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Category: Gardening

  • Easy Tomato Soup That Freezes Beautifully

    Easy Tomato Soup That Freezes Beautifully

    There’s nothing like a bowl of homemade tomato soup once the weather turns, and this version is built with the freezer in mind from the start — no cream added until serving, so it thaws and reheats without breaking or separating. Make a big batch now while the tomatoes are at their best, and you’ll have soup ready to go all winter.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Why This Recipe Freezes So Well

    The trick to freezer-friendly tomato soup is leaving out dairy until you’re ready to eat. Cream and milk can separate and turn grainy after freezing and reheating, so this base is made entirely from tomatoes, aromatics, and broth. You stir in cream (or skip it entirely) right before serving, which keeps the texture smooth no matter how long it’s been in the freezer.

    What You’ll Need

    • Fresh tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped (a generous amount — this is a great way to use up a big haul)
    • Onion and garlic
    • Vegetable or chicken broth
    • Olive oil or butter
    • Salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to balance acidity
    • Fresh basil, if you have it
    • Heavy cream or half-and-half (added at serving time only)

    How to Make It

    1. Sauté the aromatics. Cook chopped onion in olive oil until soft, then add garlic for the last minute.
    2. Add the tomatoes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and a splash of broth, then simmer until everything breaks down and softens, about 20–25 minutes.
    3. Blend until smooth. Use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or carefully transfer to a blender in batches. Blend until fully smooth.
    4. Season. Add salt, pepper, and a small pinch of sugar to round out the acidity. Stir in fresh basil if using.
    5. Cool completely before portioning for the freezer — this is the step people skip, but freezing hot soup leads to uneven texture and condensation in the container.

    Freezing and Reheating

    • Portion into freezer-safe containers or bags in single-serving or family-size amounts, leaving room for expansion.
    • Lay bags flat to freeze so they stack easily and thaw faster.
    • To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight or warm gently from frozen on the stove over low heat.
    • Stir in cream only after the soup is fully reheated, right before serving.

    After adding to your freezer, be sure to add it to your freezer log to remember its in there! ➡️Grab your Freezer and Canning Log now

    Serving Ideas

    A bowl of this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich is hard to beat, but it’s also great with a swirl of cream and fresh cracked pepper on top, or topped with croutons and a sprinkle of parmesan.

    This has become one of the most-used things in our freezer come January — a little taste of late summer on a cold night. Do you add cream, or keep yours dairy-free?

    If you love stocking the freezer as much as we do, don’t miss Fresh Tomato Chili: A Great Way to Use a Big Harvest — another tomato-season recipe made for batch-freezing. And if canning is more your thing, 7 Canning Myths You Should Stop Believing is a great next read.

    Looking for even more ways to put up a big harvest? Try Roasted Tomato Sauce for the Freezer or a jar of sweet-and-savory Easy Tomato Jam.

  • Red Pepper Jelly: The Easiest Appetizer You’ll Ever Make

    Red Pepper Jelly: The Easiest Appetizer You’ll Ever Make

    If you only make one thing with your late-summer pepper haul, let it be this. Red pepper jelly is sweet, a little spicy, gorgeous in a jar, and turns into an effortless appetizer with nothing more than a block of cream cheese and a box of crackers. It’s the kind of thing that looks far more impressive than the effort it actually takes.

    Why This Recipe Works

    Red bell peppers bring natural sweetness and that beautiful red color, while a bit of hot pepper (jalapeño or a small chili) adds just enough heat to keep it interesting. Pectin sets it into a soft, spreadable jelly rather than a syrup, so it holds its shape nicely spooned over cream cheese.

    What You’ll Need

    • Red bell peppers, finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor
    • A hot pepper of your choice, seeded and finely chopped (adjust to taste)
    • Apple cider vinegar
    • Sugar
    • Powdered fruit pectin
    • Canning jars, lids, and rings if you plan to process it shelf-stable

    The Basic Process

    1. Prep the peppers. Finely chop or pulse the bell peppers and hot pepper until they’re in small, even pieces — not pureed, just fine.
    2. Combine peppers and vinegar in a large pot and bring to a boil.
    3. Stir in the pectin and return to a full rolling boil.
    4. Add the sugar all at once, stirring constantly, and boil hard for exactly one minute.
    5. Skim off any foam, then ladle into prepared jars, leaving proper headspace.
    6. Process in a water bath canner according to a tested recipe for your jar size and altitude, or simply refrigerate if you plan to use it within a few weeks. ➡️Grab the best Water Bath Canner Here

    Because sugar and vinegar levels matter for both safety and set, it’s worth following a tested pepper jelly recipe with exact measurements rather than eyeballing the sugar and pectin.

    How to Serve It

    This is the easy part. Pour a jar over a block of softened cream cheese and set it out with your favorite crackers — that’s it. The sweet-heat jelly against the cool, mild cream cheese is what makes this such a popular appetizer at gatherings. It’s also excellent:

    • Spooned over a warm baked brie
    • As a glaze brushed onto grilled chicken or pork in the last few minutes of cooking
    • Swirled into a grilled cheese before it hits the pan

    A Few Tips

    • Chop the peppers by hand or pulse carefully in the food processor — too fine and you lose the pretty flecks of color and texture in the finished jelly.
    • If your jelly doesn’t set firmly, it still works beautifully as a glaze or syrup, so nothing goes to waste.
    • Make an extra batch — jars of this make excellent gifts once the holidays roll around.

    This one always disappears fastest at parties. What’s your favorite way to serve pepper jelly?

    More ways to use Sweet Peppers this season ➡️One Garden Crop I Haven’t Bought in Over 2 Years: Sweet Peppers

  • Quick Guide: Freezing Tomatoes Made Simple

    Quick Guide: Freezing Tomatoes Made Simple

    Not every tomato harvest lines up with the time it takes to can. Some weeks you just need to get the tomatoes out of the kitchen and into the freezer before they go soft on the counter. The good news: freezing tomatoes is one of the easiest ways to preserve a harvest, and frozen tomatoes are genuinely useful all winter long — no fancy equipment required.

    The Simplest Method: Whole Freezing

    If you’re short on time, this is the way to go:

    1. Wash and dry the tomatoes completely.
    2. Core out the stem end with a paring knife.
    3. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, a few hours or overnight.
    4. Transfer to freezer bags once frozen, pressing out as much air as possible.

    Freezing them first on a sheet pan keeps them from turning into one giant tomato block, so you can pull out just what you need later.

    For more ideas of what to freeze this season ➡️ Check out my Ultimate Freezer guide

    The Skins Will Slip Right Off

    One of the best parts about frozen tomatoes: run a frozen tomato under warm water for a few seconds and the skin slides right off, no blanching required. This makes frozen tomatoes an easy shortcut any time a recipe calls for peeled tomatoes.

    A Slightly More Prepped Option

    If you have a little extra time, cook the tomatoes down into a simple sauce or puree before freezing. This saves freezer space and means the hard part is already done when you go to use it. Freeze in portioned containers or flat in freezer bags so they thaw quickly and stack easily.

    How to Use Frozen Tomatoes Later

    This is where the real payoff is — a freezer full of tomatoes is a shortcut through the whole winter:

    • Soups and stews — drop whole frozen tomatoes directly into a simmering pot; they break down as they cook
    • Pasta sauce — thaw, peel, and cook down with garlic and herbs for a fast weeknight sauce
    • Chili — frozen tomatoes go straight into the pot, no thawing needed
    • Braises and pan sauces — a couple of frozen tomatoes deepen the flavor of almost anything simmering on the stove

    A Few Notes

    • Frozen tomatoes go soft and watery once thawed, so they’re best in cooked dishes, not fresh salads or sandwiches.
    • Label bags with the date — most frozen tomatoes are best used within about 8–12 months for flavor, though they stay safe well beyond that.
    • If your freezer space is tight, cooking tomatoes down before freezing is the better use of that space.
    • Create a list of what you are putting up in the freezer and pantry to ensure they get used. ➡️ Grab a pantry and canning inventory log

    Freezing tomatoes is one of those preserving methods that feels almost too easy, but it’s saved more weeknight dinners around here than I can count. Do you freeze whole or cook yours down first?

  • Smoky Garden Salsa: How the Smoker Changes Everything

    Smoky Garden Salsa: How the Smoker Changes Everything

    If you’ve only ever made salsa on the stovetop, you’re missing out. Running your tomatoes, peppers, and onions through the smoker before blending adds a deep, smoky backbone that no amount of chili powder can fake. It takes a little more time than the stovetop version, but almost none of it is hands-on — the smoker does the work.

    Why Smoke the Vegetables First

    Smoking concentrates flavor the same way roasting does, but with that extra layer of char and smoke that turns a good salsa into the one people ask you to bring every year. It also softens everything down before it hits the blender, so you get a smooth, restaurant-style texture without overcooking anything on the stove.

    What You’ll Need

    • Ripe tomatoes (Romas or a mix of garden varieties work well)
    • Onions, quartered
    • Jalapeños or your preferred heat level
    • A few garlic cloves, skin on
    • A disposable aluminum pan (this is key — it catches all the juices so nothing is wasted)
    • Lime juice, salt, and fresh cilantro to finish

    The Smoker Method

    1. Load the pan. Halve the tomatoes and load them into the aluminum pan cut-side up along with the onion quarters, peppers, and garlic. Keeping everything in the pan means the juices that render out during smoking stay in the mix instead of dripping into your fire.
    2. Smoke low and slow. Run the smoker at 225–250°F and let the vegetables go until they’re soft and lightly charred, with visible blistering on the tomato skins and pepper skins. This usually takes a couple of hours depending on your smoker and how large you cut things.
    3. Let it cool slightly, then peel the garlic and remove pepper stems.
    4. Blend it up. Pour the pan contents — vegetables and all those smoky juices — into a blender or food processor. Pulse to your preferred texture; a few short pulses keeps it chunky, more blending gets you a smoother restaurant-style salsa.
    5. Season to finish. Stir in lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro to taste. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.

    Canning It for Later

    This salsa can be processed in a water bath canner if you follow a tested acidified salsa recipe — the smoking step doesn’t change the acid balance, but you do still need enough bottled lime or lemon juice per jar to can it safely. If you are in thick of canning season, check out my other tips for this season ➡️What to Can in Late July: A Garden-to-Jar Checklist. If you’re not canning, it keeps well in the fridge for about a week or freezes nicely for a few months.

    A Few Tips

    • Don’t skip the aluminum pan — smoking directly on the grates loses all those flavorful juices that make this version so good. ➡️Grab pans that are perfect for this here!
    • Char is good, burnt is not — keep an eye on smaller pieces like garlic so they don’t scorch before the tomatoes are done.
    • This method scales beautifully for a big harvest — just use a second pan if your smoker has the room.

    Once you’ve had smoked salsa, it’s hard to go back to the stovetop version. It’s become a September tradition around here — what’s your go-to way to use up a big pepper and tomato harvest?

    As you are canning this fall, be sure to keep track of everything you have to use up before next canning season. ➡️Grab my Canning and Pantry Log Here

  • End-of-Summer Preserving: How to Make the Most of Your Last Harvest

    End-of-Summer Preserving: How to Make the Most of Your Last Harvest

    The tomatoes are still coming, the peppers are finally blushing red, and the zucchini plants haven’t gotten the memo that fall is around the corner. Late summer is one of the busiest — and most rewarding — stretches of the preserving season. Here’s how to make the most of it before the garden winds down.

    Take Inventory Before You Start

    Before you pull out the canner, walk your garden and take stock of what’s actually ripening in volume. End-of-summer harvests tend to come in waves rather than a steady trickle, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Sort what you have into three piles:

    • Eat fresh this week — anything delicate or already very ripe
    • Preserve now — produce at peak ripeness in large enough quantity to justify a canning session
    • Freeze for later — extras you don’t have time to process right away

    This simple sort saves a lot of last-minute scrambling and food waste.

    Tomatoes: Your End-of-Season MVP

    If there’s one crop that defines late-summer preserving, it’s tomatoes. A few ways to use a big haul:

    • Canned whole or crushed tomatoes — the workhorse of winter cooking. Great in a water bath canner if you add the right amount of acid (bottled lemon juice or citric acid, not just vinegar to taste).
    • Tomato sauce or salsa — cook down a big batch and can it in pint jars for easy weeknight meals later.
    • Oven-roasted and frozen — if you’re short on canning time, roasting halved tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, then freezing them flat on a sheet pan, is a low-effort way to lock in flavor.

    Peppers and Zucchini

    Peppers freeze beautifully with almost no prep- Check out ➡️One Garden Crop I Haven’t Bought in Over 2 Years: Sweet Peppers

    OR my favorite instant appetizer:➡️ Red Pepper Jelly: The Easiest Appetizer You’ll Ever Make

    Zucchini is a great item to prep for the winter,➡️ Check out my post about how to freeze them!

    Herbs Before the Frost

    Basil, in particular, turns black at the first cool night, so it’s worth harvesting fully before frost risk sets in. Blend it into pesto and freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning, or simply chop and freeze in oil.

    A Few Preserving Reminders

    A few habits make end-of-season preserving smoother and safer:

    1. Use tested recipes for anything water-bath or pressure canned — acidity levels matter for safety, not just flavor.
    2. Label everything with the contents and date. It’s easy to forget what’s in an unlabeled jar by January.
    3. Don’t can more than you’ll realistically use. It’s tempting to preserve every last tomato, but a full pantry of food you never get to before next season isn’t actually saving anything.
    4. Keep a running log of what you preserved and how much — it makes planning next year’s garden (and knowing when to stop canning tomatoes) so much easier. ➡️Grab my Canning Log to keep track of it all!

    Wrapping Up the Season

    End-of-summer preserving is as much about slowing down and taking stock as it is about jars and lids. Whatever doesn’t get preserved can usually still be shared, composted, or enjoyed fresh — no need to feel like every last vegetable has to end up in a jar.

    What’s overflowing in your garden right now? I’d love to hear what you’re preserving this week.

  • 5 Gardening Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

    5 Gardening Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

    Every year my garden teaches me something new.

    Some lessons come from huge harvests, and others come from realizing halfway through the season that I made things much harder than they needed to be. The good news? You don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.

    If you’re planning your own vegetable garden, here are the five biggest mistakes I’ve made—and exactly what I’d do differently today.

    1. I Didn’t Give My Vining Plants Enough Space

    This was probably my biggest mistake.

    The first few years I gardened, I underestimated just how much room plants like cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, and melons actually need. They quickly sprawled into neighboring plants, making it difficult to walk through the garden, harvest vegetables, or even find what was growing underneath all those leaves.

    Now I either:

    • Give vining plants their own dedicated space.
    • Grow them vertically on sturdy trellises whenever possible.
    • Avoid overcrowding by paying attention to mature plant spacing instead of how tiny the seedlings look.

    Trust me—your future self will appreciate being able to actually walk through your garden.

    2. I Grew Vegetables We Didn’t Actually Eat

    This one seems obvious now, but when you’re planning a garden it’s easy to get caught up in growing everything.

    I planted crops like lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower because they seemed like staples in everyone’s garden. The problem? We rarely eat them.

    Many of those vegetables matured all at once, and I found myself scrambling to use them before they spoiled. Some never got used at all.

    Now I plan my garden around what my family already eats every single week.

    Instead of asking, “What should I grow?” I ask:

    • What vegetables do I buy most often?
    • What do I enjoy preserving?
    • What will actually save me money at the grocery store?

    Your garden should make your life easier—not leave you wondering what to do with another head of cauliflower.

    3. I Didn’t Match My Garden to My Gardening Style

    One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that not every crop fits every gardener.

    I’ve realized I much prefer plants that keep producing throughout the season instead of harvesting everything at once.

    That’s why some of my favorites are:

    • Sweet peppers ⬅️ Link to ways to keep them year round!
    • Green beans
    • Cherry tomatoes
    • Cucumbers (when trellised!)
    • Zucchini ⬅️ link to my best ways to enjoy them!

    These plants reward you week after week, and if life gets busy for a few days, you usually haven’t missed your entire harvest.

    For me, that’s much less stressful than trying to perfectly time a single harvest window.

    Knowing your gardening style is just as important as knowing your growing zone.

    4. I Didn’t Use a Weed Barrier

    If I could go back and change one thing from the beginning, this might be it.

    The first few years, I spent countless hours pulling weeds. It felt like every time I turned around, they had taken over again.

    Once I started using a weed barrier around my raised beds, everything changed.

    Not only did it dramatically reduce weeds, but it also:

    • Saved hours of maintenance.
    • Helped keep pathways clean.
    • Made watering and harvesting much more enjoyable.

    Gardening became something I looked forward to instead of another chore on my to-do list.

    If you’re trying to create a low-maintenance garden, don’t skip this step.

    5. I Forgot That Healthy Soil Needs Maintenance

    It’s easy to focus on planting every spring and forget that the real work starts after harvest.

    A few years ago, I filled my raised beds with composted manure, and the difference was incredible. My plants were healthier, grew larger, and produced far more than previous years.

    Over time, though, all those vegetables remove nutrients from the soil.

    This year it’s time to replenish my beds again with composted manure and organic matter before next season.

    Taking care of your soil is one of the best investments you can make. Healthy soil grows healthy plants, and healthy plants reward you with bigger harvests.

    Think of it as feeding your garden so it can feed your family.

    Final Thoughts

    One of my favorite things about gardening is that every season is a chance to learn.

    No garden is ever perfect, and even experienced gardeners make mistakes. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s making each year just a little easier and a little more productive than the last.

    If I were starting a garden from scratch today, I’d give my plants more room, grow what we actually eat, choose crops that fit my lifestyle, keep weeds under control from the beginning, and never forget to care for the soil.

    Those five simple changes have completely transformed how enjoyable—and productive—my garden has become.

    As I grow my garden year after year, I have been also mastering how I want to use the items year round! Link ➡️ The Ultimate Guide to Freezer Meal Prep for Busy Moms

    I’d love to hear from you!

    What’s one gardening mistake you’ve made that taught you a valuable lesson? Share it in the comments below—I bet we’ve all been there!

  • One Garden Crop I Haven’t Bought in Over 2 Years: Sweet Peppers

    One Garden Crop I Haven’t Bought in Over 2 Years: Sweet Peppers

    Every summer, my sweet pepper plants seem to hit all at once. One week I’m picking a few peppers for dinner, and the next I’m wondering how I’m ever going to use them all before they go bad.

    A few years ago, I decided I was done wasting peppers—or buying them in the grocery store during the winter. Since then, I’ve frozen enough peppers each summer that I honestly haven’t purchased a single sweet pepper in over two years.

    If you have a garden full of peppers, here are my favorite ways to preserve them so they’re ready to use all year long.

    Freeze Pepper Strips for Everyday Cooking

    This is the easiest method and the one I use the most.

    Simply:

    That’s it!

    Frozen peppers work beautifully in recipes where they’ll be cooked, including:

    • Fajitas
    • Stir fry
    • Omelets
    • Soups
    • Chili
    • Pasta sauces
    • Pepper and onion mixes for sandwiches
    • Breakfast Burritos
    • Sheet pan meals

    Since they’re already sliced, you can grab exactly what you need without thawing the entire bag.

    Make Freezer-Friendly Stuffed Peppers

    Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite meals to prepare in bulk.

    I’ll often make a double batch:

    • Bake one pan for dinner.
    • Freeze the second pan for a busy week after harvest season.

    Be sure to use an aluminum pan with lid to keep them in the freezer and pop right into the oven when its time to cook!

    It’s one of those meals that tastes just as good after freezing and makes a perfect weeknight dinner when life gets hectic.

    Try Deconstructed Stuffed Peppers

    If your peppers aren’t perfectly shaped—or you simply want something even easier—deconstructed stuffed peppers are the way to go.

    Instead of stuffing each pepper, cook everything together:

    • Ground beef or turkey
    • Rice
    • Chopped sweet peppers
    • Onion
    • Tomato sauce
    • Seasonings

    Serve it fresh over rice, or freeze it in meal-sized portions for later.

    It has all the flavor of traditional stuffed peppers with a fraction of the prep time, making it one of my favorite freezer meals.

    Add Peppers to More Than You Think

    Once you have frozen peppers ready to go, you’ll find yourself adding them to recipes you never thought about before.

    Some of my favorites include:

    • Pasta salads
    • Pizza toppings
    • Fried potatoes
    • Quiche
    • Egg bites
    • Breakfast burritos
    • Casseroles
    • Homemade fried rice
    • Vegetable soups
    • Chicken and rice bowls
    • Taco meat
    • Pasta dishes

    Having peppers already chopped means it’s easy to sneak extra vegetables into almost any meal.

    Save Money All Year Long

    Fresh sweet peppers can get surprisingly expensive during the winter months, especially if you’re cooking for a family.

    By spending just a little time preserving your garden harvest, you’ll have peppers ready whenever you need them—and save money every time you skip buying them at the grocery store.

    For our family, this simple habit has meant I haven’t bought a sweet pepper in over two years.

    Every time I reach into the freezer for a handful of peppers in January, I’m reminded that a little work during harvest season pays off all year long.

    If you grow sweet peppers, don’t stop after making a few meals. Freeze them, cook with them, and stock your freezer while they’re abundant. Your future self will be grateful on those busy weeknights when dinner comes together in minutes. Utilize my Freezer Meal Prep Guide to find more meals!

  • Don’t Let Fresh Zucchini Go to Waste: Two of My Favorite Ways to Use It

    Don’t Let Fresh Zucchini Go to Waste: Two of My Favorite Ways to Use It

    If you grow a garden, you know how quickly zucchini season can go from “I can’t wait for the first one!” to “Why do I suddenly have 15 zucchini on my counter?”

    While grilled zucchini is one of our favorite summer side dishes, I’ve learned that freezing it is one of the easiest ways to enjoy that summer harvest all year long.

    Our Favorite Summer Side: Grilled Zucchini

    During zucchini season, we grill it constantly. Simply slice the zucchini into long strips or thick rounds, drizzle with olive oil, and season with your favorite blend. We usually keep it simple with:

    • Olive oil
    • Garlic powder
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Italian seasoning
    • Parmesan cheese (optional after grilling)

    Grill over medium heat for just a few minutes per side until it’s tender with light grill marks. It pairs perfectly with burgers, grilled chicken, steak, or pork chops.

    Freeze It for an Easy Weeknight Side

    When we have more zucchini than we can eat, I don’t let it go to waste.

    Instead, I wash it, cut it into bite-sized cubes, and freeze it in freezer bags. There’s no need to blanch it first if you’re planning to roast it later.

    Then, on busy nights, I simply pour the frozen zucchini directly onto a baking sheet. I drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle on salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other seasonings I’m craving, then roast it in the oven until it’s tender and lightly browned.

    It’s one of the easiest vegetable sides to pull together, and having it already prepped in the freezer means dinner comes together even faster.

    My preferred way to freeze it, with a vacuum sealer to ensure limited air in the bags and best utilizing space in my freezer! My personal favorite vacuum sealer

    Why I Love Freezing Zucchini

    • It helps reduce food waste during peak garden season.
    • The prep work is already done.
    • It’s an easy vegetable to add to almost any meal.
    • You get a taste of summer even in the middle of winter.

    If your garden is overflowing this year, don’t feel like you have to eat zucchini every day just to keep up. Grill what you can enjoy now, freeze the rest, and your future self will thank you on those busy weeknights when you need a quick, healthy side dish.

    Be sure to check out the other ways to use items in the garden! The Ultimate Guide to Freezer Meal Prep for Busy Moms

  • My Favorite Canning Essentials for This Season

    My Favorite Canning Essentials for This Season

    There’s something about canning season that makes summer feel complete. Fresh tomatoes, crisp pickles, sweet jams, and garden vegetables lining the pantry shelves are one of my favorite sights of the year. Whether you’re preserving your own garden harvest or stocking up on produce from the farmers market, canning is a wonderful way to enjoy summer flavors all year long.

    If you’ve been thinking about trying canning for the first time, don’t let it intimidate you! With a few basic tools and the right equipment, you’ll be surprised how quickly you get the hang of it. And if you’re already an experienced canner, there’s a new gadget that has completely changed my canning routine.

    The Basic Supplies Every Beginner Needs

    Before you start, you’ll want to gather a few canning essentials:

    • Water bath canner (or an electric water bath canner)
    • Mason jars
    • New lids and bands
    • Jar lifter
    • Magnetic lid lifter
    • Wide-mouth funnel
    • Bubble remover/headspace tool
    • Measuring cups and measuring spoons
    • Ladle
    • Clean kitchen towels
    • Labels or a marker to date your jars

    Many of these items come together in inexpensive beginner canning kits, making it easy to get everything you need in one purchase. This it a perfect kit to start with: Link to a great starter kit

    Start Simple with a Traditional Water Bath Canner

    If you’re just getting into canning, a traditional water bath canner is a great place to begin. They’re affordable, easy to learn, and perfect for preserving:

    • Pickles
    • Salsa
    • Tomato products
    • Jams and jellies
    • Fruit preserves

    Water bath canning works wonderfully for high-acid foods and is an excellent introduction to home food preservation.

    My New Favorite: The Ball Electric Water Bath Canner

    This year, I finally decided to try the Ball Electric Water Bath Canner, and I honestly wish I had purchased it sooner.

    I was a little hesitant because I already had a traditional canner that worked just fine. But after using the electric version for the first time, I can confidently say it made the entire process feel so much easier.

    Here are my favorite things about it:

    • No standing over a hot stove for hours.
    • It automatically heats and maintains the correct temperature.
    • Simple digital controls guide you through the process.
    • No lifting a huge pot full of boiling water onto the stove.
    • Frees up your stovetop for cooking other foods.
    • Great for hot summer days when you don’t want your kitchen heating up even more.

    Instead of constantly checking the temperature and adjusting burners, I could focus on preparing the next batch while the canner did the work. It made canning feel much less stressful and a whole lot more enjoyable.

    As a busy mom (especially with a toddler underfoot and another little one on the way), anything that saves time and simplifies a project is worth every penny. This was one of those purchases I know I’ll use for years.

    Don’t Forget to Follow Safe Canning Practices

    No matter which canner you choose, always use a tested recipe from trusted sources like Ball or the USDA. Safe processing times and proper acidity are what keep your canned food shelf-stable and safe to enjoy.

    Never skip recommended processing times or substitute ingredients unless the recipe specifically says it’s safe to do so.

    Happy Canning!

    Whether you’re filling your pantry with garden-fresh tomatoes, crunchy dill pickles, homemade salsa, or sweet strawberry jam, canning is one of the most rewarding ways to preserve the harvest.

    If you’re just starting out, don’t feel like you need every gadget right away. A simple canning kit and a basic water bath canner will get you going. But if you’re looking to make the process even easier, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Ball Electric Water Bath Canner after using it myself this season.

    Here’s to a pantry full of homemade goodness—and a successful canning season! 🌿🍅🥒

  • Welcome—I’m So Glad You’re Here

    Welcome—I’m So Glad You’re Here

    If you’ve found your way here, welcome! I’m so happy you’re here.

    For a long time, I’ve wanted a place to document this season of life—not because I have everything figured out, but because I don’t. Check out my ➡️ 5 Gardening Mistakes I Made So You Don’t Have To

    Life has been changing so quickly, and I don’t want to forget the lessons, the laughter, and even the hard days that have shaped our family.

    I’m a wife, a mom to a busy toddler, and soon I’ll be welcoming our second little one. Like so many parents, I’m learning as I go. Some days I feel like I’ve got a rhythm, and other days I’m just trying to keep everyone fed, loved, and on time. I’m realizing that’s what motherhood really is: learning, growing, and giving yourself grace along the way.

    Outside of motherhood, I’m discovering a love for country living. I spend my free time tending a garden that’s teaching me patience, planting flowers simply because they make me smile, riding horses, trying new recipes such as my ➡️ The Ultimate Guide to Freezer Meal Prep for Busy Moms, and finding joy in slowing down. None of it is perfect, but that’s part of what makes it meaningful.

    This blog isn’t about pretending life is picture-perfect. There will be stories about toddlers who test my patience, gardens that don’t always grow as planned, projects that take longer than expected, and the everyday moments that remind me just how beautiful this life can be.

    You’ll also find practical tips and ideas that have helped me along the way—from gardening and freezer meals to motherhood, homemaking, and country life. If something I’ve learned can make your day a little easier, then sharing it is worth it.

    My hope is that this becomes more than just a collection of blog posts. I hope it feels like sitting down with a friend over a cup of coffee, sharing stories, celebrating victories, and reminding each other that growth rarely happens all at once. It happens one day, one season, and one small step at a time.

    Thank you for stopping by and for joining me on this journey. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just found this little corner of the internet, I’m grateful you’re here.

    Here’s to growing a family, a garden, and a life we love.