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, Marisa! I absolutely love Food in Jars, which your sweet sister sent to us as a thanks for hosting a house party for her and Andrew. (Meyer Lemon Curd by stealthy spoonfuls is my fave!) As for birthday goodness, this past year we went out for dinner and I got cinnamon sugar coated doughnut holes with salted caramel dipping sauce. It was pure heaven. Hope your birthday is equally delicious and heavenly!
Happy birthday! I think that my favorite birthday food is chocolate. In any form. Ice cream, cake, a fancy chocolate bar. And a nice bottle of wine, please. Yum! Hope you have a good one.
Dense and rich cheesecake!
Happy Birthday
Yay! Congratulations on your new book! Food is actually the main (only?) way we celebrate birthdays around here, but the food changes every year. However, I will say that a nice piece of halibut and some green beans will do it for me every time. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Butter Brickle cake! Just like mom used to make!
Happy Birthday! Growing up, I always asked for a lemon cake with lemon icing for my birthday cake. I still love lemons, and make your lemon curd every winter with lemons from the Lemon Ladies.
Favorite birthday food: blueberry pie! Happy birthday Marisa!
Happy Birthday! I love my mom’s homemade lasagna and what I really miss is my Grandma’s three layer yellow cake with lemon filling and some kind of amazing white cooked icing. It was delicious. I did a lot of preserving last year and I, too, am looking for ways to lower the refined sugar content.
Happy birthday! To me, celebrating my birthday isn’t so much about a special meal as it is something bubbly to drink. I love champagne/sparkling wine and it is always present at celebrations.
I’m excited about this book. Its two siblings want it to come to my house to keep them company. I have had some of the same issues with preserving (so much sugar, what do you do with it all, etc…) and am excited to try this one out.
have an exciting birthday!!!
for my birthday i’m happy with anything i don’t have to prepare or clean up after!
may yours be as leisurely as that!
Have a wonderful birthday!
My favorite birthday food is, are you ready? Cake and ice cream!
My birthday is coming up, too. I plan to eat chile rellenos, truly one of my favorite foods and an excellent vehicle for melted cheese, a bit of crispiness, all with the green of poblano peppers.
Happy happy birthday! Roast beef with mashed potatoes and old fashioned whacky cake is my birthday favorite!
Happy Birthday! I always request a spice cake with molasses cream cheese frosting for my birthday!
I love Birthday Cake with lots of frosting. But since the family doesn’t get together like we used to, I haven’t had a cake in years. I really miss the cake and the family gathering together.
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday!
I used to always have Alice Spring’s Chicken from The Outback on my birthday, but there’s no longer one in my area 🙁 However, my husband figured out how to replicate it, so he now makes it for me 🙂
Happy Long Life, as they say the South Pacific! Of course another Taurus. Bday cakes in my house were always zucchini chocolate, two rounds sandwiched with strawberry jam, all from our garden. Still whenever I think of birthdays this is what I crave. I hope you have a fabulous day!!f
Happy birthday!
Just learning about all your cookbooks and I’m so intrigued!
My favourite food to have on my birthday is either thai or sushi!
Happy Birthday! Cake of any kind, I’m not picky. 🙂
I love to have two things on my birthday: Cinnamon Flop, a coffee-cake-like cake that was a staple of my mom’s when I was growing up and now that she’s gone my daughter makes sure I get it. And PIE. I love a birthday pie more than anything. But only if it’s made by me.
Wishing you the happiest to you from me all the way in bellevue, nebraska! At my house, I love making Minnesota wild rice soup with herby quick bread and a thunderbird salad for my birthday meal 🙂
French fries! Always French fries! Happy Birthday! 🙂
Have a great day!! I have always loved either pumpkin pie or my moms white coconut cake. Yum!
Happy Birthday! I have always loved either pumpkin pie or my moms white coconut cake. Yum!
Lemon love notes is what I would love to eat EVERYDAY, including my birthday. Would love to have your book, even tho, it is YOU that should be receiving gifts.
When going out with the family, we go to one of my favorite Lebanese places for dinner and get Mezza for everyone!
At home, we might get a half-dozen donuts and cut them all up and share them.
To make? Not so much a dish to have as the making. One of the best birthday presents is when my family gets the hell out of the house and lets me play uninterrupted in the kitchen for HOURS. Especially if they clean up afterwards for me!
Happy Birthday! My favorite bday treat is a tarte with Italian plums topped with sugar roasted almonds and whipped cream. Simply delicious.
Happy Birthday!! (cake is always welcome)
Happy Birthday Marisa! My birthday starts a week of birthdays in our family. I don’t care for cake much, so I go for something like fruit pie or coconut flan. I also love any dessert made with guava owing o my Cuban heritage.
Happy Birthday!! Fruit pie!!! My favorite is strawberry rhubarb, but it is not in season on my birthday, so really any tart fruit pie!
Happy birthday! My favorite birthday food is german chocolate cake.
Happy birthday, Marisa! My favorite birthday treat is a chocolate and cranberry cake that my husband is famous for (in the family).
I love Thai takeout on my birthday. With shrimp crackers and extra peanut sauce.
Hope you have a great birthday!
Happy Birthday to you!! For my birthday treat, I love fresh-baked scones with cream and lemon curd!
Have a Very Happy Birthday!!!!
My family all liked the same birthday meal, made at home: prime rib, mashed potatoes, cauliflower and cheese casserole with either chocolate cake with vanilla frosting or a strawberry filled angel food cake with whipped cream.
Happy birthday to the only online canner I follow.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday! Grilled chicken and BBQ on my birthday
My favorite cake is Angel Food. It’s sorta hard now that it’s mostly my parents’ and me celebrating. But twice my Mom has made a cake from scratch rather than buy them from the store and that makes all the difference.
We both like to let it go stale as a treat so the cake is all eaten.
Covered in fresh strawberries and whipped cream is one of our standards.
My Mother will sometimes make a favorite meal to go with it. Chicken cacciatore most likely.
Or sometimes we’ll go to a local German restaurant so I can have schnitzel and käsespätzle, which is only on their Oktoberfest menu.
Happy Birthday. I love making anything with apples. I really like all kinds of summer fruits.
Happy Birthday! A homemade strawberry cake made by my mom is the best birthday food ?
Chocolate cake with orange frosting. And happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!! I love pineapple upside down cake 🙂
For my birthday, I always ask for my grandma’s sour cream apple pie instead of cake ?
Happy Birthday! 🙂
Happy birthday. My favorite would be stuffed shells. With the old style country green beans
Happy Birthday! On my birthday I like to eat ice cream home-made for me by my sister. For a long time it was Earl Grey Tea flavored, but lately nectar has been the flavor.
Happy birthday! I love Hot German Potato Salad. It’s hard to beat potatoes with bacon, onions, & vinegar, among other things