The Domestic Wildflower

Handmade Food & Craft Tutorials for Beginners

Jenny Gomes

10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for your Fall Garden 

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10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for your Fall Garden is a post that will help you decide what to plant for the easiest, best yield for a successful Fall garden. Read on for the list and for some helpful resources perfect for beginners!

10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Your Fall Garden This post has tons of great tips for a successful and easy fall gardening experience!

 This post contains affiliate links. 

Confession Time: You may remember me saying that despite being a canning blogger I don’t have a garden. I don’t have a garden yet because I have a 12 foot hand-dug well that likely wouldn’t support a big veggie garden. I have no fences and many wild creatures great and small that would love to eat whatever I planted, and truthfully, I haven’t the thumb for it at this phase of my life. My kids are little and I recently killed the pretty pink cactus in my shower. I have been growing sprouts in a mason jar on my countertop BUT, Wildflowers, I have friends in high places indeed.

My friend Teri Page of the blog Homestead Honey is an amazing gardener and I asked her to share her best gardening tips for us in a  guest post. She knows her stuff, has the right thumb for the job, and has written a fantastic post (with a rad resource at the end! Don’t miss it!) for you all. I’m so grateful for her expertise. Read on for her post; thank you Teri!

10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Your Fall Garden

Fall gardening is a great way to increase your harvest, save money at the grocery store, and enjoy garden-fresh produce year-round, but if you’re new to fall gardening, it can feel a bit overwhelming! What do you grow? When do you plant it? What about frost? Today I’ve put together a list of my top ten easy to grow vegetables for your fall garden, and I invite you to check out my eBook, Homestead Honey’s Guide to Fall Gardening for step-by-step advice on how to select the best varieties, when to plant, and how to protect your crops from cold weather. 

To start, I recommend taking a look at what your family really enjoys eating and select a few favorites from the list below – no sense in growing food that won’t be enjoyed! For instance, I know that turnips will do really well in my zone 5B garden, but my family does not love them. Instead, I’ll focus on growing beets and greens that I know we will all enjoy.  

Next, take time to select varieties that will do well in cold growing conditions. Seed variety names like “Arctic King” or “Winter Blend” are good clues to cold-hardiness.  

Ready for a few easy-to-grow vegetable ideas for your fall garden? Keep in mind that this list is not at all exhaustive. I’ve suggested plants that have done well for me in my garden in Northeast Missouri. In planting a fall garden, I battle extreme heat, drought, and a fairly high pest load, so if I can grow a successful fall garden, I know you will be able to! 

Ten Easy to Grow Vegetables for your Fall Garden 

1) Lettuce 

Lettuce loves cool weather, so it’s a great choice for your fall garden. I have enjoyed picking salads from the garden through the end of December when I protect beds with floating row cover and clear plastic. 

2) Spinach 

If I had to pick one vegetable for my fall garden, it would be spinach. Enjoyed fresh or cooked, spinach thrives in cool weather, becoming even more sweet tasting after frost.  

3) Mustard Greens 

I like to add a few varieties of mustard greens to my salad blends, to add a bit of spicy kick. They endure the cold quite well, and grow quickly in the late summer and early fall. 

4) Cilantro 

Cilantro is a true cold weather plant that, in my zone 5B garden, will last well into the winter months, even without frost protection. I like to let cilantro re-seed itself by leaving plants in the ground to flower and produce seeds. In the spring, cilantro is often among the first plants to germinate.  

5) Garlic 

Homegrown garlic far exceeds the flavor of anything you will find at the grocery store. Its cold-hardiness makes it an excellent choice for your fall garden. Although you can also plant garlic in the spring, for a later summer harvest, my preferred method is to plant garlic in the fall and let it overwinter, harvesting it in late June. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Growing, Harvesting, and Storing Garlic for more detailed cultivation information! (https://homestead-honey.com/2015/06/21/growing-harvesting-and-storing-garlic/) 

6) Beets 

Beets are one of my favorite crops because you can enjoy the green tops and store the roots for months in cool storage. Beet seeds will need lots of consistent moisture to germinate, but they are a relatively easy and quick growing crop.  

10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Your Fall Garden This post has tons of great tips for a successful and easy fall gardening experience!

7) Mache 

Mache, also known as corn salad, is a cold-loving green that makes a lovely addition to salads. I will sow it in the fall for fresh eating, and again in the later fall to overwinter for early spring greens. 

8) Kale 

Kale is a powerhouse vegetable that grows year round, gets even sweeter after the first frost, and re-seeds itself in the garden. I love to plant Lacinato and Red Russian kale, but I’ve also heard great things about Vates. Sow your kale in succession from early spring through early fall for a variety of sizes for salads, smoothies, and stir-fries. 

9) Chinese Cabbage 

Chinese cabbage is one of my favorite cool weather vegetables. We sauté it in stir-fries and also enjoy it fermented into Kimchi.  

10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Your Fall Garden This post has tons of great tips for a successful and easy fall gardening experience!

10) Radishes 

For a quick-win fall crop, be sure to add radishes to your list. In fact, sow radish seeds every two weeks, and enjoy continual harvests.  

 

For more inspiration, pick up a few seed catalogs (High Mowing Seeds is a great one for fall gardening because they sell many cold-hardy and short season crops that do well in Northern Vermont) and start browsing!

Use this list as a jumping off point, and dive into Homestead Honey’s Guide to Fall Gardening Ebook for more detailed guidance on how to plant a successful and bountiful fall garden. Happy growing! 

Get Homestead Honey's Guide to Fall Gardening! Such a great resource for a successful and fun fall garden!

Wildflowers, this ebook has me thinking of all the ways I CAN garden…I’m so inspired that my husband is going to think I’ve lost my mind! Teri makes a daunting process much simpler and I know so many of you would love to dive in with her to eat fresh, home grown veggies all year long. Imagine the money you’ll save! Get the ebook here!

Teri Page is the creator of Homestead Honey (https://homestead-honey.com) where she writes about gardening, homesteading, fermentation, foraging, and off the grid living. She is the author of Family Homesteading, which is now available for pre-order (https://amzn.to/2O1EpFK)! Teri is also a life and business coach who enjoys working with women who are ready to live their homestead dream!

Get Homestead Honey's Guide to Fall Gardening! Such a great resource for a successful and fun fall garden!

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

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Growing microgreen sprouts in a mason jar is easy and inexpensive – even for someone with no green thumb! This tutorial has a few pro tips to ensure you grow tasty, nutritious sprouts in a simple canning jar. Read on to learn how to grow sprouts in a jar! 

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar | Super simple tutorial with a few pro tips for making this inexpensive, nutritious microgreen in a regular mason jar!

This post contains affiliate links.

When I was growing up in my very rural community, fresh greens out of season were hardly available, and if they were, my frugal mama wasn’t about to purchase them. Mom grew sprouts in a jar often and they were an incredibly cheap way to add crisp flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, and more.

I’ll admit right here that despite being a canning blogger, I’m no gardener. I have a hard time keeping any plant alive but I can grow these little babies easily. Growing sprouts in a jar are easy with the tips that follow below!

My mom used to get her seeds from the little local grocery or feed store, and you could as well, but the sprouts I used and am so happy with are from Sustainable Sprout. I LOVE their range of options- you could choose a mild mix (if you are living the picky child life like me) a spicy mix for more flavor, radish or broccoli (I did broccoli for my first batch and my kids even liked it…but I did NOT reveal that it was broccoli. They are just sprouts, ‘k?)

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar Growing microgreen sprouts in a mason jar is easy and inexpensive - even for someone with no green thumb! This tutorial has a few pro tips to ensure you grow tasty, nutritious sprouts in a simple canning jar. When I was growing up in my very rural community, fresh greens out of season were hardly available, and if they were, my frugal mama wasn’t about to purchase them. Mom grew sprouts in a jar often and they were an incredibly cheap way to add crisp flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, and more. I’ll admit right here that despite being a canning blogger, I’m no gardener. I have a hard time keeping anything alive but I can grow these little babies easily. Growing sprouts in a jar is easy with the tips that follow! My mom used to get her seeds from the little local grocery or feed store, and you could as well, but the sprouts I used and am so happy with are from Sustainable Sprout. I LOVE their range of options- you could choose a mild mix (if you are living the picky child life like me) a spicy mix for more flavor, radish or broccoli (I did broccoli for my first batch and my kids even liked it...but I did NOT reveal that it was broccoli. They are just sprouts, ‘k?) How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar You’ll need a packet (or 2 or 10- might as well stock up because you’ll be making this weekly probably) of seeds A jar A 6 inch square of nylon - as in, from a pair you used to wear but got a run in. My mom always used nylon and it drys faster than cheesecloth (a perfectly acceptable substitute) and drains the jar easily. Drying quickly is desirable because it limits bacteria growth and nylons (or thin tights!) are perfect for that. Place 1 tablespoon of seeds (half a packet!) in the bottom of a perfectly clean quart (4 cup) mason jar. I like using the wide mouth jars for when the sprouts are ready to pull out- it’s easier to reach in to remove them than in a regular mouth jar. Place the nylon or double layer of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw on the ring. Fill with water, swish, and drain. Pro Tip: If at all possible, prop the jar in a small casserole dish, or in a saucer with the back end of the jar on a spare canning jar ring so that the bit of water that remains after the twice daily rinsing drains properly. Having this little saucer set up on the counter will save you time and prevent your seeds from having too much water. After you’ve rinsed your seeds the first time, let them rest inverted in the above described set up until evening. Rinse again before bed/after you wash evening dishes/some time at the end of the day. Rinse seeds (which is essentially watering them) twice daily. They should be left to rest in a warm spot if possible- 70 degrees is ideal. I’ve made these once in the winter and I think they didn’t sprout because the spot I had them sitting was too dark and cold. Remember: seeds sprout in the springtime, so you are recreating that in your jar, to some extent. Warm, sunny, and twice daily rinsing will yield germinated (aka sprouted) seeds in a few days, and you’ll be able to watch the seeds grow before your eyes over the course of 5-8 days. If the nylon or cheesecloth smells funky, swap it out and wash in the washing machine. When the sprouts have filled the jar in volume and/or the sprouts look like something you want to eat in color and size, pull them out. I let my sprouts sit in a colander for a few minutes to get any remaining water out of them and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

You’ll need a packet (or 2 or 10- might as well stock up because you’ll be making this weekly probably) of seeds

A wide mouth quart jar

A 6 inch square of nylon – as in, from a pair you used to wear but got a run in. My mom always used nylon and it drys faster than cheesecloth (a perfectly acceptable substitute) and drains the jar easily. Drying quickly is desirable because it limits bacteria growth and nylons (or thin tights!) are perfect for that.

Place 1 tablespoon of seeds (about half a packet!) in the bottom of a perfectly clean quart (4 cups) mason jar. I like using the wide mouth jars for when the sprouts are ready to pull out- it’s easier to reach in to remove them than in a regular mouth jar. Place the nylon or double layer of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw on the ring. Fill with water, swish, and drain.

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar Growing microgreen sprouts in a mason jar is easy and inexpensive - even for someone with no green thumb! This tutorial has a few pro tips to ensure you grow tasty, nutritious sprouts in a simple canning jar. When I was growing up in my very rural community, fresh greens out of season were hardly available, and if they were, my frugal mama wasn’t about to purchase them. Mom grew sprouts in a jar often and they were an incredibly cheap way to add crisp flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, and more. I’ll admit right here that despite being a canning blogger, I’m no gardener. I have a hard time keeping anything alive but I can grow these little babies easily. Growing sprouts in a jar is easy with the tips that follow! My mom used to get her seeds from the little local grocery or feed store, and you could as well, but the sprouts I used and am so happy with are from Sustainable Sprout. I LOVE their range of options- you could choose a mild mix (if you are living the picky child life like me) a spicy mix for more flavor, radish or broccoli (I did broccoli for my first batch and my kids even liked it...but I did NOT reveal that it was broccoli. They are just sprouts, ‘k?) How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar You’ll need a packet (or 2 or 10- might as well stock up because you’ll be making this weekly probably) of seeds A jar A 6 inch square of nylon - as in, from a pair you used to wear but got a run in. My mom always used nylon and it drys faster than cheesecloth (a perfectly acceptable substitute) and drains the jar easily. Drying quickly is desirable because it limits bacteria growth and nylons (or thin tights!) are perfect for that. Place 1 tablespoon of seeds (half a packet!) in the bottom of a perfectly clean quart (4 cup) mason jar. I like using the wide mouth jars for when the sprouts are ready to pull out- it’s easier to reach in to remove them than in a regular mouth jar. Place the nylon or double layer of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw on the ring. Fill with water, swish, and drain. Pro Tip: If at all possible, prop the jar in a small casserole dish, or in a saucer with the back end of the jar on a spare canning jar ring so that the bit of water that remains after the twice daily rinsing drains properly. Having this little saucer set up on the counter will save you time and prevent your seeds from having too much water. After you’ve rinsed your seeds the first time, let them rest inverted in the above described set up until evening. Rinse again before bed/after you wash evening dishes/some time at the end of the day. Rinse seeds (which is essentially watering them) twice daily. They should be left to rest in a warm spot if possible- 70 degrees is ideal. I’ve made these once in the winter and I think they didn’t sprout because the spot I had them sitting was too dark and cold. Remember: seeds sprout in the springtime, so you are recreating that in your jar, to some extent. Warm, sunny, and twice daily rinsing will yield germinated (aka sprouted) seeds in a few days, and you’ll be able to watch the seeds grow before your eyes over the course of 5-8 days. If the nylon or cheesecloth smells funky, swap it out and wash in the washing machine. When the sprouts have filled the jar in volume and/or the sprouts look like something you want to eat in color and size, pull them out. I let my sprouts sit in a colander for a few minutes to get any remaining water out of them and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Pro Tip: If at all possible, prop the jar in a small casserole dish, or in a saucer with the back end of the jar on a spare canning jar ring so that the bit of water that remains after the twice-daily rinsing drains properly. Having this little saucer set up on the counter will save you time and prevent your seeds from having too much water.

After you’ve rinsed your seeds the first time, let them rest inverted in the above-described set-up until evening. Rinse again before bed/after you wash evening dishes/some time at the end of the day.

Rinse seeds (which is essentially watering them) twice daily. They should be left to rest in a warm spot if possible- 70 degrees is ideal. I’ve made these once in the winter and I think they didn’t sprout because the spot I had them sitting was too dark and cold. Remember: seeds sprout in the springtime, so you are recreating that in your jar, to some extent. Warm, sunny, and twice daily rinsing will yield germinated (aka sprouted) seeds in a few days, and you’ll be able to watch the seeds grow before your eyes over the course of 5-8 days. If the nylon or cheesecloth smells funky, swap it out and wash in hot water in the washing machine. When the sprouts have filled the jar in volume and/or the sprouts look like something you want to eat in color and size, pull them out.

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar Growing microgreen sprouts in a mason jar is easy and inexpensive - even for someone with no green thumb! This tutorial has a few pro tips to ensure you grow tasty, nutritious sprouts in a simple canning jar. When I was growing up in my very rural community, fresh greens out of season were hardly available, and if they were, my frugal mama wasn’t about to purchase them. Mom grew sprouts in a jar often and they were an incredibly cheap way to add crisp flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, and more. I’ll admit right here that despite being a canning blogger, I’m no gardener. I have a hard time keeping anything alive but I can grow these little babies easily. Growing sprouts in a jar is easy with the tips that follow! My mom used to get her seeds from the little local grocery or feed store, and you could as well, but the sprouts I used and am so happy with are from Sustainable Sprout. I LOVE their range of options- you could choose a mild mix (if you are living the picky child life like me) a spicy mix for more flavor, radish or broccoli (I did broccoli for my first batch and my kids even liked it...but I did NOT reveal that it was broccoli. They are just sprouts, ‘k?) How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar You’ll need a packet (or 2 or 10- might as well stock up because you’ll be making this weekly probably) of seeds A jar A 6 inch square of nylon - as in, from a pair you used to wear but got a run in. My mom always used nylon and it drys faster than cheesecloth (a perfectly acceptable substitute) and drains the jar easily. Drying quickly is desirable because it limits bacteria growth and nylons (or thin tights!) are perfect for that. Place 1 tablespoon of seeds (half a packet!) in the bottom of a perfectly clean quart (4 cup) mason jar. I like using the wide mouth jars for when the sprouts are ready to pull out- it’s easier to reach in to remove them than in a regular mouth jar. Place the nylon or double layer of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw on the ring. Fill with water, swish, and drain. Pro Tip: If at all possible, prop the jar in a small casserole dish, or in a saucer with the back end of the jar on a spare canning jar ring so that the bit of water that remains after the twice daily rinsing drains properly. Having this little saucer set up on the counter will save you time and prevent your seeds from having too much water. After you’ve rinsed your seeds the first time, let them rest inverted in the above described set up until evening. Rinse again before bed/after you wash evening dishes/some time at the end of the day. Rinse seeds (which is essentially watering them) twice daily. They should be left to rest in a warm spot if possible- 70 degrees is ideal. I’ve made these once in the winter and I think they didn’t sprout because the spot I had them sitting was too dark and cold. Remember: seeds sprout in the springtime, so you are recreating that in your jar, to some extent. Warm, sunny, and twice daily rinsing will yield germinated (aka sprouted) seeds in a few days, and you’ll be able to watch the seeds grow before your eyes over the course of 5-8 days. If the nylon or cheesecloth smells funky, swap it out and wash in the washing machine. When the sprouts have filled the jar in volume and/or the sprouts look like something you want to eat in color and size, pull them out. I let my sprouts sit in a colander for a few minutes to get any remaining water out of them and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

I let my sprouts sit in a colander for a few minutes to get any remaining water out of them and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

I added mine to a chicken salad and they are amazing on a BLT…hold the L 😉

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar Growing microgreen sprouts in a mason jar is easy and inexpensive - even for someone with no green thumb! This tutorial has a few pro tips to ensure you grow tasty, nutritious sprouts in a simple canning jar. When I was growing up in my very rural community, fresh greens out of season were hardly available, and if they were, my frugal mama wasn’t about to purchase them. Mom grew sprouts in a jar often and they were an incredibly cheap way to add crisp flavor and texture to salads, sandwiches, and more. I’ll admit right here that despite being a canning blogger, I’m no gardener. I have a hard time keeping anything alive but I can grow these little babies easily. Growing sprouts in a jar is easy with the tips that follow! My mom used to get her seeds from the little local grocery or feed store, and you could as well, but the sprouts I used and am so happy with are from Sustainable Sprout. I LOVE their range of options- you could choose a mild mix (if you are living the picky child life like me) a spicy mix for more flavor, radish or broccoli (I did broccoli for my first batch and my kids even liked it...but I did NOT reveal that it was broccoli. They are just sprouts, ‘k?) How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar You’ll need a packet (or 2 or 10- might as well stock up because you’ll be making this weekly probably) of seeds A jar A 6 inch square of nylon - as in, from a pair you used to wear but got a run in. My mom always used nylon and it drys faster than cheesecloth (a perfectly acceptable substitute) and drains the jar easily. Drying quickly is desirable because it limits bacteria growth and nylons (or thin tights!) are perfect for that. Place 1 tablespoon of seeds (half a packet!) in the bottom of a perfectly clean quart (4 cup) mason jar. I like using the wide mouth jars for when the sprouts are ready to pull out- it’s easier to reach in to remove them than in a regular mouth jar. Place the nylon or double layer of cheesecloth over the top of the jar and screw on the ring. Fill with water, swish, and drain. Pro Tip: If at all possible, prop the jar in a small casserole dish, or in a saucer with the back end of the jar on a spare canning jar ring so that the bit of water that remains after the twice daily rinsing drains properly. Having this little saucer set up on the counter will save you time and prevent your seeds from having too much water. After you’ve rinsed your seeds the first time, let them rest inverted in the above described set up until evening. Rinse again before bed/after you wash evening dishes/some time at the end of the day. Rinse seeds (which is essentially watering them) twice daily. They should be left to rest in a warm spot if possible- 70 degrees is ideal. I’ve made these once in the winter and I think they didn’t sprout because the spot I had them sitting was too dark and cold. Remember: seeds sprout in the springtime, so you are recreating that in your jar, to some extent. Warm, sunny, and twice daily rinsing will yield germinated (aka sprouted) seeds in a few days, and you’ll be able to watch the seeds grow before your eyes over the course of 5-8 days. If the nylon or cheesecloth smells funky, swap it out and wash in the washing machine. When the sprouts have filled the jar in volume and/or the sprouts look like something you want to eat in color and size, pull them out. I let my sprouts sit in a colander for a few minutes to get any remaining water out of them and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Have you made sprouts like this? Let me know in the comments, Wildflowers! If you’re looking for more fresh recipes, check out my NO-COOK Strawberry Pineapple Shrub!

How to Adjust for Altitude When Canning

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Adjusting the processing time of your canning recipe based on your elevation or altitude sounds scary and is enough to make a beginning canner back up her canning jars and stick to freezer jam. Adjusting for altitude is actually very simple, and this post will explain exactly how to make the time adjustments so you know you are canning safely!

How to Adjust for Altitude When Canning This post explains how to adjust your processing times clearly, and there's a great visual guide in the post as well!

Adjusting for altitude when canning:

This is not as scary as it sounds. For every 1000 feet that you live (and thus are canning) above sea level, add 5 minutes to the processing time (the time the jars filled with food are in the boiling water bath or on the steam canner). We add additional time, as per official recommendations, to ensure that the food inside the jar is at the proper temperature for the correct length of time to kill spoilers. For example, those canning at 3000 feet elevation will add 15 minutes (5 minutes per each 1000 feet increment!) of processing time to all their canning recipes- go ahead and pencil in the additional time on all the recipes in your favorite cookbooks, Dear Reader! That way you won’t ever forget.

 

Why we have to adjust for altitude when canning:

It takes longer for water to boil the farther up in elevation you are, and the same is true for the contents of your canning jar. The inside of your canning jar takes longer (5 minutes longer per every 1000 feet!) to come to a boil and thus kill spoilers and force the oxygen OUT of the jar and create that nice seal we love to hear “ping!”

 

Which recipes need to be adjusted for altitude:

All canning recipes need to be adjusted. All of them 🙂 You’ll notice that on your box of muffin mix, there’s additional cooking time for higher elevations…everything takes a bit longer in the mountains!

 

How to adjust for altitude:

Add 5 minutes of processing time (once the hot jars full of hot food is submerged in the boiling water bath) to the time in the recipe. For example, if the recipe for jam says to process for 10 minutes, and you live at 2000 feet elevation, then you’ll be processing for a total of 20 minutes. 10 minutes is the base time, PLUS 5 minutes for each 1000 feet.

 

I made this beautiful, FREE, PDF printable for you to download so you can have a handy visual guide for adjusting for altitude. This would be especially helpful if you can in different locations (your summer vacation place versus your home, your hometown versus current home, etc.) Download it HERE and never wonder how to adjust for altitude again!

How to Adjust for Altitude When Canning This post explains how to adjust your processing times clearly, and there's a great visual guide in the post as well!

Want to learn more about the basics of canning? I have a FREE Canning Basics Course that I want to invite you to join. I’ll pop in your inbox with high value lessons to get you started canning the easy way! Sign up here!

Looking for more beginner-friendly canning posts?

How to Prepare for Canning Season

The Canning Essentials Workbook

Carrot Pickles

Do You Need to Use Pickling Salt?

Fast Raspberry Jam Recipe

How to Adjust for Altitude When Canning This post explains how to adjust your processing times clearly, and there's a great visual guide in the post as well!

 

 

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Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe

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Strawberry Champagne Jam is THE jam to make to celebrate, to give as a gift, and to savor the flavor of spring. This post will explain how to make the Strawberry Champagne Jam so you can eat it fresh, it will give clear, beginner friendly canning directions for how to preserve it in canning jars (even if you never have before!) so you can enjoy it later, and will link to the best jars for gifting this super special jam! Read on for the recipe- it is much easier than you think and there are a few simple pro tips for keeping that champagne flavor in the jar!

I wrote a post about how to can for party favors where I shared making raspberry champagne jam for my dear friend’s bridal shower, and I got a lot of questions about how I made that jam.

Canning For Party Favors | Read how you can preserve jam, salsa, and other delicious treats easily for the guests at your next bridal shower, baby shower, or other party! Canning for party favors is genius- it saves time and money and is beautiful!

Including champagne is fun because it adds a layer of celebration and festivity to your preserve but it is a little tricky because the flavor cooks off really quickly so I had to make several batches to figure out the best, most reliable way of including the champagne at the last minute without making the jam too thin. The result is my family has tons of this jam on the shelf (yay us!) and the following recipe.

I use the extra big bottles of Cook’s champagne because it is frequently on sale for $10 at my local grocer and I usually am making many batches. YOU can use whatever champagne you’d like. You only need 1 cup, and it doesn’t have to be fizzy anymore so flat champagne or flat sparkling white wine or rose is fine. Leave red wine for a beef bourguignon recipe.

If you’ve clicked over to this recipe, but aren’t sure how to can, don’t worry! I have a completely free Canning Basics email course you can sign up for that will teach you exactly what to do!

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Enroll in this FREE Canning Basics Course and learn from an expert the 3 areas that are the most difficult for newbies!

I’d like to receive the free canning basics email course; that way I can learn from my inbox too!

Pro Tip: Be completely ready to put the preserve into the canning jars when you add the champagne + pectin mixture into the berries. You want to pour it in, give a quick stir, and start ladling it into jars. BEFORE you add it, the jars should be hot (or warm if you are using a steam canner), you should have your ladle, canning funnel, jar lifter, and jars already.

Which Canning Jars Should You Use? 

This recipe, in particular, is very giftable, full of spring flavor, and is a pretty red-pink color. I would encourage you to can it in small half pints like these, which hold one measuring cup of a jam if you intend to keep it yourself.

I find those to be infinitely useful in my kitchen, and very easy to clean. I also buy them very often from Amazon and

I’ve yet to have any arrive broken. Winning!

If you are giving these as shower favors, I would suggest these awesome options for jars.

These Elite Collection jars are different looking, still hold one measuring cup of jam, and aren’t as readily found in stores. I LOVE them and you will too.

These are a more classic, quilted style jar, with a regular size lid, as opposed to the wide mouth of the above styles. They are also a half pint, holding 1 measuring cup of jam, and are easy to clean. My kids drink out of this daily, too 🙂

These are a classic, rounded side, jam-style jar, that takes a regular mouth lid as well. They really say, “jam” and are beautiful of course. They hold 8 ounces, which is 1 measuring cup, which is 1 half pint. 🙂

The BEST Jars:

Finally, the smallest jars of all. These 4-ounce canning jars are amazing because they take a regular size lid (so handy!) and are perfect for things like hot sauce, salsa, or other rich or spicy recipes. They make it practical to gift a home-canned item at a large gathering because it’s about 1-2 serving sizes (my husband and I use probably 3 of the four ounces of jam total on our French toast, for example).

A Note About Liquid Pectin:

In most of my jam recipes, I use powdered pectin simply because it is inexpensive and I’ve never had any trouble using it or whisking it smoothly into my jam to thicken it. That said, I chose to use the slightly more expensive (hardly so– it’s just a few dollars a package) liquid pectin to thicken the champagne BEFORE incorporating into the berries. This technique works well and I think you’ll find it to be very easy indeed.

Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe

You will need 
8 cups strawberries, washed and chopped
1 1/2 cups water
6 cups sugar
1 cup champagne, poured into 4 cup bowl, foam and fizz allowed to settle
1  3 oz pouch liquid pectin

1. Prepare your water bath canning pot or your steam canner. Fill the water bath canning pot with water, add 8 half pint jars, or 14 tiny 4-ounce jars and bring to a boil OR fill the steam canner to fill line and turn on low with the 8-pint jars nearby on a towel-covered countertop.

2. Combine strawberries and water and simmer together in a preserving pan (a heavy-bottomed, wide pan) and stir occasionally for 15 minutes. Mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher when berries are soft.

3. Optional: Remove from heat and ladle into a food mill fitted with a medium plate. Process jam through for a super smooth jam.

4. Return strawberries to a boil, add sugar and cook on low while you complete the next step.

5. Whisk pectin into champagne, noticing as you whisk that the pectin will thicken the champagne to the consistency of thin pancake syrup. Add champagne mixture to strawberries, reduce heat to very low, and immediately proceed to the next step.

5. Ladle into jars one at a time, apply lids and rings, and either submerge into the boiling water of the boiling water bath with a jar lifter  OR set gently on the rack of the steam canner.

6. Process for 10 minutes PLUS 5 minutes for every 1000 ft above sea level. Remove from heat, rest jars carefully on the towel-covered countertop. Label cooled jars and store for up to 1 year.

Yields 8 cups Strawberry Champagne Jam

Helpful Strawberry Champagne Jam Resources:

Print the free version of this Strawberry Champagne Jam Recipe right here!

Need the No-Frills Canning Equipment List? Download it for free right here:

Canning Equipment List

Canning pot and lifter jars instagram Download the completely free Canning Equipment Checklist!

I’d like to receive the free canning basics email course too!

Have you put that handy dandy Canning Equipment Checklist to good use yet? Want to take your canning education to the next level? Head to www.startcanning.com and enroll in the E course for busy beginners!

Wondering about the steam canner I refer to? Read this post here to learn about the fastest way to can.

Want to know more about the food mill I reference above in the recipe? I have a post all about how they are one of my favorite tools for the smoothest jam around! 

More Strawberry Recipes:

If you love strawberries, you’ll love my Canning Strawberries Recipe Book!

Canning Strawberries Recipe Book

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What Is a Food Mill?

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A food mill is an incredibly versatile kitchen tool that I use all the time in canning applications. This post will explain how to use one, the types of recipes you can use to make the most of a food mill, and why you will love a food mill! 

What is a Food Mill: How to Use One to Preserve Super Smooth Preserves Quickly and Easily!

This post contains affiliate links.

I’m not a gadget girl at all, and in my tiny kitchen, I’m very selective about the types of gear I allow into my space. A food mill would make the cut, again and again, because of how useful it is, in and out of the canning space.

A food mill basically presses food- fresh or cooked- against a plate with holes in it- so that what falls through is perfectly seed, skin, and tough-stuff-free puree and what remains up top in the hopper is refuse. They are amazing, and you need one.

I use my food mill to make super smooth, almost seedless jam (that’s right-nearly seedless!) really easy, perfect applesauce (the easy part is not having to peel (yawn!) every apple first), and any recipe -canning or otherwise- where you want a fast, smooth result. 

I also LOVE that the food mill is NOT an electric appliance. This food mill is simply 3 metal pieces that fit together and I feel confident that they will continue to work (read: not suddenly quit working like a blender might) forever.

Cleaning Your Food Mill

The refuse in the top hopper is compost gold, and I usually scoop it out with my hands. To be fair, I’m a mom of small children, one of whom is a boy, so very little grosses me out. The peels and seeds can be wet and slimy so you could use a spatula if you still have some kitchen dignity. I have none when it comes to wet and slimy peels so I remove them with my hands and then unclip the top blade (I am calling this a blade very loosely. It isn’t sharp- it presses the food into the holes of the plate, like a presser foot of a sewing machine presses. It’s kind of like a snow plow blade.) and then remove the rest of the peels, seeds, etc from the blade and hopper. The plate easily pops out with a little pressure from below and I recommend removing as much as you can manually (which won’t take long) before using the faucet to rinse the rest away.

PRO TIP: Of all the things you clean in a canning project, let this be the first. Dried on food on a food mill is a real bear. The preserving pan can soak clean, as can the funnel and ladle, but the food mill is a pain to clean the day after.

Which Food Mill Should I Choose?

I have this food mill. It’s lime green accents tell you it is part of the baby food making kit from Oxo. This simply means it is slightly smaller than the black-accented one. I LOVE that the legs have the grips- it is part of the Oxo “Good Grips” line (this is not a sponsored post, by the way) because having the legs firmly stationary on the bowl is very helpful. It comes with 3 plates (the same way a box grater has different sizes to yield different size slices of cheese) which I think is really important. I would recommend this food mill again and again.

The only other style of mill I would suggest, based on ease of cleaning, ease of use, and quality of puree, would be this stainless steel model by Weston that also has 3 plates. It is dishwasher safe (I put my Oxo on the top rack of mine sometimes but I probably shouldn’t) and being all metal means it probably will last FOREVER. It interestingly has no legs- this means you’d have to set it directly into a bowl or saucepan that fit nicely around the mill and that potentially could be very nice from the ease of work standpoint. It is also affordable (as is the Oxo) and works the same way.

What about the old-style Squeezo Strainers?

Invariably, an experienced canner in your life will suggest to you (or even give to you- for free maybe!) an older style Squeezo Strainer (or similar brand). They look like this.

The cone-shaped part on the counter does the same job as the plates in the Oxo or Weston mills except they are harder to clean. The Squeezo Strainer is more expensive- new $200- and you have to clip it to a countertop or table. They are indeed high quality, have been trusted for many years by canners, and are all metal (except for that little bit of plastic on the handle).

Which Should You Use?

I prefer a food mill because they are easier to clean and the capacity is the same or greater- the hopper on the Squeezo above is 2.5 quarts and the Oxo food mill is 3 quarts. It IS nice to have a very firm and stable base onto which you are milling, and the Squeezo style definitely good for that, especially if you clamp it to a countertop. To me, the Oxo food mill wins because it is so easy to clean and is less expensive.

Now, if you are given a free or cheap Squeezo – style strainer then use it! Understand that they do the same thing. They work in the same way and I’d encourage anyone to use a tool that was available affordably first.

What Other Canning Equipment Do I Need?

I have a rad little no-frills Canning Equipment Checklist you can download and print off (or just view from your computer or phone!) for free right here!

Are You a Canning Newbie?

If you are still learning the canning ropes, I want to invite you to my completely FREE Canning Basics Course! I’ll pop into your email inbox with little lessons so you can put jars on your shelf!

Other Helpful Posts

I wrote a pair of posts I think you will find really valuable: Best Home Canning Equipment for a Beginner and Canning Equipment for an Experienced Canner. Choose your own adventure, Wildflowers!

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