S2E4 A large pot, the smell of sugar and fruit (and maybe some peppers) filling the air, plus stirring—lots and lots of stirring. Homemade jams, jellies and preserves are all the rage. Our friend Ashley Andermann of Grinning Jupiter Jammery joins host Anne Milneck to talk about confidently making jams and jellies at home. In the Smidgen cooking segment: Ashley and Anne head to the Red Stick Spice Company Test Kitchen to make a batch of must-have blackberry pepper jelly. Ashley shares how most people already have the necessary equipment in their kitchens to start jamming, and gives tips for getting a good batch (without worrying about food borne illness or spoilage.) By the end of the episode, we hope you will have the know-how and facts that will set you up for water bath canning success. Jams and jellies from scratch make fabulous gifts and are the perfect solution to a bumper crop in your garden (or in your neighbor’s garden as Anne illustrates from her confession of fruit theft.) Ashley forages for much of her ingredients, showing how canning can be a sustainability effort, tracing the history of this activity that has become popular again. Mentioned on the show: - RECIPE: You can do it! Make your own Blackberry Pepper Jelly for a fun afternoon with family or friends. - Ashley frequently uses Red Stick Spice Balsamic Vinegars. Strawberry Balsamic and Fig Balsamic are fabulous compliments; our Champagne Pear Balsamic has legions of raving fans. - After you get hooked on canning, try your hand at pickling. Our Red Stick Signature Pickling Spice will get you started. - You can get one of Ashley’s Grinning Jupiter Jammery products at Red Stick Spice Company—we can ship them as gifts! Ashley also offers her products through her Etsy Shop. - In the Baton Rouge area, attend one of our upcoming Jam and Jellies classes hosted right at Red Stick Spice Company. - Use discount code SMIDGEN15 to save 15% your entire order at Red Stick Spice Co. If you take the plunge into jamming, we’d love to hear about your sweet adventures  on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We wish you all the delightful pop of a sealed canning jar. Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app.  Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.