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.
Happy Birthday, and thank you very much for giving us presents with this great giveaway!
Happy birthday!!!! I hope it’s fantastic! I love to have polenta toast and homemade chutney. I never considered it my birthday food, but in thinking about it, I usually have it then.
It varies every year, but cake and ice cream of some sort is a must!
Happy birthday!!!
Thanks for handing out gifts on your birthday, nice twist on tradition. My favorite birthday food is spaghetti, lots of it, basic meat sauce, lots of garlic, lots of freshly grated cheese.
Happy Birthday!!!
I love Chili Verde with Turkey. Until I became allergic to peppers, I would always have Mom make that for my birthday. Since my birthday is around Thanksgiving, we always make it with turkey instead of chicken.
Happy Birthday, Marissa.
PS: I couldn’t resist responding, but I already have a copy of the book. If I’m drawn, please pick someone else.
Growing up in the South our traditional birthday meal was fried chicken and mashed potatoes! My mom would let us choose, but we always chose her homemade fried chicken!! Happy birthday to you and may your meal be a celebration!
have a great birthday
Marmorkuchen (marble cake) is what I like for Breakfast on my Birthday 😉 wishing you a Happy upcoming Birthday
Happy Birthday! I love going to Dim Sum to celebrate my birthday. Its great for a group, too!
Happy Birthday! I love when my wife makes pork chops and Spanish rice. Enjoy your day!
Happy Birthday! I don’t know if I have an absolute favorite birthday food, but right now I’m into wonton soup.
Happy Happy Birthday! Hope that you have a wonderful day!
My Favorite birthday treat is a vegan pineapple upside down cake or pumpkin pie!
Never was a huge icing fan, so those are my go 2 requests!
Very excited to read your new book! I would love to make more “naturally” sweeten jams!
🙂
Happy Birthday! I am also a May BD – emeralds and lily of the valley.
My mother would let me have a slice of BD for breakfast on my birthday – I especially like coconut cake. Your new cookbook looks great.
I love a good carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. It’s the only time of year I can indulge without the guilt. 🙂
Have a great birthday! On my birthday I must have carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I ak so avoid all regular household chores and go do something decadent like get a massage or pedicure or both.
Happy happy birthday (as my sister says). I don’t have a special birthday dish–I appreciate not having to make my own birthday dinner so much that I don’t care what someone else prepared/brought home/took me out to. My husband’s mother always made him a strawberry shortcake for his birthday, so that’s his special dish.
Happy birthday! I’m not so good with dairy but love an ice cream cake!
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday dinner is a marinara sauce my uncle taught me how to make. Now it’s way more delicious because I learned how to can tomatoes from your first book, so I can use those instead of the store-bought canned tomatoes I grew up with 🙂
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday food is dobashe cake.
Happy Birthday….
Happy Birthday and congrats. I’m all about trying the lemony strawberry jam.
Happy birthday! Yes, my library system refuses to put your books on their shelves. I celebrate with homemade lemon pudding. Tart and tangy!
Happy Birthday! I like to eat fresh pasta on my birthday. Delicious!
Marisa,
I wish you the very happiest birthdays.
As a child my mom would make a german chocolate cake from scratch…you know with the caramel coconut icing? I remember you had to buy whole coconuts then because packaged coconut wasn’t available.
Since my mom passed in the 80’s, people buy me ready made german chocolate cake, but yuk its not the same. Because my favorite pie is apple…now I celebrate with apple pie instead.
Marshall – Jam Bubba
Happy Happy Birthday!!
Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and vanilla ice cream? Yum!!
Happy birthday!! I always ask for my mom’s pot roast for my birthday, it’s the only time of year she’ll make it for me!
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Marisa
Happy birthday to you!
Congratulations on #3! Can’t wait to try the onion recipe.
Best wishes for your birthday! I have a chocolate almond cake that I make for my birthday, one serving is your calories for the day.
Happy birthday!! I’m pretty much up for anything on my birthday EXCEPT store bought cake. I just can’t…I know people mean well, but I would rather bake one (even from a box) or go without. I hope you celebrate your birthday with something yummy as well!
Happy Birthday! My favorite thing to eat on my birthday is anything cooked by someone else. Whether it’s my husband and kids or going out to eat, doesn’t matter!
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday food is a fresh picked apple….and an apple pie! 🙂
Blackberry pie! If only someone would make me one!
Pretty much any cake is okay with me! Although I have special feelings for lemon, strawberry, and Italian cream. Have a great birthday!!!
Happy Birthday! My favorite birthday treat is Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. Bonus point for double fudge in the centre!
Oatmeal cake with the broiled icing after a meal of corn cilantro pancakes, inspired by Diner in Brooklyn. http://merrymeetingmenu.blogspot.com/2009/07/cilantro-corn-pancakes.html
My favorite birthday treat? Carrot cake or cheesecake! Covered with preserves I canned, of course!
Happy birthday, thanks for all your work that helps us can and preserve more, and better!
I used to be all about the chocolate but I’ve been going for the lemon
Especially Lemon Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Frosting. Lemon syrup is one of the key ingredients
Happy birthday! Enjoy your day.
Congratulations on your new book.
I don’t have a set list of foods I eat on my birthday, but if I had it my way, I’d have a nice breakfast with pancakes or french toast, some tasty pizza later in the day, and finish things off with a nice slice of new york style cheesecake!
Happy Birthday! When I was a kid I always wanted hamburgers for my birthday, now I like to go out for fancy dinner.
My most memorable birthday food is a whole watermelon. Years ago my husband stopped on his way home from working night shift to buy me a watermelon, it was my birthday and I had cravings! Well to his surprise I had gone into labor , our second child being overdue. Before cell phones. A frantic speeding trip to hospital and all was good. We had a baby boy , but I got to eat my birthday melon afterwards.
Since we share that special day, I always let him pick the cake. Can never top getting him for a gift.
Put my name in the race , thanks !
P.s. We are “May” babies too
I always eat a burger on my birthday!
Happy birthday and congratulations on your new book!
Happy Birthday! I have enjoyed all your cookbooks and am looking to trying the recipes in this one.
Love cherry pie on my birthday! Have a wonderful gay!
I love having coffee cake on my birthday. I’ve never been really interested in regular sheet cake, so for the past couple years, my boyfriend and his grandma have baked for me her fantastic coffee cake, and then i’ve had to fight hard not to eat the whole cake in one day. The other thing i like is Baskin Robins Ice Cream Pies, where they essentially pack your favorite ice cream flavor into a pie shell (i always choose the oreo shell). I hope you get to have exactly the desert you want for dessert on your birthday, and that both the day and the year are wonderful for you. 🙂 Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday! Blueberry pie is my favorite birthday treat. Thank you for sharing.
on my birthday I always try a new recipe for dinner. This year I will cook Pork crown roast, with a side of my first canned potatoes and green beans.
Happy Happy Birthday! I really enjoy your Food in Jars Cookbook and would love a copy of your new book. My birthday is January 1 and is sometimes mixed in with the holidays and not always celebrated on its own. I love cheesecake and almost never have it for my birthday, but think I will make myself one this year and maybe use some homemade jam on top!