About Small Plot Pantry

Small Plot Pantry is a small, independent site about growing food in limited space and putting it up for later: canning, preserving, and the gear that goes with it.

Who is "Wes Alder"?

Wes Alder is a pen name. I'm an ordinary home gardener and home canner. I'm not a food scientist, a dietitian, a chef or a certified food-preservation professional, and I don't claim to be. I write under a pen name to keep my personal life private. Everything on this site that is a personal experience is something I actually did, and where I haven't used a product or method myself, I'll say so plainly.

Hi, I'm Wes Alder, a pen name for a home gardener who has spent the last 5 to 10 years filling jars. I grow vegetables in raised beds, and most of my canning is tomatoes, salsa, pickles, and jam in half-pints and pints. I learned the hard way to fill jars properly and to tighten lids just right, not too loose and not too tight. I started Small Plot Pantry to share what works in a real home kitchen, and to give you honest, research-based guides for gear I haven't tried yet, so you can buy once and get it right.

How the articles are made

• Food safety comes from official sources. Canning procedures, processing times and equipment rules come from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), plus university Extension services. I link to them rather than rewriting their recipes, and I never publish my own altered processing times.
• AI assistance is disclosed. I use AI tools to help with research, outlining and first drafts. The drafts are reviewed and edited by me before anything is published, and AI is never presented as a person or as a source of first-hand experience.
• Experience is labeled. Where an article includes a personal note or photo, it is mine. Where I haven't tried something, the article says "I haven't used this."
• Affiliate links are disclosed. See the affiliate disclosure.

About the images

The artwork on this site, including the portrait above, is illustrated. These are not photos of real places, products or people. The illustrations will be replaced with real photos as I add them, and any photo I do publish will be labeled as mine.

What this site is not

It is not medical, nutrition, or professional food-safety advice. If you have questions about a specific canning situation, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. Many will also test pressure-canner dial gauges.

Corrections & contact

Found a mistake, especially a safety-related one? Please tell me and I'll fix it promptly. You can reach me at smallplotpantry@gmail.com.