When the pandemic started, we turned our efforts to sourdough and baking. But 2021 turned sour – as in pickles!

It’s always interesting to take a look back and review the year. For me personally, 2021 was a busy year filled with writing two books, followed by a serious health issue. Thus, I didn’t add as many new posts to the site as usual. But some old posts became even more popular!

It was the year that you made pickles! And a few other things, but many of the most popular posts are about pickles and pickling. Oddly, I made fewer pickles than ever before in 2021, as my cucumbers barely produced due to our locally weird weather.

Website Favorite Posts 2021

1. Cherry Tomato Salsa
2. Sweet Pickles from Ripe Cucumbers
3. Which Vinegar to Use When Pickling
4. Best Ever Sourdough Oatmeal Bread
5. Non-Reactive Pots and Pickling
6. How to Make Homemade Peach and Other Fruit Vinegar
7. How to Dry Vegetables in the Oven
8. Pea Salad Recipe without Bacon
9. What to do with Large, Ripe Cucumbers
10. Quick and Easy Mango Syrup Recipe

There’s definitely a theme there, but my newsletter favorite posts were entirely different. Newsletter subscribers were busy experimenting with several homesteading skills during 2021.

Newsletter Favorite Posts 2021

• Sourdough Ciabatta Bread
• Best Gifts for Gardeners, Food Preservers, and Makers
• Making Soap from Slivers
• Mediterranean White Bean Salad Recipe
• Best Meyer Lemon Marmalade with Honey
• Mixes in a Jar Book Announcement
• Socially Distant Holiday Gift Ideas 2020
• Homemade Herb Crackers
• Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

I love digging into data and I was on a roll! Which caused me to ponder, “I wonder which posts were the least favorite?” It was a bit surprising.

Posts Looking for Love 2021

• Battle with Bindweed – am I the only one who fights this fight?
• Spirited Apricot Cherry Butter – one of my all-time favorite fruit butter recipes
• Is Your Kitchen Ready for Coronavirus? – back when we naively thought it was going to be a two-week thing
• 5 Reasons to Plant a Backyard Garden This Year – or any year!
• Make Your Own Tea Mixes – I still don’t do this enough
• Have a Food Safe Memorial Day Picnic – how to keep from getting food poisoning!
• Collectable Canning Jars – maybe everyone has followed Marie Kondo’s advice and cleaned out their extra jars?