There’s something so special about that first bite of a secret family recipe. It can bring back memories that you haven’t thought about in quite some time. It can transport you back to another time and place. Maybe this was in your Nonna’s kitchen when she made you her famous spaghetti. Maybe it’s in your backyard eating your dad’s famous baby back ribs. Perhaps it’s your Mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Most of us have at least one recipe, if not a plethora of recipes, that hold so many memories.
Each recipe tells a story, and after all, wouldn’t it be great to be able to make these special foods for your own kids someday? That’s why it's so important to preserve recipes. In this blog, we’ve come up with the best way to store recipes and organize them. So, you can revisit and use them as much as you like, even if special family members have passed on or can no longer make their foods. Let’s take a look at a few ideas to get you started.
Handwritten Recipe Cards
There’s something so special about seeing a loved one’s handwriting on an old recipe card. Maybe it’s the way your grandmother’s cursive flows so effortlessly across the page, or how your dad jotted down notes in the margins, tweaking the ingredients over the years. These handwritten cards aren’t just instructions for making a meal—they are treasures!
These cards can be saved and kept in your kitchen for you to use anytime you want. While this is a very special and unique way to preserve recipes, they can get stains, smudges and worn edges if you aren’t careful with them. To keep them safe, consider storing them in protective sleeves or a recipe box with dividers to prevent fading and damage. Laminating particularly special cards can also help. If anything spills on them, you can wipe them clean.
Family Recipe Book – Keepsake Recipe Journal
Another great recipe organization idea is a handwritten recipe book. This is a beautiful way to keep recipes all in one place. You can record the recipes yourself or have your family member write the recipes directly into the book. You just need to find the right recipe preservation book. Our favorite is the Family Recipe Book that we have here at Duncan & Stone.
Our book has a myriad of features that make recipe preservation easy. It has sections for breakfast, appetizers, soup and salad, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. So, you can organize your recipes and refer back to them more easily. Our recipe journal also includes a spill-resistant hardcover, a flat lay spine for easier use and even a pocket for old recipe cards as well as photos. The Family Recipe Book is even safer than recipe cards too, because the book can’t get lost as easily as a small recipe card. The book makes a great gift that you can either fill out with recipes or gift to a family member blank so they can record their favorite recipes.
Digital Recipe Archives
If you’d rather go the digital route for recipe organization and preservation, going digital might be your best option. Instead, you can store everything safely in the cloud or a dedicated recipe app, making it easy to access your favorites whenever you need them.
To make sure your digital recipe collection stands the test of time, backing up is key. It’s recommended to save multiple copies in multiple places and maybe even have a hard copy backup (like the Family Recipe Book we mentioned above.) That way, if one device crashes or you lose access to a certain account, your treasured recipes won’t be lost forever.
Another great idea? Create a shared family recipe folder that everyone can contribute to.
Video Cooking Tutorials
Another fun way to digitize recipes is to play a cooking show. Set up a camera to record yourself cooking special recipes with a family member. This is a special way to preserve recipes because you can relive the moment of cooking over and over as often as you’d like. You also might catch some fun secrets in the process! For example, your grandma’s recipe might have a secret ingredient she doesn’t mention in a recipe, or perhaps there is a special technique for cooking that’s difficult to communicate until you’ve seen it. Either way, videoing a cooking tutorial can be a great way to preserve recipes and memories. Just make sure you have recipes written down and the videos backed up.
Framing or Displaying Heirloom Recipes
Some recipes are so special they deserve a place of honor where everyone can see them. For these one or two special handwritten recipes, framing them is a great idea. Framing a handwritten recipe—especially one in a loved one’s handwriting—turns it into a meaningful piece of decor that keeps their memory alive every time you step into the kitchen. You could also do a shadow box if you want to add other items like the recipe, a picture of your loved one and maybe their favorite wooden kitchen spoon. If you prefer a cleaner look, you can have the recipe turned into a custom print, preserving every loop in a way that lasts forever.
Hanging these special family heirloom recipes in your kitchen serves as a daily reminder of the traditions, love and delicious meals that bring your family together.
So, are you ready? Preserving recipes doesn’t have to be complicated, and you can even combine different recipe preservation techniques. For example, you could compile a physical copy of a Family Recipe Journal, and then make a few videos of you cooking those recipes with your family members. So, feel free to get creative and preserve memories in the way that works best for you.
If you’re looking for a unique way to preserve more than just recipes, be sure to check out all of the specialty journals that we have to offer.