Opened jars must be refrigerated and are good for several months. The sealed jars have a 1-2 year shelf life.

Wash ramps well, cut off the roots and 1/2 inch into the green leaves. Put one bunch of ramps and one sprig of thyme in each jar. Set aside.

In a 4-quart saucepan add vinegar, water, sugar and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 4 minutes.

Carefully pour the mixture into each jar of ramps, trying to split the spices up evenly in each jar. Screw on the lids and let them cool completely before putting in the fridge. Leave them undisturbed in the refrigerator for two weeks. Then they are ready to consume!

There are other ways to enjoy pickled ramps other than in a Gin Gibson. Chop them up and add them to tacos, salads, sandwiches, tarts, antipasti or other!

Prepare and sterilize 4 pint-sized canning jars, lids and rings according to standard safe canning practices.

Both methods: Measure 2 2/3 cups of frozen or fresh pitted cherries into a large bowl. Crush them using a potato masher or the bottom of a heavy glass. Set aside.

Measure sugar and set aside.

Jam & Jelly Maker method: Sprinkle pectin evenly over the bottom of the jam maker. Add cherries, lemon juice and butter to the jam maker. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise then scrape out the seeds. Add vanilla bean seeds and pods to the jam maker.

Press the enter button on the jam maker. When the jam maker issues four beeps add sugar and cover with the lid. Jam will cook for about 21 minutes in the jam and jelly maker. Once the jam is done cooking remove the vanilla pod. Fill jars accordingly and process in a hot water bath according to standard safe canning practices.

For standard jam making: Add fruit, vanilla pod and seeds and lemon juice to a heavy pot over medium high heat. Stir in pectin and add butter to cut back on foaming. Bring mixture to a full boil. Add sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a full rolling boil. Cook 1 minute. Remove pot from stove and remove vanilla pod. Fill sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath according to safe canning practices.

Recipe makes 4 pints.

Recipe adapted from the Ball Fresh Preserving Jam Maker Sweet Cherry Jam recipe at freshpreserving.com.

In a non-reactive sauce pan over medium high heat, bring lemon juice and sugar to a boil; continue to boil for 1 full minute (remove any foam that forms—cook’s treat!). Stir in liquid pectin, remove from heat, and immediately ladle hot jelly into prepared jars. Be sure the rims of the jars are clean before you add the lids and finger-tighten screw bands. Process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes. Label and enjoy!

Note: If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can substitute 3 1/2 cups of granulated sugar plus the seeds of one vanilla bean.

Recipe adapted from Sherrie Graham.

Before packing the beans into the jars, combine vinegar, water, and pickling salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. While that is heating, pack beans vertically in the jars as tightly as possible without crushing the beans.

Once the vinegar mixture has come to a boil, pour into jars leaving 1/4″ head space in each jar. Wipe rims of jars and lid, tightening the rings until they are finger-tight. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow jars to rest for 24 hours, then label, remove rings, and store.

Adapted just a bit from Saving the Seasons.

While the rind is boiling, peel away the remaining white rind from the citrus and discard it. Separate the oranges and lemon into segments and carefully remove seeds from each segment. Discard the seeds. Place all of the citrus segments in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly chopped.

After 20 minutes of boiling, add the chopped citrus to the pot. Add cranberries to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then add the cranberries to the pot as well. Turn the heat back up to high and bring pot back to a boil. Cover pot and continue boiling for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While this is boiling, prepare a boiling water bath and sterilize the jars and lids you plan to use according to standard safe canning practices.

After 10 minutes of boiling the fruit mixture, add the sugar to the pot. Stirring steadily, boil rapidly for about 20 minutes or until marmalade forms a gel. To test for a gel, spoon a bit of marmalade onto a small plate and place the plate in the freezer for a minute or two. If a skin forms over the puddle of marmalade, it is ready. If not keep boiling for another minute or two then test again.

Remove pot from heat and ladle the mixture into the warm, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2″ head space. Place lids on the jars and screw on the rings until just past finger-tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Adapted from Small Batch Preserving.

Recipe makes about 5 pints (10 cups).

Ladle the mixture into hot sterilized canning jars (I used the 4 ounce kind) leaving a 1/4 inch head space. Wipe off the jar rims with a damp clean towel and adjust the lids. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from the water bath and cool. Wait for the lovely ping of the lid when it seals.

This makes about five 4 ounce jars.

Wash cucumbers in cold water. Slice cucumbers in quarters length-wise and poke several holes in them using a fork. Fill each jar with 1/4 teaspoon alum, one sprig of of dill, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 red peppers. Fill each jar with 4 to 5 sliced cucumbers adding the smaller ones on top.

Put the brine ingredients in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Fill jars with boiling brine leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Wipe rim of jar until clean, place sterilized seal on jar, and then tighten ring.

Place the jars into the boiling water bath for 15 minutes. The water should cover the top of the jars. Remove jars from water bath and let them stand on the counter for 24-48 hours before storing. The seals will be concave when sealed properly. Store in the pantry or another cool dark place for 6 to 8 weeks before eating. If any of the jars did not seal properly, place them in the refrigerator.

It’s easy to make more pickles by doubling or tripling the recipe.

This recipe was posted with permission from Kimra Peffers.

The pomegranate seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, and any of the pith will float to the top. You can then skim off any of the floating bits and pour the water and fruit through a strainer to drain.

Once your pomegranate is seeded, process the seeds through a food processor or blender. Pulse several times so that the seeds are completely broken up. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the seed mixture into the strainer. Use a rubber spatula to push down on the seeds and extract as much juice as possible. You will need to do this in stages, a little at a time.

Measure out 4 cups of fresh pomegranate juice. I left my juice in the fridge overnight and let the teeny tiny bits settle to the bottom. This step is completely optional, but I wanted my jelly to be as clear as possible. Once ready to make the jelly, I strained the juice further by running it through a cheese cloth. This last step caught any of the little bits that didn’t get caught in the mesh strainer the first time around.

For the pomegranate jelly:

In a large canning pot, sterilize eight 8-ounce size canning jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Sterilize the lids in a separate smaller pot. Remove jars from the boiling water and set aside.

In a medium-sized pot, combine the pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and pectin. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Once you reach a full rolling boil, add the sugar and stir to combine. Bring the mixture back up to a boil and continue to boil, without stirring, for 2 full minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for a minute or two before skimming off any foam.

Carefully pour liquid jelly into the warm, sterilized canning jars. This amount of liquid should fill six to eight 8-ounce jars. Fill to within 1/2″ from the top of the jar. Wipe any jelly off the rim of the jars and attach lids and outer rings.

To finish the canning procedure, place the completed jelly jars in a pot of boiling water. Use a canning rack if you have one. The water should cover the top of the jars by at least one inch. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes and then carefully remove the jars from the water. Let the jars cool on a wire rack. Check the seals to make sure that the jars are sealed tight. The lids should be sucked down and you’ll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools. If any of the jars do not seal properly, store those jars in the refrigerator and use those first. Let jelly sit at room temperature overnight or put in the refrigerator for several hours to allow jelly to set.

Adapted from Simply Recipes.