Winter is a funny time of year in Washington; microclimates give our state mild, rainy coasts and snowed-in mountain passes. Everywhere though—shorter days, longer nights, coming inside from the cold.

Many of us spent harried days this autumn putting up stores for winter, like generations before us. We spend hours turning luscious, plump berries into jar after jar of jam to spread on toast in December, or stirring gigantic pots of tomato sauce so that, deep in the freeze, we can reach into our pantries and taste the summer sun, even though we can’t feel it just now.

A lot of this issue concerns time—freezing it, preserving it, accounting for it. Like our ecosystems, the pieces in this issue range wide. Together, we’ll investigate the curious methods at Garden Path Fermentation, where time and wild yeast make for rambunctious and interesting beers. We’ll get expert advice on using our fallow winter season to plan for a bountiful growing season. We’ll preserve the fruits of warmer times, so we can reach for them whenever we desire.

As you go about your winter activities, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about time. Savor time with languor and with loved ones. Slow down, gather around and prepare delicious meals that are meant to be shared. Give thanks for that time and togetherness. We will be doing the same.

Always, we hope you enjoy these stories and recipes. Remember to sign up for our monthly newsletter for events, bonus recipes and news, and consider giving Edible Seattle as a gift to the food enthusiast in your life. (And yes, you count!)

Thank you for reading!

Happy Holidays,
Lindsay Kucera
Publisher