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Preserving the Harvest

This is where the pantry begins. Whether you're putting up peaches, simmering jelly, or drying herbs from your garden, preserving the harvest lets you feed your people with intention, season after season. No fluff, no fear, just real-life food preservation that works.

Jams, Jellies & Fruit Butters

  • A rustic glass jar filled with homemade strawberry preserves, sweetened with honey and infused with vanilla. A black spoon rests in the jam, surrounded by jars of honey and sliced strawberries on a dark wooden surface with moody, warm lighting.
    Strawberry Preserves with Honey + Vanilla
  • Jars of wine jelly on a counter surrounded by wine corks.
    Easy Four Ingredient Wine Jelly Recipe
  • Homemade apple butter in mason jars, surrounded by fresh apples and cinnamon sticks, perfect for fall canning and cozy seasonal flavors.
    Easy Homemade Apple Butter Recipe for Canning
  • Ladling homemade peach bourbon jelly into a glass Weck jar with fresh peaches and bourbon in the background.
    Homemade Peach Jelly (for Canning or Freezer)
  • A close-up of a jar filled with silky, golden lemon curd, with a wooden spoon resting on top, dripping with the rich, smooth curd. A second jar, fresh lemons, and eggs blur softly in the background, creating a warm, moody, and inviting kitchen scene.
    Perfect Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe for Easy Canning
  • Jars of cranberry jam on a counter with fresh cranberries.
    Easy Spiced Cranberry Jam for Canning
  • Homemade canned cranberry sauce in mason jars with fresh cranberries, cloves, and cinnamon for fall.
    Canning Cranberry Sauce
  • Jars of fresh apricot preserves on a counter surrounded by ripe apricots.
    Brandied Apricot Preserves
See more Jams, Jellies & Fruit Butters →

Canned Fruit Recipes

  • Homemade strawberry syrup in a mason jar surrounded by fresh strawberries, ready for canning
    How to Make Strawberry Syrup for Canning (No Corn Syrup, No Red Dye)
  • Jars of freshly canned apples sitting on a counter
    Canning Apples | How to Can Apple Slices
  • Two mason jars filled with vibrant orange segments preserved in syrup, sitting on a light surface. A whole orange is placed in front, and a striped kitchen towel adds a cozy touch to the background. The image highlights the bright, fresh appeal of home-canned oranges.
    Canning Oranges | Water Bath Canned Orange Slices
  • Quart jar of homemade canned apple pie filling surrounded by fresh apples and cinnamon sticks on a rustic wooden table.
    How to Can Apple Pie Filling (Easy Homemade Recipe)
  • Glass jars filled with whole strawberries in syrup, sealed and ready for pantry storage, surrounded by fresh strawberries on a striped cloth.
    How to Can Strawberries in Syrup (the Easy, Juicy Way)
  • Home canned blackberries in framboise
    Decadent Blackberries Canned in Framboise
  • Freshly canned peaches and fresh peaches on a table.
    Canning Peaches Made Easy (No-Fail Hot Pack Method)
  • Jars of home canned fruit cocktail surrounded by fresh fruit.
    Fruit Cocktail for Canning
See more Canned Fruit Recipes →

Easy Pickle Recipes

  • Homemade zucchini relish preserved in canning jars with fresh zucchini on the side.
    Sweet Zucchini Relish (So Good You’ll Eat It with a Spoon)
  • Jars of pickled garlic on a counter surrounded by spices and fresh dill.
    Easy Pickled Garlic Recipe | Canning or Quick Pickle
  • Crunchy homemade dill pickles in mason jars with garlic, dill, and pickling spices on a kitchen counter.
    Easy Homemade Dill Pickles (refrigerator or canned)
  • Pickled green beans in canning jars on a counter
    The Best Pickled Green Beans Recipe (Dilly Beans)
  • Jars of pickled carrots sitting on a counter surrounded by pickling spice.
    Easy Honey Pickled Carrots
  • Jars of pickled brussels sprouts on a counter.
    Pickled Brussels Sprouts (Frog Balls)
  • Jars of pickled cranberries with fresh ginger and cranberries on a board.
    Pickled Cranberries
  • Jars of pickled peppers with fresh peppers and garlic on a counter
    Quick and Easy Pickled Peppers
See more Easy Pickle Recipes →

Canned Salsas & Sauces

  • Jars of home-canned tomato soup surrounded by fresh tomatoes and basil on a dark countertop.
    Canning Tomato Soup: Cozy, Shelf-Stable Comfort Food for Winter
  • Ball jars of home canned peach salsa.
    Easy Peach Salsa Canning Recipe with Fresh Peaches
  • Jars of home canned pizza sauce on a counter surrounded by fresh herbs, garlic, and tomatoes.
    Canning Pizza Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes
  • Homemade canned salsa in Ball mason jars with green bell peppers and tomatoes on a dark countertop
    Canning Salsa That Tastes Like Summer (Easy + Safe Recipe)
See more Canned Salsas & Sauces →

Pressure Canning Recipes

  • A glass jar filled with pressure-canned mini bella mushrooms, with a fork lifting mushrooms from the jar; whole mushrooms and jars blurred in the background.
    Canning Mushrooms (Sliced or Whole) the Safe + Simple Way
  • Jars of home canned chicken on a counter
    Safely Canning Chicken (raw or hot pack)
  • Freshly canned carrots in glass ball jars on a towel-lined counter.
    Canning Carrots
  • Best pressure canner: All-american 921
    The Best Pressure Canners for 2025
  • Easy Canned Venison Recipe
  • Jars of homemade chicken bone broth on a counter
    How to Make and Can Rich, Nourishing Homemade Bone Broth
  • Mason jars full of black bean and corn salsa with tortilla chips in the background
    Canning Black Bean and Corn Salsa Safely
  • How to Use a Pressure Canner: Your Guide to Safe and Confident Home Canning
See more Pressure Canning Recipes →

Ferments & Probiotic Preserving

  • Jar of herbal-infused honey with lavender, chamomile, and rosemary, styled for a summer solstice ritual on a dark wooden surface
    Summer Solstice Honey: A Sweet Herbal Offering for Litha
  • A glass bottle of golden herbal-infused vinegar with floating dried chamomile, surrounded by fresh herbs and a linen cloth on a dark wooden surface — styled in a warm, rustic, earthy aesthetic.
    How to Make Herbal-Infused Vinegars
  • A ball jar with honey fermented cranberries with a jar of honey in the background and a honey dipper and fresh cranberries are in the foreground.
    Fermented Honey Cranberries
  • Closeup of hoemade sauerkraut on a fork
    Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe | How to Make Sauerkraut
See more Ferments & Probiotic Preserving →

Freezing & Dehydrating Food

  • Jar of garlic powder on a counter surrounded by dried garlic, fresh garlic, and a mortar & pestle.
    Preserving Garlic: How to Make Garlic Powder
  • Green and red bell peppers on a counter ready to be frozen
    How to Freeze Peppers
  • How to Preserve Spinach 3 Ways
  • Frozen carrots are laid on a cookie sheet and ready to be bagged up for long term freezing.
    How to Freeze Carrots: Easy Step-by-Step Guide for Preserving Freshness
See more Freezing & Dehydrating Food →
  • Canning Diced Tomatoes Water Bath or Pressure Canned
Elle McCoy stands in a warm, rustic kitchen wearing a white dress, softly smiling as sunlight streams through the window behind her. Her long brown hair cascades over one shoulder, and a canning pot and mason jars sit in the foreground.

Hi, I'm Elle McCoy.

Writer, wild food lover, and the hands behind The Rustic Elk. I help home cooks, gardeners, and seasonal souls build a pantry rooted in simplicity, tradition, and the rhythms of the earth. From preserving summer peaches to roasting venison from the freezer, I believe food should be as real and grounding as the hands that make it.

More About Elle

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Seasonal

  • Tray of smoked chicken legs with crispy skin, seasoned with dry rub and grilled to golden brown on a pellet smoker.
    Smoked Chicken Legs with Crispy Skin (Easy Pellet Grill Recipe with Dry Rub)

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Copyright © 2025 The Rustic Elk “Aspire to live quietly… work with your hands.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11