How to Freeze (and Reheat) Mashed Potatoes

A bowl of creamy mashed potatoes seasoned with pepper. In the background, a plate with what appears to be cooked sausages is slightly out of focus. The setting is a light-colored countertop with a cloth napkin nearby.

If you’re wondering if can you freeze mashed potatoes, the answer is a resounding YES! I’ve been making and freezing mashed potatoes for years, I’ve served them at regular meals, family holidays and even church potlucks. And everyone loves them. I’m going to share all the tricks and the secret ingredient for a no-fuss way of … Read more

Old Fashioned Cornbread

Overhead view of cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet.

Cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to anything from beans and hearty soups to fried chicken. This old-fashioned cornbread recipe is the one my mom used to make and now I make when I need a quick bread side dish with simple ingredients. With crispy edges and a buttery corn flavor, this is the only cornbread … Read more

Homemade Fig Preserves (canning recipe with no pectin)

jar of whole fig preserves with fig on spoon

If you’re looking for authentic, southern fig preserves, this is the recipe you need. This spiced up version of the traditional preserved fig recipe turns fresh figs into a super flavorful treat that can be enjoyed all year long. I’ve included safe canning instructions but you can also make this recipe in a small batch … Read more

Easy Pickled Carrots – a canning or refrigerator recipe

pint jars of canned pickled carrots

Pickled carrots are a great addition to any meal. They have a tangy flavor but the sweet carrot flavor isn’t overpowered. With this easy pickled carrot recipe you can make a jar or two for the refrigerator or a full canner load for the pantry. Plus, I’ll show you how to safely change up the … Read more

Easy Pickled Cauliflower Recipe (canning or refrigerator)

three pint size mason jars of canned pickled cauliflower

Pickled cauliflower is a crunchy, tangy snack or addition to a relish tray. This pickled cauliflower recipe is safe for canning to make shelf-stable pickles or to make quick pickles for the refrigerator.  In winter when we’re harvesting head after head of cauliflower, I like to use one or two heads to make a batch … Read more

How to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies and Baking

frozen banana pieces in a ziplock bag.

Freezing bananas is so very easy! No special equipment is necessary. Plus you can use the frozen bananas for so many things from baking to smoothies! Next time you buy bananas, buy extra and use these step-by-step instructions to freeze them.  Fresh bananas are some of the least expensive fruit you can buy and when … Read more

50+ Best Recipes that Use Lemon Curd

slices of lemon curd pie on brown parchment paper

Lemon curd is for more than just topping scones, although that’s delicious, too! Use homemade lemon curd to make all kinds of delicious desserts and savory foods. Using simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, this list of recipes that use lemon curd is all you need to please the lemon lovers … Read more

12 Easy Mexican Fideo Recipes (fideo de sopa)

fideo with ground beef and broccoli spears on white plate

Fideo is a traditional Mexican dish that is rarely found in Mexican restaurants. Fideo is something that most Mexican families make and, honestly, have their own variations of it. It’s something that is passed down from generation to generation. There’s no one “right way” to make Mexican fideo recipes. With that in mind, I’ve collected … Read more

Over 50 of the Best Venison Recipes

red dutch oven with venison stew in it

Venison is such versatile and healthy meat. It’s much leaner than beef and is a great alternative for red meat in any recipe. I’ve gathered 50 of the best venison recipes to inspire you to use this delicious meat.  Historically, “venison” meant any wild game meats, today it’s used mainly to mean the meat from … Read more

How to Freeze Fresh Figs

An open freezer bag with frozen figs spilling out

Can you freeze figs? Absolutely! In fact, freezing figs is a great way to preserve figs during their harvest season for using all year long.  Learn how to freeze figs three different ways to get the most out of your fig harvest. Because figs have a short season and a short shelf life, it’s hard … Read more

Easy Homemade Pickling Spice Recipe

Ingredients to make homemade pickling spice. Yellow mustard seed, coriander seed, and whole peppercorns in white bowls and dill weed in small mason jar. Full dill seed heads are laying on the wooden table.

Pickling is a great way to preserve the summer harvest, and not just cucumbers. If you’re a fan of homemade pickles, relishes, or chutneys, then you know that a good pickling spice blend is the secret ingredient that takes your preserves to the next level. Of course, you can buy little packets of pickling spice, … Read more

Crunchy Dill Pickle Recipe for Canning

jars of homemade canned dill pickles

This recipe for classic dill pickles is full of the flavors and crunchiness that you want from a dill pickle. This is a canning recipe, although you can make them and store them in the refrigerator instead of canning them. This recipe comes together very quickly and can be used to put up a bunch … Read more

Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles – a canning recipe

several jars of home canned sweet and spicy pickles. One is open and has a fork in it.

These sweet and spicy pickles are a family favorite as they have a perfect balance of tang, sweet, and spice. This is a canning recipe, although you can make them and store them in the refrigerator instead of canning them. We make several different pickles each year to be sure we have some of everyone’s … Read more

Refrigerator Dill Pickles – A Quick and Easy Recipe

Two mason jars of cucumber spears with spices to make refrigerator dill pickles.

These easy refrigerator dill pickles (aka icebox pickle or quick pickles) are so delicious and are a great way to quickly put up small batches of cucumbers from your garden or the grocery store. This recipe is for refrigerator dill pickles but you can make all kinds of refrigerator pickles using this recipe as a … Read more

What is Canning Salt? And is it Really Needed?

various salts in containers, canning salt, iodized salt, table salt, redmond's real salt.

Most canning recipes have salt listed as an ingredient and usually it’s listed as canning salt or pickling salt. This often leads to a lot questions such as….What’s the difference between canning salt and regular salt? Are canning salt and pickling salt the same thing? Can I use regular table salt instead of canning salt? … Read more

Can you freeze eggs? {how to freeze eggs}

whisked eggs in a white bowl on a wooden table surrounded by egg shells, colander with farm fresh eggs, fork, mason jar lined with ziplock bag and a ziplock bag with whisked eggs for freezing

Whenever I’m asked what I do with the extra eggs we get from our hens, I always say that we first freeze enough to make it through the winter. The other person usually looks confused and then says, “Can you freeze eggs?” Yes, you can freeze eggs. In fact there are several ways of freezing … Read more

Easy Watermelon Sorbet – with or without an ice cream maker

watermelon sorbet in turquoise ramekin garnished with lime and mint

No matter how much succession planting I try to do, our melons all seem to ripen about the same time. It’s fantastic to be able to eat as much watermelon as you want day after day but we also like to enjoy watermelon more than just one month out of the year. Watermelon sorbet is … Read more

Cucumber Lime Sorbet

cucumber lime sorbet in white ramakin dish

I know what you’re thinking….”Cucumber Lime sorbet???”….Yes, and it’s really, really good. Sorbet is traditionally served as a palate cleanser but we eat it as a dessert or as a treat on a hot summer afternoon. This sorbet recipe combines the refreshing flavor of cucumbers with the tang of lime to create a sorbet that … Read more

Canning Carrots – raw pack or hot pack method

sliced carrots and canning jars

Canning carrots is an easy and versatile way to preserve the harvest at the end of the season and stock your pantry. Canned carrots are a little soft, but the flavor is fantastic – pressure canning carrots seems to intensify the carrot’s flavor. A pressure canner is required to safely can carrots at home. Carrots … Read more