As the seasons change and fresh fruits come into abundance, there’s no better way to capture their vibrant flavors than by making jam and jelly recipes. Even if you are a novice in the kitchen ...

After processing, remove lid but leave jars in canner for 5 minutes before removing jars to a towel laid on a heat-safe surface. Let jars stand undisturbed for 24 hours. Check seals after 24 hours.

For pears and apples, peel, core and cut into wedges or chunks. Put the fruit in preserving jars. I use Fowlers because they’re reusable for a century if you look after them, but any big jar ...

Pears are one of the signature fruits of autumn, and a nice change of pace from summer’s delicate fruits and berries. Though there are thousands of varieties, Bartletts are the best known.

Later, as I was pushing Mary’s stash into the back-bottom shelf of my fridge, I might have let the withering beet greens from the shelf above form a natural canopy over her pickle jars.