Christina Ward

The 9 Best Food Dehydrators of 2022, Tested and Reviewed

The Magic Mill Food Dehydrator topped our expert tests. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Dehydrating food, from…

The 12 Best Canning Products of 2022

Here’s everything you need to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat, and more. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Canning…

The Best Pressure Canners to Preserve Your Summer Harvest

Find out which pressure canners our experts recommend to safely preserve a variety of delicious foods to enjoy year-round. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something…

Make Your Own Bloody Mary Mix

By Christina Ward Remember that old incantation for summoning spirits? “Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary!” Hearing that outside the brunching hour, when garnishes aren’t prepped and mix isn’t ready to go, can strike nearly as much fear in a…

How to Put Up Midwestern Dill Pickles

By Christina Ward Photograph by Erika Kent I’m Christina Ward, a culinary historian and a certified master food preserver for Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County. Let’s talk about Pickles! That’s Pickles with a capital “P,” meaning real-deal,…

Pickle Science: How to Master the Preserving Power of Acids

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik] Get the Recipes Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles Milwaukee Dill Refrigerator Pickles Place a finger anywhere on the globe, and I guarantee you that the local cuisine features some kind of pickled something. I will also…

Tomatoes, Acid, and Heat: The Science of Canning

Editor's Note: Please welcome Christina Ward, a master food preserver for Milwaukee County in Wisconsin and author of Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration. In this series, she'll break down the science of and…

Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles Recipe

These classic dill pickles get their characteristic tangy flavor through good old-fashioned lacto-fermentation. Simply make a saltwater brine, submerge the cucumbers in it with herbs and spices, then let the wonderful world of friendly microbes take…

Milwaukee Dill Refrigerator Pickles Recipe

A properly calibrated vinegar brine gets the flavor balance just right while ensure the pickle stays safe to eat. A well-rounded spice blend adds deep layers of flavor to the pickle. Trimming the flower ends off the cucumbers removes enzymes that can…

Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles Recipe

These classic dill pickles get their characteristic tangy flavor through good old-fashioned lacto-fermentation. Simply make a saltwater brine, submerge the cucumbers in it with herbs and spices, then let the wonderful world of friendly microbes take…

Pizza Quest: A Cross-Country Guide to America’s Best Pies

Imagine a world before Pizza Hut, a time before Domino’s and Papa John’s homogenized our notions of what pizza can be. Over the last century, a patchwork of idiosyncratic styles emerged in family-owned pizzerias across the U.S., each one a history…

BBQ Myths Busted! Meathead Goldwyn Breaks Your Bad Grilling Habits

From soaking wood chips to grill marks, Meathead Goldwyn is here to set the record straight on grilling’s biggest myths. Plus, Christina Ward tells the story of American advertising cookbooks, complete with recipes such as Ham Banana Rolls and…

Traditional Sauerkraut

For Traditional Sauerkraut Remove the outer leaves of cabbage. Using a large sharp knife, slice cabbage into long, thin shreds. (You can use a large mandoline or ‘kraut cutter.’) Place shreds into large bowl. Sprinkle shreds with salt. Using hands,…

Kraut Pleaser

Whether you call it sauerkraut or kapusta, fermented cabbage is a beloved delicacy in Milwaukee. Not too long ago, every family of Central and Eastern European descent kept a crock of fermenting cabbage tucked away in a dark corner. Making sauerkraut…

From bologna cake to soup shakes, Cudahy woman explores craziness of advertising cookbooks

Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Many a childhood food phobia began when confronted with a plate of chartreuse neon green molded “salad” made up of canned tuna fish, celery and green olives suspended in otherworldly stasis via the culinary…

Bright and Fruity Strawberry Jam, Your Way Recipe

A set formula and commercial pectin ensure great results, even if you change things up. Commercial low-sugar pectin sets the jam up quickly, leaving the flavor bright and the process easy. This classic strawberry jam is built on a very basic formula.…

Canned Whole Tomatoes (Using a Pressure Canner or Boiling-Water Bath) Recipe

The key to safely canning tomatoes is to ensure, first, that they're at a safe acidity level, and then to process them at the right temperature for the right amount of time. This recipe is designed to work with either a boiling-water bath (i.e., a…

Canned Whole Tomatoes (Using a Pressure Canner or Boiling-Water Bath) Recipe

The key to safely canning tomatoes is to ensure, first, that they're at a safe acidity level, and then to process them at the right temperature for the right amount of time. This recipe is designed to work with either a boiling-water bath (i.e., a…

Bright and Fruity Strawberry Jam, Your Way Recipe

This classic strawberry jam is built on a very basic formula. Follow it and you'll have a jam that comes together quickly and ends up bright and fruity. Or, use the formula to your advantage, making substitutions that are guaranteed to work. Here are…

From Jam to Jerky: Water Activity and the Science of Preservation

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik] Editor's Note: Please welcome Christina Ward, a master food preserver for Milwaukee County in Wisconsin and author of Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation and Dehydration. Over the next few weeks,…