Hard though it may be to believe, today is the seventh anniversary of the very first post on this blog (it feels like it’s been both much longer and far shorter than that). I started this site when I knew I would be leaving my job as the lead blogger of Slashfood. I wanted to create an online home for myself so that I could remain involved in the food blog community once that gig was up.
I had no idea then that I would be starting something that would evolve into a robust, fulfilling, and occasionally maddening career. I am grateful every day for this patch of internet and all that it has brought into my life.
I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the most popular posts I’ve published over the years. Do you spot your favorite among these ten? If not, what post did you love the best?
1. Why You Can’t Can Your Family’s Tomato Sauce – Ever popular and ever contentious, this post tries to give people a basic understanding of how pH works in canning.
2.How to Save Runny Jam – Canners everywhere struggle with this issue, and never is it more clear than in the comments section of this post!
3. Five Ways to Preserve Small Tomatoes – These remain my favorite ways to put up grape, cherry, and Sungold tomatoes. The recipe for pickled grape tomatoes at the end of the post is both entirely fussy and truly delicious. I highly recommend it.
4. New to Canning? Start Here: Boiling Water Bath Canning – It took me years to get a post detailing the steps of boiling water bath canning up on this site, but the one I finally produced is something about which I continue to be proud. I still mean to pick that New to Canning series up someday.
5. Tomato Jam – It’s the first recipe to make the list and is truly the most deserving of all the recipes I’ve published here. If you still haven’t tried it, earmark it for this summer.
6. On Substituting Salt in Pickling – A useful post, but one that could probably use a revisit for clarity’s sake.
7. How to Ensure That Your Jam Sets – Useful information, though sometimes jam just won’t set, no matter what you do!
8. Six Ways to Preserve Zucchini – Curried zucchini pickles! Chocolate zucchini bread! Zucchini butter with garlic and thyme! So delicious!
9. Unfancy Pickled Jalapeno Peppers – Utilitarian canning at its best.
10. Garlic Dill Pickles – They don’t hold their texture perfectly, but the flavors are spot on. I’ve taken to making these as refrigerator pickles, to retain their signature crunch.
Congratulations on SEVEN Years!! I look forward to your blog and have learned so much over the years. Thank you!!
Congrats! Tomato jam here and the recipe from your book are my all time favorite. Smeared with goat cheese on a cracker…perfection!
Kudos to you for leading the preservation revolution. How important to preserve any surplus veggies and fruit for future use. Waste is too prevalent and such a shame. You are very inspiring. Keep up your great work, Marissa!!!
Congrats, Marissa! Appreciate all of the information and great help that you have passed along!
Congratulations! Love reading your blog. Collected the ingredients I was missing to make the veggie soup base you shared recently. I’m not sure my husband is going to be as thrilled as I am…I majorly broke my arm and he is actually going to have to chop and process everything!
Oops, guess it would also be nice to say thank you for all the work collecting recipes, testing, photographing, posting, traveling…makes me tired thinking about it.
I’ve really enjoyed your blog. AND your books! I hope this career continues to be more satisfying than maddening. Congratulations!
Happy 7th blog-iversary! Thank you for this great blog and all the hard work and time that goes into it. I’ve only been following for a couple years, so there is a lot I haven’t read yet, but once we move and I can start canning, I know I will be combing this blog for info, ideas, and recipes! Thank you also for the many giveaways, you have some fab sponsors!
Thank you for many wonderful years of canning. My mother got me started, but you kept me going. Favorite post? Meyer lemon marmalade. So delicious with horseradish cheese. Towards the end of my father in law’s life, it was the only thing he could taste.
Best Christmas gift one year? My son gave me your book.
Happy anniversary! Lucky Seven?
Congratulations on seven years! This is one of the lone food patches of the internet I still pay any attention too. Thanks for that.
Congratulations, your blog is a real joy!
Congratulations on seven years of a terrific blog! Can’t say I have a favorite post here—I pretty much like everything you do!
Congratulations, Marisa! You were the first canning blog I found, my mentor, my inspiration for new ideas. So glad you are here with all your cookbooks, too! Favorites:
Tomato Jam is my all-time favorite (love sharing it with others to watch them discover how wonderful this is) and my newest favorite from last summer is Pickled Cherry Tomatoes (love the vinaigrette you add, to make with left-over pickling liquid.
Keep up the good work! Can’t wait to see what the next 7 years bring!
Big congratulations! Wish I had some of that tomato jam on my shelves this winter…
Congratulations Marisa! Love your work & thankful for all the knowledge you provide to us “stay-at-home-canners”!
Happy birthday! Your tomato jam is where it all began for me. Thank you a thousand thank yous for starting me on this fantastic journey.
Congratulations! (Today is my birthday too!) I have enjoyed many of your recipes from the books and from the website. I haven’t gotten around to the tomato jam because the last couple of years my garden was a sorry patch of dirt. I’m hoping for better this year.
Congratulations on seven years! I’ve really enjoyed your blog, and of all the above posts you’ve mentioned, I really appreciate your Unfancy Pickled Jalapenos – we had so many in our garden last year – it was a really handy, quick way to preserve them. We’ve used them on nachos and I made a really nice jalapeno corn bake in the slow cooker for a potluck. Keep on blogging!
Just discovered your blog and have already found and put into use some really helpful tips. Keep up the great work!
congratulations! your blog and your books have been invaluable resources as my husband and i have figured out canning, and then canning for two. 🙂 thanks for all that you do, and looking forward to your next book (already preordered).
Thank You & Congratulations! Love your blog, so much information and clearing written. it’s
a wonderful resource for people like myself who are starting out with home canning
as well as some wonderful recipes & links.
Here’s to 7 more years!
Congratulations! I enjoy your blog and your books, your tomato jam is a family favorite! It is always one of the first things people grab off my pantry shelves. I love the variety or the recipes and your writing style. Excellent work!
Happy 7th, congrats! 🙂
Thanks for sharing all of your tips & tricks, recipes, and adventures with us the past 7 years. I enjoy reading your blog, it’s very inspiring. Here’s to your continued success!
Congratulations! I love your blog and your Food in Jars book. Thanks so much for sharing all your expertise with us.
Happy birthday!! You are so inspiring.
Congrats on 7 years! I didn’t realize we started our sites so close to the same time (I hit 7 years in December). I’ve enjoyed being on this crazy blogging journey alongside you and have appreciated every time our paths cross, both in person and online. Thanks for helping to solve my canning dilemmas.
Congratulations. You have inspired many of us to be creative with our canning. May you have many more years to keep us going!
I never comment, but have to say your blog is excellent. I counted and I have made 15 of your recipes and I have loved every one of them. The ones that have been most popular with people I’ve shared with (when I was able to share ha!) were the rhubarb chutney (always a hit), the slow roasted tomato dip and the apricot thyme jam. I personally love your vegetable soup base and use it almost every day in stir-fries, soups, sauces, etc.–it’s so incredibly useful. Congratulations on seven years and thank you so much for so many cool ideas, recipes and sources of inspiration.
Are Roma tomatoes ok to eat if they are more than 2 years old? I canned them with salt and white vinegar and water processed them for 45 minutes.
They should be fine.