Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry, Lauren Devine
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Book Reviews of Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Book Review: Saints Preserve Us!
Summary: 5 Stars
It was my lucky day when happenstance led me to this exciting new book.
There are more than 400 recipes within, basic ones for new home canners and sophisticated recipes for more experienced canners and those newbies with sophisticated palates. New preservers and experienced canners alike will appreciate the section (with lots of illustrations) titled "The Art and Science of Home Food Preservation."
The authors and their supporting cast know their stuff and impart that knowledge with clear language and instructions as well as helpful tips in sidebars for nearly every recipe, whether a special use for the preserved product or tips for selecting the best produce and ingredients for the recipe. They've answered the call for "ethnic" recipes and provide recipes the likes of harissa, 14 salsas, and five different chili sauce recipes as well as regional specialties like okra pickles. Among the eighteen chutney recipes, there's sure to be at least one blue ribbon winner for ambitious State and County Fair competitors around the country.
While the first 378 pages are dedicated to recipes processed in a boiling water bath, there is also a small section about pressure processing for vegetables and combination foods like beef stew and chili.
There are not many photos; I don't mind that. Those photos that are included are taste-tempting and colorful - I'm pretty sure I can taste that Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce just looking at the picture of it.
As a prize-winning Fair competitor for more than 25 years, I am really excited about this book and look forward to trying some of its innovative recipes for my family and my friends. I salute the authors and thank them for the newest addition to my preserving library. Saints preserve us!
Barb Schaller
Burnsville, Minnesota
2004 Minnesota State Fair "Prestigious Processor of the Pantry"
Book Review: Great book, no matter your skill level
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this book about three weeks ago, having never canned or preserved, and I was completely impressed. Using the recipes inside, I've made pickled ocra, green beans, brandied cherries, sweet asparagus, and the hands down best pickle relish I've ever had in my life. It has hundreds of recipes, and they are all wonderful. If you're into fruit preserves or jams, sweet or dill pickles, slasas, relishes, chutneys, condiments, you name it, there are dozens of recipes of each type of food. I'll be tackling some home made wine and cranberry mustard next week. The first batches of pickles I made were with utensils I already had on hand. All you need is the mason jars if you have a well stocked kitchen. I've sense bought some bottle clamps to get the jars out of the hot water, but that's about it.
Here are the pros:
*) Thorough discussion of the steps of preserving.
*) Discussion on foodborne illness and how to kill it through preserving.
*) A look at high acid versus low acid canning.
*) A handy guide of produce weight and volume (for example, one pound of cherries equals 2 1/2 cups of cherries, so you know exactly what to get at the store).
*) Amazing, easy recipes for all levels of skill and tastes.
*) Dozens of variations on recipes (not just one type of cucumber pickle, but several!)
Buy this book if you're thinking of starting or even an old time pro. It's great fun, and it can produce pickles, ketchups, and preserves where you controll all the ingredients (and can even go organic!).
Book Review: Fantastic book good recipes
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first book on just canning, and I must say I am very impressed. The recipes are easy to read, clear, and best of all the recipes turn out well. From this book so far I have made, peach butter, blueberry jam, garlic butter, Oktoberfest mustard, marina sauce, and put up crushed tomatoes. I have also used their recipe for fermented dill pickles and they are quite good. All of my attempts have turned out well, and jars sealed when I used their directions. There is one drawback, many of these recipes are available online on their website.
I really feel this is a terrific book to add to your library. The recipes are simple to read, and best of all they seem to be tried and true and they work well. I would definately buy this book if you are looking for a guide to canning, and I would visit their website if you just want to check out new recipes.
Book Review: Great addition to the collection!
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book in a bricks and mortar bookstore and loved the cover art. I'm a food preserver and a cookbook collector so I thumbed through it. There are tons of interesting recipes in here that aren't the 'standards' that are all over the internet. I've become a gardener mostly to save money on canning things so I have turned to this book to find out what to do with my green cherry tomatoes that were on the plant that colapsed its tomato cage...you make dilled green tomato pickles! Ball Blue Book and Putting Food By now lay unused for canning (though are still great books for other forms of food preservation) and Home Preserving sits on the coffee table for browsing. My biggest complaint is that ClearJel is used in many recipies and is very hard to source. And there aren't enough canning jars in my house to make everything I want to make from this book.Book Review: This should be called Ball's Bible to Canning
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fabulous book for canning recipes. I have been canning for a number of years myself, and before that canned with my mother and grandmother. I have a lot of the recipes for the average garden fair already in my recipe box, however.... those recipes (or similar) are in this book, plus the addition of alternative forms of them, and some contemporary recipes also. If you have the Blue Book of recipes by Ball, in my opinion this is an expanded version. All those recipes seem to be in here plus a ton more. I have tried a lot of them and I have not found one that results in an average or below product. These really are tasty recipes. My favorites include: Blueberry Lime Jam, Sundae in a Jar Jam, Thai sweet and spicy dipping sauce, dilled beans (their recipe is better than the one I had in my recipe box) and Pickled Garlic. Really tasty : ) book!