The Food in Jars Kitchen: 140 Ways to Cook, Bake, Plate, and Share Your Homemade Pantry by Marisa McClellan

  • Fruit butter baked oatmeal (page 9)

    from The Food in Jars Kitchen: 140 Ways to Cook, Bake, Plate, and Share Your Homemade Pantry The Food in Jars Kitchen by Marisa McClellan

    • Categories: Breakfast / brunch
    • Ingredients: rolled oats; pecans; golden raisins; ground cinnamon; milk; eggs; fruit butter
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Notes about this book

  • averythingcooks on July 12, 2023

    This book is a great addition to my canning/preserving "library", as it is full of great ideas to take full advantage of all those jars of jellies, preserves, relishes, pickles etc that you can yourself, arrive as gifts or are purchased at farmers' markets etc.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Oatmeal applesauce bars

    • ascrivani on January 05, 2023

      This is a great recipe. I leave out the nuts and slightly lower the sugar.

  • Oatmeal muffins

    • averythingcooks on October 23, 2025

      These are simple but tasty little muffins. I used apple butter, skipped the dried fruit this time and I'm quite happy to have these warmly spiced but not too sweet muffins on hand for breakfast or snacks.

  • Tomato cheddar scones

    • averythingcooks on November 07, 2025

      Note that the ingredient list here includes the recipe to make her tomato jam...if you have some on hand these come together very quickly. She gives 2 methods for filling; I used the "2 circles sandwiched with jam before cutting into wedges" which worked very well (the other involves a single layer and some folding). My 1 worry was that the jam would leak/spill out during the bake & but did not happen. If you like tomato jam, you will probably like these and they are wonderful served with soup or a stew. One minor quibble: at the top it says "12 scones" but you are then instructed to cut out 8 wedges.

  • Roasted red pepper, pepperoncini, and feta dip

    • averythingcooks on February 25, 2026

      Very tasty! This time I replaced the fresh herbs with a couple of cubes of Vivian Howard's "Herbdacious" which worked really well & as they are made with oil, I didn't feel the need to add any more. We taste tested (thoroughly!) with Ritz crackers & then ate this with our dinner as a dip for veggies sticks. A 1/3 of the recipe still makes a lot and I'm always happy to find good uses for home canning (this time my own pepperoncini).

  • Jammy barbecue sauce

    • averythingcooks on March 24, 2026

      I used an apricot/habanero jelly ("Habanero Gold") topped up with a little rst'd garlic jelly. Lots of great flavours here but we missed also the hit of tomato usually found in BBQ sauces, so after the puree step, I added my own ketchup to taste & now we had something we loved! I reduced it a little further as suggested & as promised, it also thickens up in the fridge. A great idea that will be used again.

  • Russian dressing

    • averythingcooks on January 05, 2024

      This is a very simple & tasty dressing. I used a mix of 2 homemade relishes (zucchini & cucumber). I had a quick taste & loved the flavour, but felt it was a bit thick, so I thinned it with a splash of pickled jalapeno brine (which turned out to be a good idea). We ate it over crispy lettuce etc & the rest will be used as a veggie dip with tonight's dinner. This is a repeat idea for sure.

  • Jam vinaigrette

    • averythingcooks on July 08, 2024

      I started with this basic recipe using a seedless blackbery jam and liked the result but then decided to extend it using an idea from another recipe on the same page & added grainy Dijon...this is lovely and I will be experimenting with other jams soon.

  • Mustardy blueberry vinaigrette

    • averythingcooks on July 08, 2024

      I started with her basic jam vinaigrette formula (using seedless blackberry jam) and then came here for the addition of Dijon (grainy this time). When I have blueberry jam on hand, I will come back here for the original version for sure.

  • Quinoa salad with pesto dressing

    • averythingcooks on July 12, 2023

      This is a great little quinoa salad dressed in a vinaigrette flavoured by whatever pesto you may want to use. This time I used a roasted jalapeno pesto from the freezer. The only ingredient I did not use this time was the chopped pickles and I did add chopped fresh spinach, lots of green onions & basil. We ate this with Moroccan chicken sliced over and it was a lovely summer dinner.

  • Potato and pickle salad

    • averythingcooks on September 04, 2024

      I scaled this back to around 1/3 using little red skins, celery & fresh herbs all from the garden + a big scoop of a homemade cucumber relish (which includes lots of mustard seeds & sweet peppers). We felt the cider vinegar was a bit overpowering and so stirred in some sour cream to tame the acidity a bit. We ate this warm (she also suggests chilled) and really enjoyed it.

  • Salsa-braised chicken

    • averythingcooks on July 19, 2024

      This book is about ideas to use things you've already made & this is a good one. I used a fairly smooth roasted tomatillo-tomato-chipotle salsa & followed the slow cooker instructions. As warned, the sauce ended up a bit thin (compared to the Dutch oven), also compounded by my choice of salsa. The cooked chicken came out to shred a bit & the slow cooker switched to high with a cornstarch slurry. The chicken went back in with diced Fresnos, black beans & corn. This was delicous served over a bed of grits.

  • Sweet-and-sour beef short ribs

    • averythingcooks on November 05, 2023

      This flavour packed braise was lovely. I used 1 lb of boneless short ribs & made roughly 1/2 the sauce. As she suggests various wine vinegars to replace the pomegranate vinegar, I mixed pomegranate molasses with white wine vinegar. I used a sweet/hot red pepper & garlic jelly and added veg to the pot throughout the braise (sliced cabbage, butternut squash, grape tomatoes & spinach). I served this over a creamy cauliflower fonduta and it got very quiet as we ate this delicious dinner bowl.

  • Pulled chicken with apple butter and cider vinegar

    • averythingcooks on June 08, 2024

      I was a bit doubtful going into this but wanted to try and was very happy that I did. I added a spoonful of grainy mustard to the slurry + sliced onion to the pot and the result was a very tasty pulled chicken that we ate over a simple bubble & squeak style mash. We both agreed that it was great.

  • Spicy pork shoulder with tomato jam and red wine vinegar

    • averythingcooks on March 30, 2024

      I scaled this way back to around 1 lb of boneless pork shoulder (in 2" cubes) and 1/4 cup each of tomato jam & vinegar. Part way through the cook I did add another big spoonful of the jam & upped the heat with lots of diced Fresnos. I stir fried some sweet peppers & red onion to mix in and served this over roasted garlic smashed red skinned potatoes. Oh yes....very more'ish.

  • Pork tenderloin with chutney pan sauce

    • averythingcooks on March 08, 2024

      I always start checking the internal temp of pork tenderloin early but still, the cooking instructions here were pretty spot on...my 12 oz piece was maybe done a minute or so early? I used an apple rhubarb chutney & added a spoonful of grainy mustard to the sauce . We enjoyed this very much beside garlic roasted baby potatoes & broccoli.

  • Apricot-glazed whole roast chicken

  • Glazed mini turkey meat loaves

    • Plumberful on March 14, 2026

      These little turkey meatloaves are fantastic and endlessly adaptable! No ricotta? No problem—substitute a 5 oz. round of herbed Boursin or some goat cheese. I make these often and keep some in the freezer, as well, to have on hand when I don’t feel like cooking.

    • melissa_8tppo3 on April 17, 2026

      This was so nice. I made 4 for dinner and froze the other 4. They are delicious. Turkey mince, ricotta, frozen spinach - a tasty, juicy mix. Half way through cooking I glazed them in tomato chutney - worked well.

  • Oatmeal sandwich bread

    • averythingcooks on March 28, 2024

      This is a very nice, quite dense, rustic little loaf that is delicious toasted & buttered. It came together quickly & I gave it the full 2 hours for the 1st rise. I do appreciate being given a target temp for doneness & it took the full 30 minutes of baking to reach it. If it lasts beyond the 5 day window, I will take her advice & use the remainders as bread crumbs.

  • Goat cheese and savory jam tart

    • spatterson88 on January 30, 2021

      I used a combination of green tomato chutney and leftover bacon jam. The bacon jam was a bit runny, but this was otherwise a flavorful combination.

  • Tomato jam

    • averythingcooks on September 01, 2023

      A very similar recipe (called Amy's Tomato Jam) also appears in Food in Jars Preserving in Small Batches Year Round. There are 2 differences...small differences in the amounts of the spices + here she calls for bottled lime juice and in the other, fresh squeezed lime juice. Regardless, I think this is delicious. I made a 1/2 recipe and got 2 x 250 mL jars for the canner and a 125 mL jar for the fridge. One taste confirmed that there is another batch of this being made very soon.

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Reviews about this book

  • ISBN 10 0762492465
  • ISBN 13 9780762492466
  • Published Apr 02 2019
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 240
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Running Press

Publishers Text

The book Food in Jars readers have been waiting for: 140 recipes for the preserving kitchen, helping you use up your homemade pantry!

Marisa McClellan wants everyone to know that a pantry full of homemade jams, jellies, salsas, and pickles can do a whole lot more than accompany toast. They can add bold bursts of flavor to your home cooking! In her fourth book, she provides 140 recipes for incorporating preserves into everyday dishes. It is as simple as stirring applesauce into a dish of baked oatmeal, brushing apricot jam onto a whole chicken, or building your pasta salad with a jar of pickled vegetables. Recipes include:
  • Jam-Filled Biscuits
  • Preserved Lemon Hummus
  • Strawberry Basil Pizza
  • Jam-Lacquered Chicken Wings
  • Lemon Curd and Blueberry Tart
  • Pantry Sangria
With chapters focusing on great ways to use preserves throughout the day and for every meal, readers aren't required to have a specific preserve on hand to work, making this cookbook flexible and easy to use for both experienced and novice canners.

As one of the most beloved voices in canning and preserving, Marisa serves as a kitchen muse to help each reader complete the cycle of empty jar to empty jar. Add The Food in Jars Kitchen to your collection, an inspired workhorse of delicious eats.

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