Haley Mast is a freelance writer, fact-checker, and small organic farmer in the Columbia River Gorge. She enjoys gardening, reporting on environmental topics, and spending her time outside ...

Rai Mincey is a food writer and baking enthusiast whose focuses include culinary history, seasonal cooking, and Southern cuisine. She splits her time between Birmingham, Alabama, and Tulum, Mexico.

There’s a half-empty jar of apricot preserves in my fridge that’s nearly as important to me as the milk or eggs. I reach for it constantly, the bright orange lid and shimmering glass studded with ...