Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Marmalades - Yummy!

Fresh, spreadable fruit in the form of jam, jelly, preserves,
or marmalade, might possibly be summer's sweetest reward. The best part is that they are easy to make and can be enjoyed long after you put your garden to bed. So, what is the difference between each of these spreadable options? 

Before we dive in, it helps to know that there are two main factors that turn fruit into a thick, spreadable texture: heat (from cooking) and pectin. When fruit is heated, it will lose liquid, causing the fruit to reduce to a firmer state. Pectin is naturally-occurring in fruit and happens to also make fruit thicken when cooked. However, not all fruit contains enough pectin to reach a firm texture, so many spreadable fruit recipes call for additional pectin.

Jelly:
Jelly is the firmest and clearest of the sweet, spreadable options. The fruit is cooked and strained so only the juice ends up in the final product. Jelly is so firm that you could turn the jar over and slide the jelly out in one solid piece.

Jam:
Jam is a chunkier version of jelly. Jam has more fruit pieces and is slightly looser in texture. Chopped or pureed fruit is cooked with sugar, so pieces of fruit end up in the final product. Jams are not clear and not solid like their jelly cousin. Here's a video for strawberry freezer jam!

Preserves:
Preserves are like jam but contain more and bigger pieces of fruit. Preserves have the least gel-like consistency. They are great for serving with cheeses and meat dishes.

Marmalade:
Marmalade is a preserve, but it is made only with citrus. The whole fruit, rind and all, create a bitter-sweet spreadable delight. Lemon, orange, and grapefruit make great marmalades. Marmalades are aromatic with complex flavors and oils from the citrus peels.

Jam, jelly, preserves, and marmalade start out almost the same, but take different forms depending on how they are processed. Whether you like your fruit a spreadable solid, with small pieces of fruit, with large pieces of fruit, or you want the complex flavors of citrus, there is always something good you can choose to put on your toast. 

“Leave the Leaves” vs. Fall Cleanup

Leave the Leaves vs. Fall Cleanup - Is It Contradictory?

Each fall, gardeners in Southwest Idaho face the same choice: clear out leaves, stalks, and seed heads—or leave them in place for wildlife. At first glance, the advice seems to conflict. In practice, both approaches are grounded in science. The key is knowing what to remove and what to keep.

Why Cleanup Still Matters

Some plant debris harbors pests and pathogens that overwinter in our climate. Powdery mildew can persist on cucurbits and peonies; tomato blight can linger in stems and fallen fruit; rust fungi hang on in hollyhock stalks. Insects like squash bugs and grasshoppers survive in crop debris or soil. If this material remains, it becomes a ready source of infection or infestation in spring. Removing diseased or infested debris in fall reduces inoculum and pest pressure for the following season.

What about composting? 

Most plant pathogens are inactivated at sustained hot-compost temperatures around 131–140°F for several days. However, many weed seeds and tougher pathogens need higher and longer exposure—often 150–160°F with thorough turning so all materials pass through the hot core. If your backyard pile doesn’t reliably reach and hold those temps, it’s safest to bag diseased plants and noxious weeds rather than compost them.

Why We Also “Leave the Leaves”

At the same time, many beneficial insects and birds depend on fall’s “messiness.” Research and field observations show that native bees and other insects overwinter in hollow or pithy stems and within leaf litter. Seed heads from plants like coneflower, rudbeckia, and native grasses feed birds through winter. Decomposing leaves improve soil structure and organic matter—especially helpful in our typically lean, alkaline Intermountain soils.

Finding the Balance

Think “tidy where you must, messy where you can.”

Remove: Blight-infected tomato vines, mildew-covered cucurbits, rusted stalks, and obviously infested material. Dispose rather than compost unless your pile truly runs hot and is turned.

Leave: Healthy seed heads and stems for winter structure, food, and habitat. A thin layer of leaves beneath shrubs, trees, and perennials helps insulate soil and shelter beneficials.

Modify: Clear leaves from lawns and hardscapes to prevent turf smothering and slick surfaces, but keep some in beds and wild corners.

Local Timing Tips

Wait for dormancy before major cutback—typically late October into November. Leaves retained under woody plants conserve soil moisture through our dry winters. In early spring, cut back the stems you left standing before new growth begins; by then, most overwintering insects have emerged.

Takeaway

“Leave the Leaves” and fall cleanup aren’t opposites—they’re complementary. Remove the problem material; keep the habitat. That balance supports pollinators, birds, soil life, and a healthier garden next season.

Resources:

https://blog.nwf.org/2024/09/how-fallen-leaves-support-moths-and-butterflies

https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/fall-leave-leaves

https://www.nwf.org/Home/Latest-News/Press-Releases/2025/9-16-2025-Leave-the-Leaves-Survey

Bringing the Fall Garden Into Your Home

Fall is a season when the garden gives us more than food — it also offers color, texture, and beauty to enjoy indoors. Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, seed pods, and even dried flowers can all be used in creative ways that celebrate the harvest while making good use of what we grow.

Pumpkins and Gourds Beyond the Jack-o-Lantern

Pumpkins are the stars of the season, but they’re not just for carving.

• Table displays: Mini pumpkins and colorful gourds add natural charm to a centerpiece.

• Serving dishes: Hollowed-out sugar pumpkins can hold soups, dips, or baked custards.

• Long-lasting decoration: Wipe gourds and pumpkins with a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) to slow decay and extend their indoor life.

Many hard-shelled gourds can be dried and later crafted into birdhouses, bowls, or ornaments. This was once a traditional farm practice — practical and decorative.

Leaves and Seed Heads for Autumn Beauty

Raking piles of leaves is inevitable, but setting aside a few of the most colorful can bring the season indoors.

• 
  Pressed leaves: Layer between wax paper or in heavy books to create natural bookmarks or frameable art.

• Wreaths and garlands: Combine bright leaves with acorns, pinecones, or crabapple branches.

• Table scatter: Dried leaves, paired with seed heads from sunflowers or rudbeckia, make an easy seasonal accent.

Seed pods — like milkweed, poppy, or love-in-a-mist — can be dried and added to bouquets. Sunflower heads can be hung as bird feeders, doubling beauty with function.

Garden Herbs and Flowers in the Home

Fall is also a perfect time to bring herbs and late-blooming flowers indoors.

• Dried herbs: Bundles of thyme, sage, or oregano not only flavor autumn cooking but also scent the kitchen.

• Everlastings: Flowers like strawflower, statice, and globe amaranth hold their color when dried, brightening indoor arrangements.

• Aromatic décor: Lavender stems, mint sprigs, or even fennel seed heads can be tied into small sachets or seasonal potpourri.

Fun for Families

Involving children or grandchildren adds joy to the season. Let kids paint pumpkins instead of carving for longer-lasting decorations. Press leaves into shapes for greeting cards. Fill clear jars with acorns, gourds, and berries for a simple, kid-friendly display. These projects connect younger gardeners to the rhythms of the season and show them that the garden’s value goes beyond the harvest basket.

Closing Thought 

Your fall garden is more than a place of work — it’s a source of beauty and creativity. Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, herbs, and seed heads can all be transformed into seasonal decorations that bring warmth into the home. With a little imagination, the bounty of the season will carry you indoors and brighten the darker months ahead.

Looking for Inspiration?

https://www.bhg.com/halloween/crafts/fall-crafts-with-leaves

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/projects/make-pressed-flowers

https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/entertaining/our-favorite-pumpkin-ideas-for-halloween-pictures

https://roomfortuesday.com/fall-pressed-leaf-artwork

Roasted Tomato Sauce Preservation the EASY Way!

 It’s that wonderful time of year, when we are beyond the  scorching hot days of our summer and we’ve settled into the 90s. This is also the time when tomatoes come on with a fury! If you’ve planted many varieties, as so many of us do, then it’s almost a sprint to keep up with the daily harvest. As an advanced Master Gardener and advanced Master Food Safety Advisor with the University of Idaho Extension program, I’m always looking for the quick and easy way to use what comes from my garden.

I’ve grown it. Now…what? Many years ago, I made and water bath canned my own tomato sauce. It was a lot of work. Since then, I’ve procured the mother of all freezers and now, what I would have canned years ago, I freeze. This way, I have the fresh taste of my garden, all year round. And, the bonus is, I know exactly what goes into what I freeze.

Making and freezing the sauce begins as soon as I have enough tomatoes for a batch. You can use any variety and any size of tomato. I’ll wash, core and quarter the big ones. The Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes, (that I’m so fond of) go into this procedure, whole.

I have peeled garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper at hand. Often, I’ll tuck basil leaves under the tomatoes, if my plan is to make the base for a drop-dead-delicious marinara sauce.

I’ll use a small pan, if I have a smaller batch. I’ll save energy and roast the tomatoes in my toaster oven. Conversely, I’ll use a large restaurant size pan when roasting in my larger, convection oven.

Once I’ve filled the pan with tomatoes, garlic and (sometimes) basil, I drizzle a very conservative amount of olive oil on top. This year, I’ll use a pump atomizer to coat the ingredients with oil, I think it will be more effective and cut down on the amount of oil used. If you use fresh basil, tuck it under the tomatoes, as it can tend to burn during the roasting process.

I pop the entire pan into a preheated, 400° oven and set a timer for 20-minutes. I use this time to revel in the glory of the smells that come from the oven…even opening a window to entice neighbors. I will also tidy my work space during the roasting time. After 20 minutes, I check for signs of roasting. Look for small char marks on the tomatoes and garlic. Check for tenderness in the tomatoes.

Now, I’m in the home stretch! After removing the pan from the oven and letting it cool to touch, I’ll put the contents of it in my blender. I whiz it until it’s pureed.

The next step is not entirely necessary. But, I do it to achieve a velvety smooth consistency. I pour the mixture through a wider gauge strainer to catch any seed or skins that didn’t get blended. This step really does kick it up a notch in terms of quality. Because the skin stayed on the tomatoes during the entire process, there are still plenty of vitamins in the sauce.

I put my sauce in freezer-safe containers with ½ inch head space (for possible freezing expansion), and I label EXACTLY what I added to the mix. This way, I know if I’ll use the sauce for stews, chili, Italian or Mexican recipes. Plus, nothing goes in my freezer without a date. Try to use the sauce within a year’s time.  

The quality of the sauce really holds up with this procedure. The other night, I made homemade pizza. The container I thawed (from my 2016 harvest) was a bit thin for pizza sauce. I simply put the contents in a saucepan and added a small amount of cornstarch. In minutes, I had thick, delicious homemade pizza sauce. The results were delectable!

Gardener Guide to Saving Seeds

Saving seeds is sustainable and saves money. It also helps strengthen plants as they adapt to local conditions and it preserves your favorite heirloom varieties. Many gardeners love to share or swap their seeds with other gardeners. In this light, we can learn a lot about seed saving from Small-Scale Market Gardening (SMG), which is all about keeping things sustainable, encouraging variety, space-saving, and sharing among gardeners. This process helps plants become stronger and better suited to their local environment.

How to Save Seeds 
Start by selecting healthy, non-hybrid plants. Allow fruits and vegetables to mature fully on the plant before harvesting. Wet seeds, like tomatoes, should be separated from the fruit, rinsed, fermented, and then dried. Fermenting helps remove the gelatinous coating that sometimes inhibits germination. Simply put seeds in water for a few days until a layer of mold forms, which helps break down the coating. After fermentation, rinse the seeds well and dry them. Dry seeds, like beans and lettuce, need to be removed from pods, separated from chaff, and dried. Store dried seeds in labeled envelopes or airtight containers in a cool, dry place to maintain their viability. If you want to be especially crafty, you can use pre-made templates to make your own seed packets!

Concerns About GMO Seeds
Home gardeners sometimes worry about exchanging seed with other gardeners because they don't want GMO contamination. GMOs are not likely to be found in your home garden because no retailer sells genetically engineered seeds to home gardeners. GMO crops are expensive and commercial farmers are required to sign a contract that protects the patented technology. These companies do not sell GM-crops to the home garden market or to garden centers.

The Best Plants for Beginners

• Tomatoes & Peppers are self-pollinating and easy to dry.
• Beans & Peas should be allowed to dry in their pods before you harvest them.
• Lettuce produces abundant seeds and is easy to grow.

Other Things to Consider
Be sure to prevent cross-pollination by isolating certain plants like squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, and corn to maintain pure seed varieties. 

Test germination by sprouting a few seeds before planting. This can be done indoors before the season starts. It is also a good idea to write the date on your seed envelopes and use the freshest seeds first.

By practicing these techniques, you’ll cultivate stronger plants and preserve valuable varieties for the future. Happy seed saving!

Goathead season... when every bike ride becomes a quest for survival.

Puncturevine or goathead (Tribulus terrestris) is a very
challenging weed that is also known as Caltrop, Tack Weed, Bull Head, Cat Head, and Mexican Sand Burr. As foreboding as these names sound, the reality is even more sinister because they are difficult to live with and challenging to kill. This is because goathead plants like to stay very low to the ground where they can escape the wrath of lawnmowers, weed-whackers, and bush-cutters, so they often get the opportunity to mature and form their terrible seed heads. What’s worse is that each plant can produce several hundred to several thousand stealthy, strong, and sharp caltrop-like burs that have the potential to seriously injure people, animals, and even thin-walled pneumatic tires (like bicycle tires). The good news (if there is any) is that they also produce small, yellow, bee-foraged flowers that serve as a subtle warning.

HOW DID IT GET THERE? 
It originated from southern Europe and northern Africa. Supposedly, it was (accidentally) imported into the United States along with livestock from the Mediterranean area. But how did it get into YOUR yard? The seeds themselves are designed for animals and people to carry them to their new homes. They attach to fur or feet and walk themselves into a new home.

WHERE DOES IT THRIVE?  
Goatheads love to take root along railways, roadsides, walkways, residential properties, cultivated fields, and other disturbed places. It thrives in hot, dry, sandy soils; but will also grow in most other soils too. The plants don’t generally survive freezing temperatures, but the seeds survive almost any condition.

HOW CAN YOU GET RID OF IT?
Long-term control of puncturevine can be achieved by reducing the number of seeds in the soil. By removing plants before they produce seeds (flowering) over several years, the plants will eventually go away. Burrs that have dropped after removal will need to be collected by sweeping the ground or patting the ground with a piece of carpet to collect the burrs.

Be sure to also check places where shoes are stored and remove any burrs that may have stuck to the soles.

Puncturevine can be killed with chemicals. Always read the instructions carefully to ensure you are being safe, applying at times that won’t affect pollinators, and that you don’t accidentally kill neighboring plants.

You can also introduce your goathead plants to their natural predators: the Puncturevine Seed Weevil (Microlarinus Lareynii) and/or the  Puncture Vine Stem Weevil (Microlarinus Lypriformis). The larvae of these two species will bore into the seeds and destroy them.

WAIT… IS THERE ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT GOAT HEADS?  
Goatheads make a fantastic organic deterrent against bare-footed or bicycle-bound bandits. Just plant Puncturevine in the form of a natural barrier; or, if you happen to be on the run, simply toss a handful of goatheads in the suspected path of bandit travel and your problems should be solved in short order – unless, of course, you are dealing with boot-wearing bandits!

Best of luck keeping your head as you attempt to remove goatheads!

Rush Skeletonweed - An Idaho Noxious Weed

 A weed is considered “noxious” when it is harmful to the environment or animals. According to Idaho's Noxious Weeds booklet, Rush Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) is one of the 69 plants designated as a noxious weed by Idaho’s Department of Agriculture. Equipped with knowledge, together we can help curb the spread of this harmful plant in Idaho.

What is Rush skeletonweed?
Rush Skeletonweed is an invasive, non-native, long-lived biennial or perennial that is very persistent, taking years for established colonies to be eradicated.  It is not toxic, being palatable for most livestock, especially sheep and goats (only goats will eat the wiry stems). These stems are so tough that they can interfere with harvesting equipment, making them a bane for farmers raising grain crops. In the West, it is estimated that over 6 million acres are infested with Rush Skeletonweed, and those numbers are likely to continue to grow.

Rush Skeletonweed germinates or re-sprouts in the fall and early spring as a rosette (looking very similar to young dandelions), actively growing through the spring and early summer.  All the while it is establishing a formidable root system that can be 7’ deep with many side shoots, which can form future rosettes. In early summer, as the stem develops the leaves of the rosettes begin to die back. If it is allowed to progress to this point, it cannot be killed chemically.

The small bright yellow flowers produce ripe seeds, without fertilization, in a few days.  These seeds can then be dispersed by the wind miles away. An established, vigorous plant can produce an average of 20,000 seeds each year.

Rush Skeletonweed prefers well-drained, rocky, or sandy-textured soils in climates that are cold in winter, warm in summer, and wet early in the year. Areas that have been disturbed, such as roadsides, empty urban lots, burn scars, logging sites, cultivated fields, droughty areas, and areas that have been overgrazed, seem to be favorable sites. South and central Idaho is currently the epicenter of the infestation, with wheat-growing regions and rangelands being particularly hard hit

.
How can we mitigate this noxious weed?
First, it helps to know that eradicating Rush Skeletonweed is a long-term project (possibly seven years or longer), so be patient.

Spraying rosettes with herbicides both in fall and winter is preferable, and spring treatment is also effective. Unfortunately, 2,4-D, and a round-up type product won’t do the job.

Hand pulling is effective if done when seedlings are less than 5 weeks old.  Once the roots have developed, mark the spot, and return periodically to re-dig because 2 or more roots will likely re-grow in the same spot. This method is preferred in your vegetable garden or other areas where you cannot use chemicals.

As mentioned above, grazing is effective, but must be continuous or you will end up with more rosettes or more flowering stems. Controlling and eradicating Rush Skeletonweed is a very serious issue. If you have it on your property, take proactive measures to ensure it does not flourish and spread.