What’s up you beautiful peeps?

Happy Tuesday. It’s Molly—flour on my shirt, broth humming on the stove, and a mountain of late-summer tomatoes daring me to look away. I see you juggling work, kids, budgets, and that nagging feeling that the grocery aisle is full of “healthy-ish” food you don’t fully trust. Prices climb, labels shapeshift, seed oils sneak in, and dinner keeps showing up every single day. You’re not lazy or behind—you’re overwhelmed by a system designed for convenience, not nourishment.

Here’s the heartbeat of Wylder Space: real food is activism. It’s how we opt out of what doesn’t serve our families and build something sturdier at home.

Why We Teach Canning (and how it solves real problems)

Pain points I hear every week: “I don’t know what’s in my food,” “I don’t have time,” “What if I mess it up?” Canning answers all three.

• Clarity over mystery: When you put peaches you hand-picked (or grabbed from a farmer you know) into a jar, you control the ingredients. No gums, no dyes, no “natural flavor” riddles.

• Time back, later: A few focused hours now turn into lightning-fast weeknight meals all winter long. January-you will high-five August-you.

• Confidence through science: You don’t need bravado; you need the basics done right.

  • High-acid foods (jams, most pickles, tomatoes with added acid) → water-bath canning.

  • Low-acid foods (broths, veggies, meats) → pressure canning to reach safe temps.

  • Tomato acidification: 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice per quart (or 1 Tbsp per pint) or ½ tsp citric acid per quart (¼ tsp per pint).

  • Safety rhythm: new lids, clean rims, correct headspace, de-bubble, fingertip-tight band, full processing time, 12–24 hr cool. Remove bands for storage.

  • Red flags = bulging lids, leaks, fizzing, off smells. When in doubt, toss. Peace > sunk cost.

Open a jar in winter and you’re opening a memory: sun, soil, and your own capable hands.

How Food Becomes Education (learning that tastes good)

At our events, we feed you like family and hand you more agency.

• Farm-named menus. Guests meet the rancher, the field, the fishery. Provenance is part of the flavor.

• Old-Fashioned Kitchen activations. Broth bars where we teach collagen basics; sourdough corners where you adopt a starter and learn the three-minute daily care; quick-pickle stations where you pack a jar and take it home.

• Glass > plastic. Mini preserves and condiments served in jars—not just cute, but a nudge toward a different pantry future.

• Recipe QR cards. What delights you at the table follows you home, step-by-step.

You leave full, seen, and braver in your own kitchen.

Sovereignty Beyond Dinner (why we teach business)

Sovereignty isn’t only about ingredients—it’s also time, income, and choice. A tiny cottage food side-hustle can fund your pantry, serve your neighbors, and give you options when systems wobble.

• Start repeatable. One offer you can make on autopilot: Friday jam drops, broth bundles, freezer lasagnas for new moms, herbal tea blends.

• Stay compliant. Learn your local rules (labels, temps, simple batch records). It’s not scary when you have a checklist.

• Keep pickup clean and clear. One order form, a tidy window, and you’re golden.

Business becomes another form of preservation—of your energy, your boundaries, and your ability to say “yes” to what matters.

➡️ Check out the Sovereign Kitchen Society

5-Day Food Sovereignty Jumpstart (print this and tape it to the fridge)

Day 1 — Source with intention. Pick one farmer or CSA. Ask what’s peaking and snag a “seconds” box to practice affordably.
Day 2 — One-jar win. Do a water-bath project: quick jam, dilly beans, or pickled onions. Skill > perfection.
Day 3 — The broth habit. Freeze bones/veg trimmings, make weekly stock. Pressure-can or freeze in wide-mouth jars.
Day 4 — Pantry system. Create a simple log: what, how many, where. Practice FIFO—oldest front and center.
Day 5 — Readiness without fear. Build two weeks of shelf-stable meals your family actually eats: beans, tomatoes, broth, rice, sturdy proteins, salt, fat, spices. Add one item each grocery run.

➡️ Start your pantry path here

Real Food as a Revolution

Grind whole pepper, choose traditional fats over industrial oils, pack summer into glass. Whether you’re on ten acres or a second-floor walk-up, your kitchen can be an embassy of freedom—curious, grounded, awake.

The Essential Canning Cookbook

If you want hand-holding without the overwhelm, our Essential Canning Cookbook is the on-ramp: safety checklists, altitude notes, tested recipes, troubleshooting that keeps you calm, and seasonal planning pages so your jars actually match how your family eats. It’s the resource I wish I had on day one.

In gratitude,
Molly
Huggies to you.