HardyWares Preserves

11/01/2026

Christmas at the Forum put’s Hardy’s in the Corner!!!

A corner booth that is!!

For over a decade we’ve been attending this iconic event - you will find us at..

You will find HardyWares Preserves in Booth 329 in the civic arena!

And Yes - Larry plans to be there with me as much as he is able to!

This will be our only Halifax Christmas Event!

Now to find 4 days of matching T-shirts 👕 👚

10/29/2026

🫜 A SHOUTOUT AND SOME GOOD NEWS! 🫜

First of all, as many of you know, the past 12 months have been a tad tumultuous around here!

Larry’s knee surgery, my surgery, and then Larry’s second knee surgery.

A full year of me helping Larry - Larry helping me - me helping Larry. Surrounded by a whole lot of love & support from family, friends and followers.

Helping Larry through his recovery has meant that my own recovery has taken a bit of a back seat. Today, I’m taking care of me and getting an infusion as part of my ongoing maintenance.

We are also incredibly thankful to our wonderful partners at the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. for stepping up, learning our business, and helping us move forward. It’s been a big transition, and we’re grateful to have them alongside us.

AND NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS! 🥳

Everyone has been asking, and I mean EVERYONE!

“WHEN WILL THE BEETS BE READY AGAIN?”

🫜 OUR SWEET PICKLED BEETS WILL BE BACK ON SHELVES VERY SOON!

We’re expecting them to be available within the next couple of weeks - it will take a wee bit of time to fill the orders.

Thank you for your patience, your kind messages, and for continuing to support HardyWares Preserves through all the changes.

It means more to us than you know. ❤️

Now, who’s been waiting for their HardyWares beets?

10/26/2026

🎵 There he goes just a walkin’ down the steps
Singin’ Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do
Gee whizz He’s Fine
Physio-therapy is just divine🎵
Another milestone
Larry’s Bending Flexion has reached 100 - surgery was just 4 weeks ago!
Thank you Rachel - ♥️

10/24/2026

🚚 Sometimes it takes a Village and Sometimes it takes two special friends and a dog named Henry 🐶

It’s not easy to ask for help - but sometimes life has a way of reminding us, we can’t always do everything by ourselves.

Plus it’s one thing to ask someone to help you move a piece of furniture.
But when the ask for help involves driving a van to Prince Edward Island, pick up a couple of pallets of preserves and then deliver those preserves to several different retailers - That brings “asking for help” to a whole new level.

I tried to think of different options, different scenarios, but my head was about to explode.

Finally, I emailed Kevin and Tina - our good friends, our besties. They are sweet people, they work hard, and they are always there to help us.

“I’m glad to hear we made the short list” was Kevin’s response when I asked if they could assist. “Can we bring Henry?”

So yesterday in the wind and rain, Kevin set off early in the morning to Prince Edward Island. The wind was howling, two hands on the steering wheel in a white knuckle grip Kevin managed a return trip across the confederation bridge.

He made one delivery to MacQuarries Pharmasave & Home Health Care Centre as he passed Truro but wisely decided to leave the remainder for Saturday when he would have his navigators join him - Tina and Henry!

Kevin messaged me, “we’ll head out tomorrow morning, we have a plan and don’t worry, I plugged in a heater in case it gets extra cold tonight.

Today with a plan, a packed lunch and King Henry sitting high up in the front of the van the three of them set off.

Throughout the day my phone pinged

Withrows Farm Market- Mount Uniacke - done
Avery's Farm Markets - done
Petitpaw Florist and Market - done
Dave's Fruit and Vegetable - done
What's the Scoop - done
Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique Inc. - done
Falmouth Farm Market - done
Hennigar's Farm Market - done

What is the expression - “my cup runneth over” - this isn’t a kindness that can be repaid nor is it expected.
Kevin and Tina only want Larry to be well, focus on recovery, to heal properly and to have a new lease on life again.

Kevin and Tina have busy lives, but they put it on hold to help us out not just once but three times since Larry’s surgery.

Somehow we have not only mastered preserving nature’s bounty of fruit and veggies; we’ve also preserved a wonderful friendship and for that we are truly grateful.
Kevin and Tina - Thank you for being our people!

To our retailers who have remained loyal and patient
To all of you who follow our journey and cheer us on
Thank you ♥️

Much Love 💕
The Hardy’s

10/21/2026

We’re on the Menu!!
Doucette's Market & Clay's Confectionery Store have included our Sweet Mustard Pickles and our Green Tomato chow as side options in their kitchen - or as we like to say “best supporting condiment or garnish!
Thank you for choosing our pickles 💚 💛

We are now serving up HardyWares Preserves as a side option in the kitchen 😋 green tomato chow and mustard pickles for $2.00!

10/19/2026

🎵 There he goes just a walkin’ down the street
Singin’ Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do 🎵

Big milestone today
Goodbye Walker - Hello Walking stick

We met with Dr. Passad today in New Glasgow, staples were removed and he was pleased with Larry’s progress.

Larry can’t wait to get back in the van and make deliveries again - but that will be a few more weeks.

A HUGE thank you to our besties who are helping us out on their days off. ♥️

10/12/2026

What does everyone think - a HardyWares Preserves advent calendar???

Okay so HardyWares Preserves we just had a lightbulb moment. Hardywares Advent Calendar, one preserve or jam for every month of the year. The ultimate gift!

10/11/2026

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from the Hardy’s! 🧡

So much has changed since our last Thanksgiving post in 2025.

Our kitchen is quiet this year. No pots on the stove, no knives chopping away in rhythm on the cutting boards, no food processor making a racket and no one labelling jars at a rapid pace!

I’ll be honest after 16 years of making preserves in our own home, it’s a little strange - the quiet takes some getting used to.

But this year, as I reclaim my space in our house - my prep area is now my coffee nook, and you all know how much I love my morning coffee.
This year, I’m more reflective…

Our production has moved to the Prince Edward Island Preserve Co. where our products are now made in a brand-new, CFIA-approved and HACCP-certified facility. The transition has been a positive one, and we are grateful that the HardyWares legacy continues. ❤️

The past 10 months have also brought some pretty significant changes to our personal lives. Between the two of us, we’ve undergone three major surgeries. Each one giving us a new lease on life and better opportunities for healthier days ahead.

And that brings us to gratitude. Lots and lots of gratitude.

First, to the incredible people who make our healthcare system work.

Doctors, surgeons, nurses, paramedics, physiotherapists, pre-op teams, cleaning staff, meal preparation teams, volunteers, X-ray technicians, clinic staff, laboratory and bloodwork teams, pharmacists — and all the people working behind the scenes - it’s mind boggling.

From our initial Doctor appointments to pre-op visit’s to pain clinic visits, to surgery, recovery and rehabilitation, it takes an extraordinary number of people, each doing their part, to help someone get better.

We’ve experienced that care firsthand, and we are beyond thankful. To every healthcare worker who has been part of our journey, please know that what you do matters. More than you may ever realize.

To our retailers and customers: thank you for continuing to support HardyWares through the changes, the hurdles and the triumphs of this transition. Your loyalty means the world to us, and we never take it for granted.

To our family, friends, my mum, our neighbours, and every one of you who follows our HardyWares journey — thank you for the messages, the encouragement, the kindness and the many ways you’ve cheered us on. You may not realize just how much it has meant to us, but it has helped more than you know. 🧡

Our kitchen may be quiet, but our hearts are full.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And thank you for being part of our story. 🍁

Much Love
The Hardy’s 🧡

10/10/2026

Joel and Mark from Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique - it’s heartwarming to see our preserves, unpacked, on a shelf and shared on social media in record time.

Back in stock at both locations - Hardywares Green Tomato Chow, Mustard Pickles and Red Pepper Jelly. These and many other favourites here in time for Thanksgiving. Stop by our Bayers Lake or Hydrostone store this weekend (Closed Monday).

10/07/2026

One week in — Larry’s 1st physiotherapy ❤️

Today was Larry’s first physiotherapy appointment since his knee surgery.
It was lovely seeing Krista and Rachel again at Sherbrooke Hospital.

Krista said, “It just seems like yesterday!”

Last December/January Krista and Rachel helped Larry through his previous knee surgery and we made great strides (pun intended).

Of course, Krista and Rachel already know about my spreadsheet and my 14 phone alarms keeping Larry on track with his exercises. There was plenty of good conversation, a few laughs, while Larry showed off doing his exercises.

They were genuinely surprised — and very pleased — with how well Larry is doing just one week after surgery. They were impressed with how much he can already bend his knee and how well he is walking with his walker.

As we were leaving Krista noticed his walker was much too low.

She adjusted it to the proper height, and what a difference that made! Sometimes it really is the little things.

Larry left that appointment with almost a skip in his step — encouraged by their comments, proud of the progress he’s making, and definitely feeling more confident we are on the right path.

These are the little victories that need to be celebrated in this lengthy recovery. Especially with Krista and Rachel cheering him on ♥️