Best Dutch Ovens for Bread and Sourdough: 7 Picks (2026)
Seven Dutch ovens and bread bakers for sourdough and crusty bread, compared by size, shape, material, temperature limits and how easy they are to load.
Best Stand Mixers for Bread Dough: 4 Picks, Compared (2026)
Four stand mixers that can knead bread dough, compared by the flour limits their makers publish, drive design and kneading speed, plus why big budget mixers were left out.
Best Sourdough Starter Kits and Tools for Beginners: 5 Picks (2026)
Most sourdough starter kits do not include a starter. Five picks, from a complete tool kit to an actual dehydrated culture, plus exactly what a beginner needs.
Best Bread Makers for Beginners: 5 Bread Machines Compared (2026)
Five bread machines for beginners compared by loaf size, pan shape, paddles, programs and pan coating, plus how to get a good first loaf.
How to Make Pumpkin Puree and Freeze Useful Portions
Make plain pumpkin puree with a sourced oven method, manage excess water, and freeze measured portions for baking and cooking.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds So They Are Actually Crisp
Most recipes send wet seeds into a hot oven, which is why they come out chewy. The tested method dries them first, then roasts at 250 F for 10 to 15 minutes. Plus which pumpkins give the best seeds.
Homemade Peach Jam (No Pectin, Small Batch)
The tested no-pectin peach jam ratio exists, it is just buried in a table almost nobody finds. Here it is, with the temperature to cook to, the pectin version for comparison, and why jam and preserves are not the same thing.
Cowboy Candy: Candied Jalapenos for Canning
Cowboy candy is candied jalapenos in a sweet vinegar syrup. Here is a tested recipe, the processing time by altitude, why the jar is not finished when the lid seals, and what to do with the leftover syrup.
Best Salsa Recipes for Canning: 5 Tested Versions Compared
Five laboratory-tested salsa recipes compared on heat, texture, yield and how forgiving each one is, with processing times and what you can safely change.
Tomato Paste Substitute: 7 Easy Swaps With Exact Ratios
Out of tomato paste? Use 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce per tablespoon of paste and reduce it. Exact ratios for 7 substitutes, plus the reverse conversion.
