StickerYou Blog

Looking for a new hobby on a tight budget? Canning homemade food preserves like jam and honey is a cheap, quick and easy way to have fun in the kitchen. With Fall just around the corner, now is the perfect time to give it a try! Not only are food preserves perfect for the family, but they also make awesome gifts so you can wow everyone with your new hobby and be the coolest on the block. You can even start your own food preserves business straight from your kitchen!

Whether it's jammed, jellied, spread, pickled, or honeyed, we've got a special way to add an extra touch to your homemade food preserves this canning season with custom food labels. Tip: Add a jar, spice, honey, or sauce label to personalize your food preserve gifts or to brand your homemade products. StickerYou labels are:

• Freezer safe so you can keep your preserves fresh in the freezer
• Waterproof
• Removable without leaving sticky residue for jar reuse
• Writeable with dry-erase markers to write best-before dates and personalized touches
• Available in a bunch of awesome template designs or you can upload your own
• Priced from as low as $9.99 and require no minimum order!

Here are some easy beginner recipes to wow your friends with tasty gifts on the cheap or to start a preserved goods business from your very own kitchen:

Freezer Jam

What you need:

• 5 cups crushed fruit (3 lb. for plum, peach or nectarine jam, or 2 ½ lb. for berries)
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup powdered no-sugar-needed pectin

Directions:
1. Thoroughly sanitize and dry seven 8-ounce glass jars.
2. Combine fruit and lemon juice in a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin.
4. Add sugar and pectin to fruit mixture, stirring until sugar mixture completely dissolves and fruit returns to a full boil.
5. Boil 1 minute then remove from heat.
6. Transfer jam to jars, leaving a ½” space on top.
7. Seal and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours until jam has set. The jam can now be frozen and kept for 6 months.

Source: Everyday Food, September 2011

Pickled Kale

What you need:

• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• ¼ cup vinegar
• Handful of peppercorns
• 6 large kale leaves

Directions:
1. Thoroughly sanitize and dry your pickling jar.
2. Combine water, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.
4. Add kale leaves and peppercorns into pickling jar.
5. Pour brine liquid in the jar over the kale and seal the jar.
6. Refrigerate for at least two days before eating.

Source: Go Healthy NY, August 2011

Apple Butter

What you need:

• ¾ cup apple cider
• 6 apples
• 2 tsp allspice
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Peel, core, and cut apples into quarters.
2. Combine apples and apple cider in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally until apples are soft, for about 30 minutes.
4. Purée apple mixture in a food processor until texture is uniform.
5. Spray insides of crockpot with cooking spray.
6. Pour mixture into the crockpot. Stir in sugar and spices.
7. Cook covered for 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low until mixture is dark brown.
8. Transfer mixture into jars and freeze leftovers.

Source: Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, October 2011

We’d love to see your delicious canning creations! Share a picture of your StickerYou custom labeled Fall preserves with us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram at @StickerYou or #StickerYou.