Beautiful Book on Canning: (2010-07-15)
Canning is a passionate hobby of mine. I own many canning books and am always on watch for more. This is genuinely one of the more beautiful books on the subject, but the content, while fine, isn't packed with recipes. That said, for someone new to preserving, this book would be a perfect purchase.
The Art of Preserving is a 239 page lavishly photographed book that contains approximately 85 canning recipes depending upon whether counting preserved lemons, flavored vinegars, infused spirits and candied citrus peel. Accompanying the canning recipes are approximately 36 dishes incorporating some of the items from the canning recipes.
The paper is high quality and spills will wipe up easily. Thankfully, the ink color throughout is black, which makes reading the recipes easy, but some of the colored pages are a little harder to read than others. Although there are not photographs of every item, it isn't necessary for most canned goods, and the photographs are generous and beautiful throughout. This is a large, sturdy hardback book and it lays flat in every position. Nutritional information is not provided.
Note that the majority of the sweet fruit recipes use no added pectin, but where pectin is added, it is homemade (recipe is in the book.) This is a more natural approach, but there are also reasons why commercial pectin is frequently utilized. Both methods work, and I note this for experienced canners with a preference.
Some people are annoyed to have regular recipes interspersed with actual preservation recipes, but there is no more perfect way to begin to think of more creative uses for preserved/canned products than simply smearing jam on toast. That said, including recipes for Tomato Bruschetta utilizing Bruschetta Topping, Buttermilk Pancakes used to showcase Blueberry Syrup or Applesauce incorporated into a recipe for Applesauce Cake are not particularly inspired choices. Thankfully, some of the included recipes are a bit more complex.
I prepared the Meyer Lemon-Ginger Marmalade, Kiwi-Lemon Jam and Apricot-Orange Preserves (spiced with a both pods and ground cardamom along with vanilla beans.) The three recipes produced lovely preserves. Canning is chemistry and measurements, temperatures, timing, etc., and all are quite precise, so for those new to the process, the basics are important. This information, and more is provided in a number of chapters -- The Basics of Home Canning, The Basics of Fruit Spreads, The basics of Pickling, Canning Step-by-Step, About Pectin, Additional Recipes (includes a pie crust recipe, Blueberry Pie filling, Blackberries & Grappa, Brandied Apricots and Preserved Limes)and Techniques & Yields. The recipes are divided into Jams & Jellies, Preserves, Conserves & Marmalades, Sweet Butters & Curds, Pickled Fruits & Vegetables, Salsas, Relishes & Chutneys and Condiments & Sauces.
The section on high altitude adjustments contained a suggestion that a pressure canner might be a good idea for basic jam, jelly and pickle recipes at altitudes over 5,000 feet in order to avoid over-cooking the food. I live in Colorado and can at over 5,000 feet, and have never encountered a problem with over-cooking. Pressure canning is usually reserved for low acid foods and meats, not jams, jellies and pickles. It won't hurt anything but it's debatable whether this would appreciably increase the quality of the jams, jellies and pickles, and the investment in equipment may discourage someone new to canning from beginning. Processing in this manner isn't recommended by our county extension office, which is usually the final word on matters of proper food preservation within the area. Rather than following the guideline in the book, if residing in an area 5,000 feet above sea level, I would suggest checking with the local county extension office (check on-line county listings) for precise recommendations. They are also a great source for free canning recipes.
Normally, I would never list every recipe in a cookbook, but this information may be of value to an experienced cook before making the purchase. I am only noting the actual canning recipes, although some are processed to be stored in the refrigerator rather than the pantry: Mixed Berry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam, Plum Jam, Strawberry Jam, Blueberry-Plum Jam, Peach Jam, Pear-Ginger Jam, Kiwi-Lemon Jam, Grape Jelly, Meyer Lemon Jelly, Mint Jelly, Hot-Pepper Jelly, Pomegranate Jelly, Blackberry Preserves, Fig Preserves, Apricot-Orange Preserves, Kumquat Preserves, Quince Preserves, Apple Pie Filling, Blueberry-Citrus Preserves, Cherry Preserves, Nectarine Preserves, Blood Orange Marmalade, Meyer Lemon-Ginger Marmalade, Satsuma Marmalade, Ruby Grapefruit Marmalade, Peach-Almond Conserve, Pear & Dried Fruit Conserve, Classic Apple Butter, Summer Peach Butter, Plum Butter, Spiced Pumpkin Butter, Pear-Cardamom Butter, Lemon Curd, Tangerine Curd, Lime Curd, Classic Dill Pickles, Bread & Butter Pickles, Pickled Beets, Pickled Asparagus, Pickled Rhubarb, Dilly Beans, Pickled Garlic, Pickled Cocktail Onions, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Cornichons, Pickled Okra, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Pickled Jalapeno Chilies, Giardiniera, Pickled Brussles Spouts, Pickled Red Roasted Peppers with Garlic, Mexican Style Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Fennel with Orange Zest, Sauerkraut, Tomatillo Salsa, Mango-Lime Salsa, Roasted Tomato-Garlic Salsa, Eggplant & Tomato Relish, Pickled Zucchini Relish, Sweet Pickle Relish, Cranberry-Ginger Relish, Corn, Onion & Pepper Relish, Curried Yellow Tomato Chutney, Apple-Onion Chutney, Stone-Fruit Chutney, Rhubarb-Mint Chutney, Classic Ketchup, Chipotle Ketchup, Dijon-Style Mustard, Bruschetta Topping, Summer Pepper Sauce, Peach Barbecue Sauce, Chinese-Style Plum Sauce, Flavored Honey, Applesauce, Tomato-Basil Sauce, Blueberry Syrup and Bing Cherry Syrup.
Without hesitation I would purchase this book for a friend who had expressed an interest in learning about canning because the presentation is quite enticing, but for an experienced canner, the decision rests solely on the variety of recipes.
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