Preserving

Making jams and pickles involves more than just throwing the contents into a glass jar; if you plan to store the canned item for several months, the cans must be processed using a method of suctioning the seal of the cans to preserve the jar's contents. But before attempting any recipe that calls for canning, it's important that you have all the equipment on hand, especially if you are making jam or pickles for the very first time. Here are the essential items you'll need and the purposes they serve:

• Fine mesh sieve or chinois: If you are making jam and need to strain the fibrous skin and seeds of the cooked fruit, a fine mesh sieve or a chinois is the easiest way strain the juice. The Williams-Sonoma chinois strainer, pestle, and stand ($70) is a jam-making life-changer. Simply place a bowl under the nifty stand, and with the other hand, use the pestle to extract every last drop of cooked fruit juice from the chinois.
• Jar funnel: It's important to prevent any liquids from contaminating the spiral seal on the outside of the glass jar. To do so, use a jar funnel like this Norpro stainless steel wide-mouth funnel ($8) to cleanly deposit the jam or pickled vegetables into the jar.
• Pressure cooker: These deep, large vessels make it easy to boil water faster and to submerge several glass jars in the water. Pressure cookers are used to sterilize the glass jars prior to filling them with jam or pickles. Then after the jars are filled, they go back into the pressure cooker for processing. This Fagor nine-piece pressure canning set ($115) is great for newbies, because in addition to the pressure cooker, it also contains all the canning equipment.
• Glass jars with metal seals and lids: Ball and Kerr mason jars are the most well-known brands on the market, and for the best deal, buy them in bulk. Some sources will say that you can reuse the glass jar, but the seal and lid should be replaced after each use. Others have reused the items without any problems. If you notice any rust forming or if the seal does not snap when processing, discard the items and swap them out for new ones.

Find out what else you'll need to start canning.

It may be hard to visualize given Summer's solid grip right now, but in a few months, we'll be indoors, seeking respite from the cold and washing away the Winter fruit shortage with little more than apples and oranges for comfort. So what's a girl to do?

Take a hint from Kate Kiernoziak, sous chef at San Francisco's Credo Restaurant: stock up on stone fruits, berries, and melons at the farmers market, then pickle them while they're still at their seasonal peak so you can enjoy them any time of year, rain or shine.

Keep reading for tips on making your own extraordinary-tasting pickled fruit

After making a savory version of French toast topped with tomato jam last weekend, it occurred to me that, when preserved, tomatoes are well-suited for both sweet and savory applications, too. Tomatoes are technically fruit, and when they're ripe they possess a level of sweetness that rivals a sassy nectarine. This means the seedy red rounds are ideal contenders for a traditional fruit jam style, spread atop bread or toast. But unlike most fruits, tomatoes also register high in glutamic acid, an umami provider that contributes to a savory, rounded flavor — so they're just as dreamy when reduced to peppery, vinegar-tinged preserves, then served atop meat roasts or crackers.

Make the most of the tapering tomato supply by preparing either — or both — jams when you read more.