How’s the weather out your way? Did you have a good week? All of our readers in the states, are you ready for Labor Day?

I know am. I plan on enjoying some of the last sweet corn of the season and peaches too.  

The days are still hot, but we’re starting to enjoy cooler evenings out our way, and you know what that means – firepit season has arrived. While my boys are all about s’mores, I can’t wait for our local apple orchard to start pressing cider. I’m ready for the first hot mug of mulled cider, warming my hands while we tell silly stories and jokes by the firepit.

If you want to get a jump on “spooky season,” here’s my mulling spice recipe. It’s marvelous in cider, but also makes excellent mulled wine and mead. 
 

It’s like fall wants to hang out with summer for a bit before she leaves for the year. You know, to keep us guessing at what’s going on.

Yesterday I was standing in the yard, wiping the sweat off my brow while watching leaves start to fall off the trees. I ran to the store to grab some ice cream and enjoy the air-conditioning, only to be met with overly fragranced cinnamon pine cones and brooms and things to buy in a palette of orange, black and purple. Alongside cucumbers, zucchini, plums and watermelon at the farmer’s markets, I’m seeing pumpkins and acorn squash now too.  

I made a marvelous batch of spiced plum chutney this week. The whole apartment smelled amazing. And I think every surface in my kitchen was sticky.

I know those lovely half-pint jars of chutney will mellow to perfection by the time sweater weather arrives. I can’t wait for dinners of broiled pork tenderloin slathered with plum chutney or crackers and cheese topped with chutney for a snack. Mmm!

I’ve got just enough plums left for a small batch of jam too. We’ve barely started on the tomatoes, and it was a good year for tomatoes for us too. I'm definitely going to need to reference 15 Terrific Ways to Use a Ton of Tomatoes!

Usually, hot, sticky, and time-consuming work in the kitchen, but in the end, when I get to stand back and observe a dozen shining mason jars full of that afternoon’s handiwork, I can’t help but smile. Anyone else who cans is probably smiling right now, too, as they know what I’m talking about.

With scary words like botulism and pressure canner regulator weight, it’s easy to understand why folks would be intimidated by canning.  

I promise once you do it, you’ll wonder why you were so nervous. And once you taste that first piece of toast with your homemade jam on it, you’ll swear off Bonne Maman forever.

Ask a relative, friend or neighbor to help you get started, even if it’s just helping them, so you can be a part of the process before jumping in yourself. You’ll learn so much.

If your garden was a bust this year or you don’t have enough to preserve, now is a great time to hit up farmers markets. Where there’s a will, there are a few shiny jars in your pantry at the end of the day.

And since it’s prime canning season, I thought I would share some of our favorite recipes here at Rural Sprout this week, including my plum chutney.