Celebrate Great Food Traditions From the Garden to Your Table

The glories of the harvest are finally here. Across America, farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and home gardens are bursting with the bounty of the season. Tomatoes, sweet corn, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, summer squashes, and cucumbers are stacking up on doorsteps and kitchen counters.  Here at Mrs. Wages, both in our test kitchens, and in our homes, we are knee deep in preserving the harvest, as we know these hot humid days will soon give way to short cool nights.

Canning not only preserves the wholesome garden taste for great cooking later, but also connects us to each other.  Grandmothers, daughters, spouses, and communities get together for canning parties, joined by youngsters eager to learn this rite of the season. 

To educate and inspire you, there’s Mrs. Wages tomato mixes and spices for great tasting pasta, salsa and pizza sauces.  If you are ready to get canning, check out our special canning section on the equipment you’ll need, canning basics, and common remedies.  Once you’ve made the pizza sauce, our garden bloggers at Nostalgia Farms have a simple, but delicious pizza dough recipe, along with their thoughts on canning with Mrs. Wages products.

Featured recipes in this issue include: Corn Relish, Cream Style Corn, Mac & Cheese Pizza, Summer Chili, Applesauce, Peachy Berry Jelly, Cherry Jam, Pickled Beets, Green Beans and Salsa.

As mouth-watering local sweet corn overflows farm stands on country roads, save those cornhusks to make delightful cornhusk dolls from our artisan, Beth Magnuson at the Feathered Nest at Windy Corner studio in historic Bishop Hill, Illinois.

Of course, August means it’s state fair time. This year, Mrs. Wages became a proud sponsor of the Illinois State Fair fruit and vegetable canning winners as well as the pickling, jellies and salsa categories.The winners shared their blue ribbon winning recipes with us.

From all of us at Mrs. Wages, may your harvest be filled to the brim with good food, good friends, and canning memories in the kitchen!

Mrs. Wages' Recipe Box

You'll find perenial favorites as well as new ideas from our Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers here.

Join in on the conversations, share your favorite recipes, show off pictures of your garden ... we do it all on the Mrs. Wages Facebook Fan Page ... and we'd love to have you there with us.

The Mrs. Wages Twitter Feed broadcasts recipes we've collected over the years as well as homespun wisdom as we find it on the web.  Please follow!

Bring the Harvest Home

Tomato Canning Tips

Your best canning results come from our 40 years of experience. For generations, gardeners have relied on Mrs. Wages canning products, spices, and mixes to bring out the very best in nature’s bounty.

If you are ready to get canning, read our special canning section on the equipment you’ll need, canning basics, and common remedies.

To educate and inspire you, check out Mrs. Wages tomato mixes and spices for great tasting pasta, salsa and pizza sauces. 

State Fair Blue Ribbon Recipes

Celebrating our nation’s roots grows deep here in the Midwest where August means it’s state fair time. This month, Mrs. Wages’ sponsored blue ribbon winners in the pickling, jelly, salsa, vegetable and fruit preservation categories from the 2010 Illinois State Fair. Pictured at left are the state fair winners along with Illinois State Fair Queen Haley Freeman from Athens, IL.

We know some recipes are family state secrets, but we’re happy to say our Mrs. Wages winners were willing to share their blue ribbon recipes:  Applesauce, Cherry Jam, Peachy Berry, Pickled Beets, Green Beans, and Carter’s Farm Salsa.

Farm to Fork: Tomatoes by the Wheelbarrow

The dog days of summer have found “Farmer Joe” Dennis and “Mr. Ed” Kraklio who hail from Walcott, Iowa. Both have been growing organic fruits and vegetables at Nostalgia Farms since 1998.  Read more on unique ways Joe cans and serve tomatoes along with Nostalgia’s recipe for homemade pizza dough.

Celebrate the Harvest with Mrs. Wages:

Come Celebrate with Us:

Special Newsletters
Throughout the growing season, Mrs. Wages invites you to celebrate the harvest. Beginning in July, we'll feature a new vegetable, unique recipes, canning tips, home crafts, and invite you to share your own ideas and memories along with us. To receive the newsletter right in your inbox, sign up here.

Mrs. Wages'
Harvest Celebration Calendar
Here's a quick rundown of what we'll be talking about in future newsletters. Remember, if you have pictures you want to share, join our Facebook Group or Twitter us @MrsWages.

July - Pickles and Peppers
August - Tomatoes and Corn
September - Beans and Apples
October - Squash and Pumpkins
November - Meats and Game

Featured Product

Mrs. Wages Citric Acid
For home canning tomatoes. The USDA recommends the addition of citric acid to each jar of canned tomatoes to reduce potential botulism risk.

Although tomatoes are generally thought of as high-acid fruits, a few varieties have higher known pH levels making them more susceptible to the spores of Clostridium botulinum. The addition of Mrs. Wages Citric Acid raises the acidity and lowers the pH.

Order Online

Product Coupon

Online:Receive $5 off any purchase of $25 or more. Enter in promo code TOMATO2010 at checkout to receive discount. Hurry, this offer expires October 1, 2010, See restrictions below.*

In-store:
Buy any 3 Mrs. Wages item and receive one item free (equal or lesser value). Click here for more details and to print your coupon. See restrictions below.**

Restrictions:
*Online coupon is redeemable for online (www.mrswages.com) or phone orders only. Not redeemable at any in-store retail outlet. Limit one coupon per customer per transaction. Not valid on previous orders. Shipping charges still apply.
**In-store coupon is redeemable at participating retail locations. Not redeemable for online, phone, or mail-in orders. Not redeemable for case purchases (eaches only). Limit one coupon per customer per transaction. Not valid on previous orders.
Click here for printable coupon information.