Wyse Guide

Wyse Guide Hey there! I'm Kaleb and it's my goal to teach you how to garden and preserve, one story at a time!

09/10/2026

If you’ve ever thought that making kimchi at home would be way too hard, then I’m here to tell you that it’s not! I love to have a batch of kimchi in my fridge at all times, and when I still have cabbage coming in from the garden, this is the perfect recipe to make!

PRINT the recipe: https://www.wyseguide.com/how-to-make-kimchi/

INGREDIENTS

- 4-5 lb head Napa or Chinese cabbage
- 1/2 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 8-10 oz daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
- 8-10 oz carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 10 scallions, sliced, both white and green parts
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled
- 8-12 tbsp Gochugaru Korean chili flakes
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp fish sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

- Remove any damaged leaves from the cabbage and cut the head into quarters. Remove the heart and slice each quarter into 1-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage and salt. Massage until the cabbage is wilted. Place the cabbage in a colander and set in the large bowl, allowing it to drain for 1-2 hours. After 1-2 hours, rinse and strain the cabbage.

- In a large bowl, combine the strained cabbage, prepared radish, carrot, and scallion. Grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl. Add the Gochugaru, sugar, and fish sauce and mix everything together. Continue to mix with hands by squeezing the mixture until it draws its own liquid. This will cover the kimchi while it ferments.

- Pack into a gallon jar or fermenting crock and press down until the kimchi is completely covered with liquid. If it isn’t covered, add water to cover. Weight with a plate or other weight to ensure all the vegetables stay under the liquid. Note: As the kimchi is fermenting, if the top gets moldy, that isn’t good. That's a sign that the vegetables did not stay under the liquid. Cover loosely and set in a cool, dark area, not in direct sunlight. Daily, check to make sure the vegetables are covered with liquid. Allow to ferment for 4-7 days. The best way to know if it’s ready is to taste it. It will smell funky but should never smell or look rotten.

- Once the flavor has reached the desired flavor pack into pint jars and store in the refrigerator.

09/09/2026

When it's football season, THESE are the perfect sandwiches to make. Made with those iconic sweet sandwich buns and paired with ham, caramelized onions, and shredded cheese, you're going to love them! On a cool fall day, they'll be a nice toasty treat to gobble up!

PRINT the recipe: https://www.wyseguide.com/crowd-pleaser-ham-cheese-sliders/

INGREDIENTS

- 1 1/2 large onions, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 large sweet sandwich buns
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (reserve 2 tsp)
- 1/2 cup fig jam
- 12 oz (12 slices) Black Forest ham
- 4 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp poppy seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the sliced onions. Slowly sauté the onions, stirring occasionally. Once the onion begins to brown, after about 8-10 minutes, continue to sauté until they are reduced in size and deeply browned, an additional 8-10 minutes. Add salt to the onions and remove them from the heat to cool.

- Slice the buns in half and arrange the bottom halves of the buns in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Brush the bottoms of the buns with Dijon mustard, reserving 2 tsp. Fold one piece of ham to fit on each bun and top with about 1 tbsp of the caramelized onions, using up all the onion. Evenly distribute the shredded Gouda cheese. Spread the top half of each bun with fig jam and set it on the sandwich.

- Preheat the oven the 350°F.

- Mix the reserved 2 tsp Dijon mustard and the Worcestershire sauce with the melted butter. Brush the tops of the sandwiches with the butter mixture and drizzle the remaining butter over the sandwiches. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and place in the preheated oven. Bake until the tops are golden and the cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes.

09/08/2026

These miniature stuffed pickled peppers are a labor of love, but they are so incredibly delicious. Passed down for generations, my family makes these each late summer. One taste and you'll be in love with them too!

PRINT the recipe: https://www.wyseguide.com/stuffed-pickled-peppers/

INGREDIENTS

- 3 lb miniature sweet bell peppers
- 1 lb shredded cabbage
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups white distilled vinegar (5%)
- 1 1/2 tsp canning salt
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

- Have six pint jars sterilized and ready. Prepare the water bath canner, lids, and rings.
Remove the stems, leaving a small hole in the top of the peppers. Using a small paring knife remove the seeds and core, being careful not to tear or make a larger hole. Once the peppers are prepared rinse again making sure all seeds are removed. Then wash the peppers.

- Stuff the prepared cabbage into the peppers until they are full, being careful not to overstuff and split the peppers. For jars without floating pieces of cabbage, place a larger piece of cabbage over the pepper opening.

- Once the peppers are stuffed, pack them into the prepared jars. Adjust the peppers as needed to fit them into the jars, almost like puzzle pieces, leaving ½-inch headspace.

- In a 4-quart saucepan combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Whisk and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, continue to cook until the bring is boiling and the sugar is dissolved.

- Immediately pour the brine over the peppers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth. Place on the lids and rings and tighten to fingertip tightness. Place the jars in the boiling water bath, making sure the jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Once the jars are in the canner, return the water to a boil. Boil the jars for 10 minutes.

- Once boiled, remove the jars from the water and allow them to cool for 24 hours before storing.

Food safety tip: This recipe may not be approved by the USDA. To prevent the risk of botulism, always check with the USDA Canning Guide.

09/07/2026

Step aside, macaroni and cheese! While this may look like a cheesy sauce, there's no yellow cheese even involved. The sauce is made entirely from Sungold tomatoes, so you get a deliciously sweet tomato sauce that's so good! With a bit of crunch from the breadcrumbs on top, you'll love to make this one over and over!

PRINT the recipe: https://www.wyseguide.com/sungold-tomato-pasta-bake/

INGREDIENTS

- 2 lb Sungold tomatoes
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter

For the bread crumb topping:

- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

- Preheat the oven to 375°F.

- Pour the tomatoes into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Remove the husk from the garlic cloves, roughly chop, and add the garlic to the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Roast in the preheated oven until the tomatoes are split, and the juices are bubbling, 20-30 minutes.

- While the tomatoes are roasting, prepare the pasta. Bring water to a boil following the instructions on the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente. Once al dente, quickly drain the pasta. Do not worry about getting all the cooking water off. Leave the pasta dripping.

- Once the tomatoes are roasted, pour them into a blender canister. Add the heavy cream and butter. Blend on high until the sauce is smooth. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Pour the pasta into the already-used baking dish.

- In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Sprinkle the prepared crumbs over the pasta.

- Return to the 375°F oven and bake until the pasta is warmed through and the crumbs are toasted, 15-20 minutes.

09/06/2026

A very wet summer has brought lush grass, very happy ferns, and lots of growth, but it has also shown where drought-tolerant plants can struggle with too much moisture. It's time to walk through the garden to show what's thriving, what's having trouble, and what I'm still planting in late summer.

09/05/2026

This streusel apple pie is the kind I grew up with: a flaky crust, so many apples, and a brown sugar crumble on top. Use a mix of baking apples for the best flavor, par-bake the crust if you want to avoid a soggy bottom, and make sure to bake the pie until the filling is bubbling all the way through.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 recipe 9-inch pie crust
- 8 cups peeled and sliced baking apples
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Combine the prepared apples, lemon juice, flour, cornstarch, sugar, kosher salt, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix to combine and pour into a prepared pie crust. The apples will be mounded.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Mix together and add the butter. Work the melted butter into the dry mixture until it resembles wet sand. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the prepared pie.
4. Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in the lower third of the preheated 400°F oven. Bake for 30 minutes and reduce the heat to 375°F. Continue baking until the pie is bubbling into the center or reaches 200°F in the center of the pie, 45-55 minutes. The top or crust may need to be covered with foil if it gets dark during baking. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the pie to fully cool before slicing and serving.

09/05/2026

*READY FOR FALL?* Fall gives us the chance to start over in parts of the garden. If summer becomes too hot or too dry and it's hard to keep up, fall is the welcome reprieve. Nurseries get in new annuals that are fresh and large, and we can start all over again in containers. I do not always do this, but sometimes it is fun to put one together!⁠
⁠
Planting in the fall is different from spring. There will not be as many months for the plants to grow and mature. Instead, in my Zone 5b, maybe one to two months before a hard freeze comes and wipes them out. This means that I plant large annuals and fill the container as much as possible to ensure a grown-in look.⁠
⁠
For this refreshed urn, here's what I used:⁠
⁠
- Millet 'Purple Baron'
- Red Rooster grass⁠
- Rudbeckia 'Autumn Colors'⁠
- Celosia 'Intenz Lipstick⁠'
- Ornamental Kale⁠
- Lysimachia 'Eco Dark Satin'⁠
⁠
Some helpful points:⁠
⁠
- Start with the focal point and work towards the outside.⁠
- With full-grown plants, these will need ample watering. A lot of roots will be needing water, so check daily during warm weather.⁠
- Fertilize once per week.

09/04/2026

September seems like the beginning of fall but the garden is still giving some summer produce. Conundrum! Thankfully, there are plenty of old recipes that provide ways to use up zucchini and I love them! They aren’t all healthy but some of them are just plain good.

PRINT the recipe here: https://www.wyseguide.com/chocolate-zucchini-cake/

This chocolate cake has no real point to the addition of the zucchini, but it's what we had almost weekly towards the end of summer. A welcome twist is the warm spices added, just giving a hint of fall. It's always moist, has a perfect texture, and to drive home the nostalgia, it’s baked in a Bundt pan, because why not?

Ingredients:⁠
1/2 cup butter, room temperature⁠
1/2 cup vegetable oil⁠
1 3/4 cups sugar⁠
2 eggs⁠
1 tsp vanilla extract⁠
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (2 tsp vinegar with ½ cup milk)⁠
2 1/2 cups flour⁠
4 tbsp cocoa⁠
1/2 tsp baking powder⁠
1 tsp baking soda⁠
1/2 tsp salt⁠
3/4 tsp cinnamon⁠
3/4 tsp ground cloves⁠
2 cups grated zucchini, seeds removed⁠
1/2 cup chocolate chips (miniature variety preferred)⁠
⁠
Instructions⁠
Preheat oven to 350°F.⁠
Prepare zucchini by cutting off ends, scooping out seeds, and grating. Set aside. I like to leave the skin on but it can also be peeled.⁠
Cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, 4 minutes.⁠
Add eggs, one at a time and vanilla, and mix until incorporated.⁠
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.⁠
Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry.⁠
Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.⁠
Spray large 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and fill with batter. Bake until a skewer inserted in middle comes out clean, 45-60 minutes.⁠
Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.

09/03/2026

*PLANTING GARLIC* - I often mention that I love to grow garlic. Why?! It's truly one of the easiest things to grow in the garden!

Learn the entire process here: https://www.wyseguide.com/how-to-grow-garlic/

There are two types of garlic: soft neck and hard neck. Just like they sound, the soft neck variety has a pliable center stem and the hard neck variety has a rigid stem. The main difference is that the hard neck have more flavor, but do not keep in storage as long. They tend to only last about four months. Soft neck are often what you'll buy in the grocery store and can keep closer to six months.

Here are some things to remember:
- Plant larger bulbs in the mid-autumn months, usually in September to November. I usually plant mine when schools are just back in session. This gives me a bit of a head start.
- Garlic likes well-drained rich, loose, loam soil. Raised bed soil often is the perfect mixture.
- Planting garlic in the fall gives a nice, long head start for the garlic to grow.

Here's how to plant garlic:
- Pull all the cloves apart on a head of garlic and plant each clove 1-2 inches deep and about 4-6 inches apart.
- Cover with 1 inch of soil.
- In northern cold winter areas, cover with 2 inches of leaf mulch, grass clippings, or straw. This adds a bit of winter protection. This will also help w**d suppression in the spring.

Harvesting happens when most of the leaves on the garlic plant turn brown, which is usually mid-June to mid-July of the following year!

Once you start growing garlic, it becomes an addiction. I plant what I grow the year before and keep getting bigger and better garlic! Soon, you will too!

09/02/2026

Is there anything more classic than a dill pickle? These are super easy to can when cucumbers are in season, and they last for the rest of the year until next summer. You’ll love having these in your pantry to enjoy whenever you want!

PRINT the recipe: https://www.wyseguide.com/canned-dill-pickles/

INGREDIENTS

- 6 lb 4- to 6-inch long pickling cucumbers, washed
- 1/2 cup canning salt
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar (5%)
- 4 cups water
- 12 heads fresh dill w**d
- 4 tsp dill seed
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed (optional)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

- Prepare the cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch off the blossom end of each cucumber and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices. Combine cucumbers and salt in a large bowl. Cover with ice cubes. Refrigerate for 4 hours, adding more ice as needed.

- Make the brine. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, and sugar (optional). Bring the brine to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

- Pack the jars. Drain all liquid and pack the prepared cucumbers into 8 sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Add 1 1/2 head of fresh dill w**d, 1/2 tsp dill seed, and 1 smashed garlic clove (optional) to each jar. Pour the hot brine into each prepared jar, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean cloth to remove any drips. Place on lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tightness.

- Water bath the jars. Place jars in the boiling water bath. Bring back to a boil and boil for 10 minutes (see chart in post for elevation adjustments). Remove from the water bath and cool for 12 to 24 hours. Remove rings to ensure a good seal and store for up to one year.

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