Earlier in the year, I bought a few canning supplies at a city hardware store. City hardware stores a whole different breed from their suburban counterparts. Because buildings are narrow and space is limited, products are jammed in and a sense of organization is loose, at best. Aisles are skinny and during the winter, when everyone is bundled in puffy coats, don’t even think about trying to sneak past someone.

I adore this sense of disorder, as it means that you’ll often find treasures, like canning jar lids that haven’t been in production for at least a few seasons, with recipes printed right on the box.