There’s an art to preserving fruit. It really does require a bit of detail and precision, but not in the way you might think, if you’ve never canned anything before. The most important thing to remember when preserving your favorite fruits is this: sterilize the jars, both the lids and the jars themselves! The other tough part is figuring out whether you’re going to make a jam, preserve, marmalade or even a chutney!

Let’s start with a familiar classic, FoodieWife’s Strawberry Jam, she says it’s been perfected and… it’s made without pectin. Pectin sounds like it should be the name of a bird, but it’s the substance with the sandy texture that gives jams their gelatinous texture. FoodieWife’s secret to making pectin-free jam? Boil the fruit down and thicken it with sugar!

Martasalmon also has a great recipe for beginners; her Fig Preserves are what you’ll want to smother on toast in the morning. I have a secret, though, I don’t just use fig preserves for breakfast! Think about enhancing the flavor of your favorite savory dish with fig preserves (it works, believe me!).

Speaking of adding preserved fruits to savory dishes, that’s where chutneys come in. Justopia’s Peach Apple Chutney Surprise is flavorful and fragrant. Sweet and tart, this chutney is worth smothering on lamb, pork, or even chicken, says Justopia.