Naturally Sweet Food in Jars is my third cookbook and was published in March 2016. It focuses on preserving with honey, maple, agave, coconut sugar, fruit juice concentrates, and dried fruits. You can find an array of ordering options here.
The idea for this book was initially sparked by this post, as well as the many alternatively sweetened recipes that have come since on this site. The finished book features more than 100 recipes for preserves, as well as a handful of recipes designed to help you use up some of what you’ve put up.
I had two primary goals in mind when I was writing Naturally Sweet. The first was to translate some of my most beloved sugar-sweetened recipes into those that used less refined sweeteners.
The second objective was to create new and novel recipes that would be safe for canning and that featured the various sweeteners in ways that made the most of their unique, individual flavors.
I also wanted to help change the conversation about preserving. So often, people dismiss it because they feel like the products created when you preserve aren’t always the healthiest.
However, by shining a spotlight on alternative sweeteners, I feel like I’ve created a collection of recipes that are able to balance health concerns with issues of safety and shelf stability.
And, as always, the recipes are relatively small batches that don’t require too much of your time and energy.
It was actually my birthday the day this blog post was published! And I ate my favorite birthday dessert that day – cheesecake.
Belated Happy Birthday!
When I was young I was allergic to eggs. My mother found an chocolate oil cake recipe without eggs and made it for me for my birthday every year. She also used to make me little cupcakes to take to my friends’ birthday parties so I would have a sweet treat too.
In cake form, it was always two layers of cake with raspberry jam in the middle, topped with cream cheese frosting. It was (and is) THE BEST.
Happy Birthday!
I’ve always looked forward to a chocolate cake with chocolate icing on my birthday. Can we say chocoholic? 🙂
Cake all the way! Any kind will do. Hope you have a very Happy Birthday! Love your blog.
Happy birthday! I really enjoy both your blog & podcast. Especially loved the birthday special podcast!
I’m a summer baby so its usually a bushel of blue claws for me! Happy Birthday! Come on summer….
Aw, this is a sweet giveaway. Happy birthday to you, and some chocolate cake with whipped cream and German sour cherries, too. 🙂
I love to eat Mexican food, especially Carnitas for my birthday! Happy Birthday!!!
yes, happy happy birthday! this past year, my 40th, I made a huge banana split bowl…all with natural sugars and no gluten, it was so amazing and good! I’m excited about your book, can’t wait to make some naturally sweet goodies!! thank you!
Something I am not cooking is always nice!
Happy birthday! Your new book looks awesome. I love to have fajitas and margaritas on my birthday.
I love angel food cake with fresh strawberries and freshly whipped cream! Happy birthday to you.
Happy Birthday! Mine was earlier in the month. I love burnt almond cake from my local bakery, Dick’s Bakery!
Happy, Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday! I’m a big fan of your previous cookbooks and your blog. As you’ve heard many times, your blog was my gateway to canning and preserving. Best wishes for a healthy and happy year!
Happy birthday! I still love chocolate cake with white mountain (seven minute) frosting.
extra fudgie brownies are my current birthday fav!
Happy Birthday, Marisa!
My favorite birthday food has been the strawberry shortcake my mother would buy from our favorite bakery every one of my birthdays as a child. My birthday is in the middle of winter and the strawberry shortcake was so sweet and brightened up the day.
Chocolate peanut butter pie is the birthday treat I look forward to! Happy birthday, Marisa! Love your books and your blog.
Chocolate cake with peanut butter icing! It’s not a celebration without it.
Happy Birthday! Have a piece of German chocolate cake for me!
Happy Birthday! Mine is the day after yours. I haven’t thought about what I want, but I often have key lime pie.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I usually make myself a pie. Sometimes I buy a pie but I like making them. I usually get eggplant parmesan as well, but that comes from a restaurant.
What says ‘birthday’ to me, is a yellow cake with lemon curd filling and thin chocolate icing.
Happy Birthday, Marisa
Happy Birthday! I love the first book, but have definitely been looking at healthier, alternative sweetener recipes.
Happy birthday! On my b-day I make it a rule not to go to work, and eat what ever the heck I want, usually ice cream is involved. Have a great day!
My birthday is tomorrow and my husband’s birthday was yesterday (both May babies!). We plan on celebrating next Saturday with steak and shrimp. We always like to do a surf and turf for our birthdays. I’m not a big cake fan so tend to celebrate more with cheesecake. This year I gave up white sugar, hence why your book would be perfect, and my husband is on a diet so not planning any dessert.
Happy birthday! And since I generally cut back on sugar when making jam, the idea of naturally sweetened recipes that let the fruit flavor shine through sounds great!
Happy birthday! Cake is my favorite birthday food. I have both of your previous books and just started canning last year. A lot of people loved their gifts at Christmas this year! thanks for such great recipes. I look forward to your newest book and canning this year. thanks for the confidence and inspiration.
When I was little and growing up in Wisconsin my birthdays were capped on both ends with favorite things. In the morning I’d wake up to eggs overeasy with fried potatoes and at the end of the party we’d get to have just a simple cake usually marble with 7 minute frosting.
Happy Birthday, Marisa! My favorite birthday food is a poorboy steak sandwich from Merichka’s in Joliet, IL. I travel 100 miles to have one every year.
Cheesecake!
Happy Bday! I’m so excited about this book – I have both of your previous books. I celebrate your baking my own cake : )
I like to have a flourless chocolate cake, with raspberries.
Hope you had a wonderful birthday! I have my mom’s shrimp scampi over linguini. A bit more adult than my childhood birthday dinner of oven fried chicken, broccoli casserole and rice a roni. Definitely a child of the the 70s.
Happy Marisa Day!
Happy Birthday! As a child I didn’t care for sweets but now I want anything to do with cheesecake.
Happy Birthday! My birthday is on New Years Eve. So I am usually tried of all the sweet holiday foods. But I still like to make a cake for myself.
Well, what a generous gift you are giving your readers. I just stumbled upon your blog today and am completely intrigued. I will be celebrating my birthday this week and am still trying to decide on a birthday dessert. I hope your birthday was lovely.
Happy Birthday! I usually just treat myself to whatever special meal/dessert I’m most craving when it comes to my birthday celebration.
Happy Birthday! No specific birthday food for me.
Happy birthday! I’d love to have German chocolate cake or blueberry cheesecake for my birthday.
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday food is probably sushi — it’s my favorite celebratory food of any kind!
Hi Marissa,
Happy Birthday! Birthdays are family occasions around here and we often bbq or go to a restaurant. I usually choose a Mexican restaurant we all love, but this year I opted to cook! We had teriyaki-marinated chicken, corn on the cob, green salad, grilled onions and peppers, and baked potatoes. Yum. I hope your birthday was fun (and delicious). Thanks for all you’ve shared with us in Food in Jars.
White cupcakes with Quick as a Wink frosting. The recipe for the frosting was in a 1960’s/early 70’s Betty Crocker cookbook. I always loved “reading” the cookbook and looking at the pictures when I was little.
Happy Birthday! I, too, celebrated a birthday this month. WE grilled steaks, had baked potatoes and asparagus. But I’d love something with rhubarb for my birthday. It’s coming in and I love it!
Happy Birthday, Marisa! Thanks for all you do in sharing this wonderful site and your inspiring cookbooks (should that be canning books?).
Have a fun day and a joyful celebration.
In my family, birthdays means birthday cake, of course! The birthday kid gets their favourite cake. I always go for the deep, dark, chocolate layer cake with sour cream chocolate frosting. Flavourful, moist and so delicious!
My birthday is New Years Day. It is often cold and snowy, and it usually follows a late night, so my go to food is homemade pizza and brownies or cupcakes. And I stay in sweatpants and thick wool socks all day.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Happy Birthday wishes !!! I usually celebrate with something sweet In the shape of a cake. . Congratulations on this cookbook! I’ve been canning for many years and recently wanting to get away from processed sugars. Sounds like your goals for this book have been met. I wish you peace , joy and love.
Happy birthday! My Mom always made us a special buttermilk chocolate cake for birthdays. She frosted it with white mountain frosting and then sprinkled on coconut.