Recipe: Mason Jar Picnic

Summer begs for picnics and picnics beg for mason jars! These portable, sturdy, and oh-so-adorable old fashioned containers are the perfect way to transport and serve a picture-perfect picnic. In a variety of sizes, these timeless jars can serve everything from drinks to salads to pastas, to desserts and more. Try my favorite recipes for a mason jar picnic or use your own. Strawberry Lemonade from PBS food 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 ¼ cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons) 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 24-28 oz fresh cold water ice Directions Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepot. Stir so that sugar melts completely then remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the strawberries in a blender and process until smooth. Pour pureed strawberries in the sugar water and stir well. Add the lemon juice. Combine the strawberry lemon syrup and the cold water in a large pitcher. Stir well and add lots of ice. Serve lemonade with thin slices of lemons and strawberries. Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad 2 cups quinoa 3 ½ cups water pinch sea salt 2 cups cherry tomatoes 1 cup finely diced sweet onion 1 cup chopped basil leaves 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon sea salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste Directions Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water. Drain well. Place quinoa into a 2-quart pot, add water and salt; cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cool completely before using. To assemble the salad, place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss together. Spoon loosely into mason jars and serve chilled or at room temperature. Salad Bar in a Jar This isn't as much a recipe as a formula: build your individual salads as you would a plate at the salad bar, except working in reverse. Dressing goes on the bottom, followed by toppings that won't get soggy or soak up too much of the dressing. Basically work heaviest-to-lightest, topping things off with a healthy dose of greens (the top 2/3 of the jar). Keep chilled and before serving (and with the lid still secure) turn the jar upside down several times to distribute the dressing. Delicious! Pie in a Jar Pie in a Jar 2 cans of fruit pie filling 1 stick of unsalted butter, cubed 1 packaged pie crust 1 egg cinnamon sugar Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl pour apple pie filling in and cut apples into bite sized pieces. Add cinnamon and nutmeg, mixing well. Stir in butter pieces. Using an ice cream scoop, fill jars so they are 3/4 filled. Unroll pie crust onto a piece of parchment paper. Using the ring of the jar as a cookie cutter, cut out rings in pie crust. Poke a few vents in the top, and garnish with small stars or hearts cut from the leftover crust. Press circles of crust into the top of each jar and then brush with beaten egg and dust with cinnamon sugar. Place jars on a rimmed baking sheet and put in oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before placing lids on jars.