So last year I canned and canned and canned.  At last count I was over 200 cans.  I think I may need to attend a canners anonymous meeting.  From apples, bread and butter pickles, lemon curd, tomato sauce, peaches, jams, cherries, and pickled watermelon rind. Now that May is at the door, it is time to put a serious dent in these goodies.

I find I have to give myself permission to eat what I canned.  I keep thinking I should save these precious cans of goodness for a special occasion.  Maybe it’s Old Mother Hubbard syndrome.  I don’t think I’m the only one who suffers from this affliction.  You bust your tail growing and buying the freshest produce around, and can during the heat of summer to preserve nature at it’s peak.  No wonder we covet these precious jars of delightful goodness.

This Memorial day weekend we will be enjoying fresh bratwurst from our local German bakery and homemade sauerkraut.  They carry hormone free, grass fed, humanly slaughtered brats that will knock your socks off!  Plus this supports a good local business and not that crap sold at the big box stores.  If you think they treat the hogs badly, wait till you see how they treat their employees.  Check out Food INC. for more info on this topic.

Homemade sauerkraut is very straight forward and is a wonderful way to preserve the beautiful winter and early spring cabbage that our local CSA provides.  You can also make this will cabbage from the grocery store.  Once you taste homemade sauerkraut you won’t go back to that stuff in the can.  Enjoy!

It was one of those days.  I got home and I was desperate for the comfort of a grilled cheese sandwich.  Thankfully I had made onion dill bread over the weekend and had a draw full of beautiful cheeses, but no mayo.  I must admit I had made homemade mayo before, but it was never thick enough and just didn’t do the trick.  Store bought mayo was one of the few pre-made foods I was still buying. Thanks to Erica at Northwest Edible Life, http://www.nwedible.com/2013/02/magically-fast-and-easy-homemade-mayonnaise.html, I am a changed woman.  I will never eat store bought mayo again!

I was shocked at how quick, fast, and delicious this mayo is. Erica has a nice little video that shows you how to make homemade mayo.   I followed her recipe pretty close, I didn’t have lemon on hand so I used white balsamic vinegar for acidity, and it was amazing.  Thick and creamy with a gorgeous butter yellow color thanks to the delicious eggs the girls laid this morning.  Homemade mayo is like no mayo you have ever had. Erica also recommends adding fresh herbs to the mayo.  I can only imagine how divine fresh tarragon, Italian parsley, or basil would be in this mayo.  Finely minced garlic would add a nice little zing too.

Any jar will work, but a wide mouth mason jar is perfect for preparation and storing.  You have got to try this out.  So put your immersion blender to good use and you will never buy pre-made mayo again!

Enjoy!