For a single mom managing a household on a tight budget, canning and preserving food is not just an old-fashioned skill but a financially savvy strategy. This method allows for buying in bulk and seasonal produce at lower prices to be preserved and enjoyed throughout the year. It means fewer trips to the grocery store, savings on out-of-season produce, and a reduction in food waste, as even surplus garden produce can be canned for future use. This practice not only stretches grocery dollars but also helps improve our family’s access to healthy foods.
Canning and preserving food has been around for centuries as a way to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. However, in recent years, it has become more popular among budget-conscious households due to its cost-effective benefits.
One major advantage of canning and preserving is the ability to buy in bulk. This means purchasing a larger quantity of produce at a lower cost per unit, which can result in significant savings over time.

Grandma’s Bread and Butter Pickles
When it comes to growing cucumbers, my mom and I have a pretty clear plan in mind: the vast majority are destined to become our favorite dill pickles. There’s just something about that tangy, garlicky crunch that we can’t get enough of, especially when they’re fresh out of the jar. But, as every gardener knows,…

Homestead Sweet Pickled Beets: Easy and Delicious!
As summer winds down and the first hints of frost start to whisper through the garden, there’s a special tradition in our family that marks the changing seasons: making sweet pickled beets. While my kids rave about their beloved dill pickles, for me, there’s no contest—sweet pickled beets are the true star of the show….

The Perfect Crunchy Dill Pickles Recipe
When I first decided to embark on the journey of making my own dill pickles, I had no idea how many recipes were out there. From family hand-me-downs to modern twists on old classics, the sheer volume of options was overwhelming. But I was determined to find—or create—a dill pickle recipe that suited my tastes…
Decadent Delight: Chocolate Raspberry Jam
Have you ever wondered what happens when you mix the tart sweetness of raspberries with the rich depth of dark chocolate? Let me introduce you to my latest kitchen triumph: Chocolate Raspberry Jam! This divine creation takes my classic raspberry jam recipe to an entirely new level, infusing it with luxurious dark unsweetened chocolate. The…
Simple Spiced Peach Butter Recipe (or No Spice – You Choose!)
Welcome, frugal food lovers! Today, we’re making a delightful homemade preserve that will quickly become a kitchen favorite: Spiced Peach Butter. If you loved my easy homemade peach jam, you’re going to adore this recipe. It’s packed with the rich, concentrated flavor of ripe peaches, enhanced with a touch of warming spices. Plus, it has…
Homemade Pear Jam: A Taste of Summer in a Jar
Summer brings with it a variety of delicious fruits, each offering a unique taste of the season’s warmth and bounty. Among these treasures are pears, often overshadowed by their more common counterparts but no less deserving of a place in our kitchens. Like peaches, pears are a seasonal gem not readily available locally in the…
Why Carrot Cake Jam Should Be Your Next Kitchen Adventure
I couldn’t believe it the first time I tried carrot cake jam. Yes, you read that right—carrot cake jam! The concept sounded almost too good to be true, but let me assure you, this delightful spread tastes just like a slice of carrot cake. The spices, the carrots, the sweetness—it all comes together in a…
Bumbleberry Jam: A Berry Medley for Your Pantry
When summer’s bounty graces your kitchen, it often brings a unique challenge: a handful of this, a smattering of that, and never quite enough of any one fruit to make a proper batch of jam. Enter bumbleberry, the perfect solution for your leftover fruit collection. With its vibrant color and rich, multifaceted flavor, bumbleberry jam…
Homemade Mango Jam: A Year-Round Delicious Delight
If there’s one thing that brings a burst of sunshine to any meal, it’s the delightful taste of mango jam. This golden-hued preserve is not only incredibly delicious but also versatile and easy to make any time of the year. Here at Pennywise Plates, we’re all about maximizing flavor while minimizing costs, and mango jam…
A Perfect Blend: Blueberry Peach Jam
At Pennywise Plates, we love experimenting with new flavor combinations, especially when it comes to our favorite jams. One of our latest and most delightful creations is Blueberry Peach Jam. This unique blend of sweet, juicy peaches and tart blueberries creates a flavor profile that’s both refreshing and irresistible. While neither peaches nor blueberries are…
Spicing Up Tradition: Ginger Bourbon Peach Jam
Peach jam is a staple in our household, with its sweet, sun-kissed flavor capturing the essence of summer. While we don’t live in a region where peaches grow freely, we’ve found ways to keep this delightful preserve in our pantry year-round. Today, I’m excited to share a twist on our traditional peach jam recipe that…
The Pennywise Peach Jam Recipe
Peach jam holds a special place in our hearts. Its sun-kissed sweetness and fragrant aroma evoke memories of long summer days, even in the depths of winter. While our climate doesn’t bless us with peach trees, we’ve found ways to keep peach jam a staple in our pantry, thanks to some strategic penny-pinching and a…
Why Sour Cherry Jam Deserves a Spot in Your Pantry
There’s something incredibly satisfying about homemade jam. For me, sour cherry jam holds a special place in my heart and on my taste buds. Its tangy, slightly tart flavor balanced with just the right amount of sweetness makes it one of my personal favorites. Whether spread on warm toast, swirled into yogurt, or used as…
Methods of Extracting Juice for Crabapple (Apple) Jelly
When it comes to making crabapple (apple) jelly, extracting juice can be accomplished in a couple of ways: boiling and straining, or using a steam juicer. Each method has its own merits and can yield excellent results. Boiling and Straining to extract Apple Juice The boiling and straining method is a traditional approach that many…
Harvesting the Sweetness: Making Crabapple or Apple Jelly
In the realm of homemade preserves, few things match the satisfaction of crafting your own jelly. Today, I’m excited to share a recipe that’s become a summertime tradition in my household: Crabapple or Apple Jelly. This delightful spread is as versatile as it is delicious, and the best part? The main ingredient is often free!…
Strawberry Pineapple Jam: A Delightful Twist on a Classic Favorite
As a self-proclaimed jam enthusiast, there’s nothing I love more than turning fresh, ripe fruits into delicious jams that my family and friends can enjoy year-round. And that includes strawberry pineapple jam. Every summer, you’ll find me scouring farmers’ markets and local farms for the freshest fruits, knowing that they’ll soon be bubbling away in…
Making Memories with Saskatoon Berry Jam
There’s something truly special about the summertime canning rotation, where certain fruits become synonymous with specific seasons. For our family, just like chokecherries, saskatoons were an essential part of our canning tradition. [Saskatoon berries are also known as Amelanchier, Serviceberry, Shadblow, or Juneberry. But where I live, everyone knows them as Saskatoons.] The process of…
Pineapple Rhubarb Jam: A Sweet and Tangy Delight
Ah, summer! That wonderful time of year when the garden is overflowing with fresh produce, and my biggest challenge is figuring out how to make use of it all. Right now, it’s rhubarb season, and let me tell you, I have access to sooooo much free rhubarb. Friends, neighbors, and even my own little patch…
Pennywise Plates Strawberry Jam Recipe
Strawberry jam is a favorite in our household, but sourcing fresh strawberries can sometimes be a bit of a challenge. Unfortunately, I don’t have a secret strawberry patch that magically supplies me with an endless amount of free berries. But I do have an awesome strawberry jam recipe! [While you are here, you might want…
A Pennywise Guide to Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Rhubarb season is one of my absolute favorites. There’s something incredibly satisfying about harvesting those vibrant red stalks from the garden (or my neighbor’s!) and knowing that I’ve got a bounty of delicious, versatile produce that didn’t cost me a dime. One of the best ways I’ve found to use up this free rhubarb is…
Homemade Rhubarb Jam: A Frugal and Flavorful Delight
When it comes to cooking and canning, I have a particular fondness for rhubarb. The main reason? It’s free! In my small garden, I have one rhubarb plant that produces an impressive amount each year. However, the bulk of my rhubarb supply comes from my generous neighbor, whose garden has a ton of this versatile…
Grandma’s Raspberry Jam Recipe: A Family Favorite on a Budget
There’s something about a homemade jar of jam that money can’t buy. For our family, Grandma’s raspberry jam recipe holds a special place in our hearts. Growing up, my memories are of her kitchen was filled with the sweet, tangy aroma of raspberries simmering on the stove. Grandma was a prolific canner, and while she…
Grandma’s Chokecherry Jelly
Chokecherry jelly has been a staple in my family as long as I can remember. My mom would tell me she hated anything made with chokecherries because of all the times grandma made her go picking them in the wild. And yet as an adult she never passes up a chance to pick free chokecherries…