Have you ever walked through your garden on a cool morning and seen perfect, tiny beads of water hanging from the edges of a leaf, even when it hasn’t rained? For years, I assumed this was just dew or maybe the plant “sweating.” It turns out, it’s a fascinating process called guttation, and it’s a sign of a very healthy, happy plant. While it looks like dew, it’s completely different. Dew forms from condensation on […]
As a gardener, it’s easy to feel a little sad as fall arrives in the Pacific Northwest. The flurry of summer harvesting is over, the tomato vines are bare, and the garden begins to look tired. But I’ve learned to see this season not as an ending, but as a necessary and beautiful transition. This is the time to put the garden to bed for a well-deserved rest. It’s also a time for us to […]
If you’ve ever had a mountain of ripe tomatoes from the garden, you know that fresh salsa is a must. But have you ever tried fermenting it? Fermented salsa is a game-changer in our house. It develops a complex, tangy flavor that’s incredibly delicious, and the fermentation process makes it a naturally probiotic-rich food. Best of all, you can completely customize it based on what’s abundant in your garden and how much heat you like. […]
As the Pacific Northwest gardening season winds down, our focus shifts from the garden beds to the kitchen counter. The harvest is in, and now the quiet, magical work of preservation begins. One of our favorite methods is lacto-fermentation, and there’s no better visual for this living process than a jar of pickles, happily bubbling away. Many people who are new to fermenting get nervous when they see this activity. Is it safe? Is it […]
Some years, the garden just decides to give you a gift. This year, for us, that gift was cucumbers. And more cucumbers. Thanks to a perfect PNW summer, our Boston Pickling and White Wonder vines were incredibly productive, and every day brought a new harvest. When you’re swimming in cucumbers, there’s only one thing to do: make lots and lots of pickles! Our preferred method is lacto-fermentation. It’s a simple, ancient technique that creates a […]
As gardeners in the Pacific Northwest (specifically Zone 8b), we know that our growing conditions can be unique. Finding advice tailored to our cool summers and mild, wet winters is key to a successful harvest. That’s why I always recommend the Edible Gardens Workshop Series from the Pierce County Conservation District. If you live in the area and haven’t checked this program out, you are truly missing out on a wealth of local gardening knowledge. […]
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the shift from summer to fall can feel incredibly abrupt. One moment we’re harvesting daily, and the next, the familiar wet and windy weather has returned, and the trees are rushing to shed their colorful leaves. It’s a clear signal that the busy season of growing, harvesting, and canning is over. While it can feel a bit sad to say goodbye to the garden, this is a vital and […]
If you’re a home canner, you know the feeling. The garden is overflowing, your countertops are piled high with beautiful produce, and you go to the store only to find the canning aisle completely wiped out. The struggle to find jars and—especially—lids is real, and it can be incredibly frustrating. During past shortages, we all had to get creative, freezing more produce and exploring alternatives. That experience taught me a lot about the importance of […]
This week I was able to get 20 pounds each of Elephant Heart Plums and Freestone Peaches. This has made for a busy weekend of processing and canning. We processed and froze the peaches for future use. Then we processed the plums for plum jam. We have discovered that plums have a lot of natural pectic so we decided not to add any and to add very little sugar and cook it down until it […]
When you have a garden that gifts you with a mountain of cucumbers, you learn to get creative! While we love our classic fermented dill pickles, this year we decided to dive into the world of sweet and tangy bread and butter pickles. We started with a fantastic base recipe from Chef John at FoodWishes.com and, after a few tweaks to get the sweetness just right for our taste, we landed on this incredible recipe. […]
