Preserving family recipes: How to save and celebrate your food traditions

Do you have a secret family recipe? Many people preserve recipes from their grandmothers or even great-grandmothers, recreate those dishes, and enjoy them with their children.

There is something special about a recipe running in the family from one generation to another. It could be a simple dish, yet it is the heritage attached to this dish that makes it special.

If you would like to preserve precious recipes, you are in luck. There are plenty of fun and easy ways to preserve your family's recipes

Record what makes the recipe special

Is your grandmother’s chocolate cake associated with a holiday? Did your great-grandmother always make lasagne to celebrate the first day of school?

Ask questions as you cook together, and along with the measurements and steps, write down the story that makes a recipe special - future generations will thank you.

Include photos

If you have access to high-quality photos of the finished dishes, include images for some or all of the recipes. Ensure that the photos are well-lit and showcase the dishes beautifully. If you do not have access to photos you also do not need to worry.

This is your cookbook and what is most important are the recipes. You can always update your cookbook and add photos later.

Organise recipe gatherings

Hosting a family gathering is a great way to bond with relatives while preserving your family's recipes. Encourage everyone to bring their favourite recipes and share their cooking techniques.

You could even pick a dish to serve or to cook together once the recipes are documented.

Do not forget to label recipes with the names of family members who contributed to them and the date the recipes were added.

Make it digital

As with most things today, there is probably an app for that. Saving recipes is basically just an archive, so with a few more clicks and scans, you can find a place on the cloud to store your family recipes forever.

This is certainly the most efficient way to share the recipes with anyone you think would appreciate them.