Preserve Just About Anything with These Quick and Easy Jam, Jelly, and Pickle Recipes

Made by simmering and straining fruit, jelly gets its glossy translucence and silken texture from fresh juice. We used the smallest amount of sugar that would still allow the mixtures to set (thanks to a reaction among the sugar, acid, and naturally occurring pectin in the fruit).

A combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith apples (including skins and cores!) gives this jelly its well-balanced flavor and a gorgeous slight blush color.

Choosing Concord grapes will ensure you get that classic grape jelly flavor, but any variety will fit the bill for this recipe.

The skins of sweet-tart plums are what give this jelly its jewel tone.

Savor the intense deliciousness of raspberry preserves without getting seeds stuck in your teeth! Serve this jelly with rich chicken-liver mousse for an elegant treat.

Pepper jelly is a spicy-sweet match for soft cheeses, such as goat or Camembert (or even cream cheese), and that's especially true when it's all served atop crackers or crostini. You can also use the jelly as a glaze for chicken or pork: Melt it, then brush it on the meat before roasting or after grilling.

Unlike jelly, jam contains pieces of fruit—in fact, a jam is not much more than the fruit cooked down with sugar until it becomes thick and spreadable. Like jellies, jams freeze beautifully, so you can enjoy the taste of summer long after the season is gone.

Two fruits are better than one! The combination of sweet, juicy nectarines and tart red raspberries make a spectacular jam.

Another dynamic duo, peaches and plums strike the perfect balance between sweet and tart, all in a lovely purple package.

Spread this plum jam on your morning toast, or better yet, use it to make a buttery Plum-Jam Crumb Cake.

Perfumed with rosemary, these juicy little morsels are a stunning accompaniment to a cheese plate or an antipasti platter.

Use any kind of fresh chiles that you fancy to give a hint of heat to pickled cauliflower.

Pickled red onions and baby bell peppers provide a palate-pleasing counterpoint to the richness of soppressata and three cheeses on White Pizza with Pickled Onions and Peppers.

Green tomatoes aren't just for frying! Pickle up a peck of them and try Pickled Green Tomatoes and Shrimp Toast.

The peppery bite of radishes stands up nicely to the pucker of pickling brine. Serve these with grilled-cheese sandwiches for a grown-up take on comfort food.

Layer these spicy, crunchy carrots on a baguette with grilled meat, cilantro, cucumber, and a smear of mayo for a shortcut version of a banh mi sandwich.

Step up your Bloody Mary game by skewering a few of these tender-crunchy beans as a garnish.

Pickled peaches make a bracing accompaniment to meats, as in this Fried Chicken Cutlets Recipe.

Leaving beets raw gives these golden pickles a little bit of crunch. Enjoy them in Pickled-Beet and Fig Salad. Can't get enough beets? Then try our recipe for Pickled Dill Beets, too.

Don't worry, we didn't forget the cucumber pickles. These sweet pickle chips are good enough to rival Grandma's recipe—and easier, too!