Holiday Sides & Fixings

Jars that help during busy holidays

Holidays often mean a full oven, every burner going, and one more pan than you have room for. The jars in our Holiday Sides & Fixings collection are meant to ease that pinch. We cook relishes and pickles for relish trays, fruit butters and preserves for bread baskets, and sauces that sit comfortably beside ham, turkey, and roast pork. Each batch simmers in modest kettles on our Ohio farm until it tastes steady and balanced, then we tuck the jars away for the seasons when an extra hand at the table feels most welcome.

A lot of the fruit in these jars comes from Ohio and Great Lakes orchards. Pieces that might have gone straight into the pie dish instead become spreads and preserves that slide neatly into the meal. You will find cousins to these jars in our Fruit Preserves & Jams collection, where apple butter, peach preserves, and other fruit spreads move easily from breakfast toast to holiday bread baskets. A spoonful on a warm roll or biscuit can sit right beside butter without competing.

Pickled vegetables carry their own weight. Beets and cucumbers land on platters with cheese, olives, and sliced meats, brightening rich bites and clearing the palate between forkfuls of stuffing or potatoes. Many of these recipes trace back to our Great Lakes Favorites and Ohio Pantry Picks, where the same jars appear on Sunday tables all year. On holiday spreads they simply move into more crowded company, holding their place without fuss.

For the big November meal, jars that show up here often overlap with our dedicated Thanksgiving Sides. Apple or cranberry based sauces slide near roasted turkey, while spiced fruit butters sit close to cornbread or dinner rolls. Jarred peaches and pears can quickly turn into a warm side with a little butter in a skillet or a simple crisp with a handful of topping. That kind of quick dish is useful when there is not much oven space left but you still want another bowl on the buffet.

Once the main day passes, these same jars help carry the holiday feeling into quieter meals. Leftover turkey or ham meets a swipe of fruit butter on toast. Pickled beets and cucumbers tuck into sandwiches or share a plate with eggs and fried potatoes. A bit of preserve stirred into oatmeal or yogurt gives breakfast the same flavors that were on the table the night before. In many Ohio homes, the jars from Holiday Sides & Fixings move from the dining room to the fridge and back again for several days.

Because the ingredient lists stay short, the jars never feel out of place. Vegetables or fruit, vinegar, a fair amount of sugar where it belongs, salt, and spices that show up in regular cupboards. Amish and family partners help peel, chop, and taste, treating these batches like the ones they make for their own holiday gatherings. Some of the same recipes appear again in our Holiday Gift Boxes, ready to travel to other kitchens that cook the same way. Whether they are set out for a full house or used later for leftovers, these sides and fixings are meant to support the meal quietly and well.