire! 

New to canning?

The Ball’s Blue Book Guide to Preserving has been my go to resource for the past 4 years or so. But they also have a few other great books you can get on Amazon:

Your ingredients (per pint jar): 

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt 
  • ½ pound asparagus, cleaned and the woody stem broken off
  • ½ teaspoon dill seed
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed 

Your Steps 

To begin, prepare your water bath canner. Fill the canner with enough water so that once the jars are in the canner, they will be covered by at least one inch of water. Too much water is better than not enough, but remember that some water will be displaced by the jars. Begin to heat over a medium-high heat. 

Prepare jars, rings, and lids by washing with soapy water and keeping warm. Cut asparagus to length that will fit within the pint jars, ending just before the ring. I like to cut one spear to length and then use that spear as a “measuring spear” for the rest of the asparagus. 

Combine salt, water, and vinegar in a large non-reactive saucepan. Heat to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. 

While the pickling liquid is heating, pack the jars (they should be hot when you pack them). First, add dill seed, garlic clove, red pepper flakes, and mustard seed. Then add asparagus, leaving ½ inch head space. Ladle pickling liquid over asparagus, leaving ½ inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim with a damp paper towel. Place lids and rings on jars, tightening to finger-tip tight. 

Place jars on rack in canner, lower into simmering water, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Process jars for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 additional minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and leave to cool completely over 12-24 hours. Do not touch the lids or the rings, but definitely listen for the ping of the jars sealing. It’s the best! 

  • Cleaned and cut to the perfect length.
  • Get those spices in there.
  • Pack the jars. Isn’t this beautiful?
  • Last of the pickling liquid.
  • A quick picture before they enter the canner.
  • Complete!

Pickled Asparagus

Whether you simply crave pickled treats or you love a good Bloody Mary, this pickled asparagus is for you!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 pint jar

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon canning salt
  • ½ pound asparagus cleaned and the woody stem broken off
  • ½ teaspoon dill seed
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed

Instructions
 

  • To begin, prepare your water bath canner. Fill the canner with enough water so that once the jars are in the canner, they will be covered by at least one inch of water. Too much water is better than not enough, but remember that some water will be displaced by the jars. Begin to heat over a medium-high heat.
  • Prepare jars, rings, and lids by washing with soapy water and keeping warm. Cut asparagus to length that will fit within the pint jars, ending just before the ring. I like to cut one spear to length and then use that spear as a “measuring spear” for the rest of the asparagus.
  • Combine salt, water, and vinegar in a large non-reactive saucepan. Heat to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
  • While the pickling liquid is heating, pack the jars (they should be hot when you pack them). First, add dill seed, garlic clove, red pepper flakes, and mustard seed. Then add asparagus, leaving ½ inch head space. Ladle pickling liquid over asparagus, leaving ½ inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim with a damp paper towel. Place lids and rings on jars, tightening to finger-tip tight.
  • Place jars on rack in canner, lower into simmering water, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Process jars for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 additional minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and leave to cool completely over 12-24 hours.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for more canning recipes? Check out this page here!

Notes: 

  • You can add pickle crisp to each jar (following directions on the container) to keep the asparagus more crisp. Some swear by it. Others don’t like the idea of adding more ingredients to your jars. 
  • Canning is totally doable alone, but I love to have my husband by my side during “GO TIME!” That is, the time when I am ladling the pickling liquid and putting on the lids. It’s helpful to have a second set of hands to put the lids and rings on. In case you’re wondering, I do actually yell, “IT’S GO TIME!” and my family assembles. Otherwise, canning is my jam and I don’t let him help 😉 
  • When I say break off the woody stem of the asparagus, I really mean that. The awesome thing about asparagus is that if you bend it slightly, it will naturally break at the point where it begins to be woody (NOT fun for chewing). In the past, I thought the canning process would soften this up so I wouldn’t be wasting it. Not the case. 

Jess2 Comments