Product Description

The easiest and safest methods for making delectable preserves in small batches -- all year long.

"Takes the pressure off cooks who don't have much time... but still want to savor the season's bounty."
-Chicago Tribune (Review of the prior edition)

The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving takes the guesswork out of home preserving. Both beginners and pros can make the most of fresh fruits and vegetables when these are readily available and inexpensive. Because these recipes require a minimum of time and fuss, home cooks will enjoy creating the preserves almost as much as everyone will enjoy tasting them.

Included are both traditional and new recipes. Detailed instructions provide the safest and latest processing methods. Some recipes are suitable for microwaves. A brand new chapter features freezer preserving as an alternative to the traditional methods. The more than 300 enticing recipes include:

• Jams, jellies and low-sugar spreads
• Conserves, butters and curds
• Pickles, relishes and chutneys
• Salsas, mustards and marinades
• Flavored oils
• Dessert sauces, syrups and liqueurs.

With delectable recipes and professional tips, The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving is the ideal guide for anyone who craves home-made preserves but doesn't want to spend all day in the kitchen.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12556 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 376 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781554072569
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
Indispensable for the adventurous cook. (Sharon K. Ghag (CanWest story) The Telegraph (Macon GA) 20080813)

The recipes in this book are 21st-century gourmet delights ... something for all menus.... You'll relish this book! (Liz Grogan Good Times 200706)

The book demystifies the canning process, explaining how to preserve safely and turning it into an efficient and enjoyable activity. (Judy Creighton Montreal Gazette 20070523)

'Fresh From the Freezer' ... shows readers a quick and easy way to preserve a wide variety of foods. (Judy Creighton Red Deer Advocate 20070530)

376 pages of great food including nine recipes for strawberry jam and lots of tips. Wow! (Lois Cooper Muskoka Today 20070614)

The recipes are easy and don't make so much that you're canning more than you can use. (Linda Cicero Miami Herald 20070607)

Topp and Howard demystify the canning process.... Suggestions, tips and techniques...guarantee a perfect result. (Forever Young 2007-4)

The book demystifies the canning process. (Judy Creighton, CP Medicine Hat News 20070708)

Inspiring recipes. (Renee Blackstone Vancouver Province 20070718)

Here are recipes that showcase modern tools, techniques and tastes. (Sharon K. Ghag San Jose Mercury Review 20070805)

These two kitchen wizards prove that old-fashioned preserving can be haute cuisine. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 20070627)

The best thing this book does is wipe away many preconceptions about preserving. (Tom Mentzer Potomac News (Woodbridge VA) 200708)

If you're short on time and inclination, The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving is the guide for you. (Home Cooking (Berne, IL) 20070907)

Demystifies the canning process, explaining how to preserve safely and turning it into an efficient and enjoyable activity. (Judy Creighton The Hamilton Spectator 20070730)

Authors Eleanor Topp and Margaret Howard dish out more than 300 delicious recipes for you to try. (National Examiner 20070614)

The best thing this book does is wipe away many preconceptions about preserving. (Tom Mentzer, Scripps Howard News Service The Daily Journal (IL) 200707)

We've ... long been fans of Margaret Howard's well-researched and no-nonsense cookbooks. (Edible Prairie Journal 20070509)

Not your grandmother's collection of canning recipes. [These] will appeal to modern cooks. (Larry Cox Tucson Citizen 20010521)

[Review of 1st edition] Solid instructions and tips for preserving food safely. (Margaret C. Merrill Library Journal 20080716)

[Review of 1st edition] Many of the delicacies this book proposes are surprisingly sophisticated. (Publishers Weekly )

[Review of 1st edition] Takes the pressure off cooks who don't have the time (Renée Enna Chicago Tribune )

[Review of 1st edition] These are flavors for grownups ... Best of all, there are good instructions on technique. (Greg Neiman Red Deer Advocate )

[Review of 1st edition] Perfect for using ingredients when they are at peak season. (Richmond Times-Dispatch )

[Review of 1st edition] This is the book suggested for anyone seeking to crack the mysteries of first-time preserving. (Valparaiso Vidette Times )

Indispensable for the adventurous cook. (Sharon K. Ghag The Modesto Bee )

About the Author

Ellie Topp is a Professional Home Economist and a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP) by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She holds a Bachelors degree in Home Economics from Northwestern University, a Masters degree in foods and nutrition from the University of Wisconsin and was a research associate in the Department of Food Research at the University of Illinois . Ellie writes a monthly column, 'Food Bits', for a local newspaper and has authored eight cookbooks. With support from Canola Information Service and in collaboration with Health Canada, Ellie developed a safe method for making flavored oils, the results of which were included in The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving (Firefly 2001, 2007) and published in Food Research International (Topp, E.B., F.J. Cook, G.C. Topp. "Heating oils with fresh vegetable inclusions: modelling and measurement of heating pattern." Vol.36 [2003] 831-842).

Ellie is an active member of the Ontario and Ottawa Home Economics Associations, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and Cuisine Canada.

Margaret Howard is a Registered Dietitian and a Professional Home Economist. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Science, with a specialty in Home Economics from University of Western Ontario and interned in dietetics at Toronto General Hospital. Margaret has authored 15 cookbooks including several for people with diabetes published in cooperation with the Canadian Diabetes Association. Testing recipes and writing for consumers in magazines and cookbooks is an ongoing professional activity. As a former Consumer Services Manager for Thomas J. Lipton, Inc responsible for the Test Kitchen and Customer Relations, Margaret brings a background knowledge of consumers needs into her writing. As a media spokesperson, Margaret has given numerous TV, radio and press interviews in both Canada and the U.S.

Margaret's professional associations include: Dietitians of Canada, Ontario Dietetic Association, Cuisine Canada, Ontario Home Economics Association and Home Economists in Business.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpted from the Introduction

Multi-hued peppers, juicy peaches and nectarines, glowing red and purple grapes -- all these delicious fruits beckon to us at the farmer's market or produce counter. We load our shopping baskets with this bounty from all over the world. And then what? We certainly enjoy eating the fresh produce. But deep within most of us lurks a desire to preserve these flavors for future enjoyment.

Many of us remember our grandmothers spending long hours in the summer preserving the produce from their large gardens. While few of us have a desire to return to the era of preserving large quantities of food for the cold months, we are developing a taste for new flavors and want to use them to enhance an otherwise simple meal. A flavorful bit of chutney, a rich salsa, a crisp pickle, a special sauce, or a flavored oil or vinegar adds interest to a meal while fitting a healthy lifestyle. Jams, conserves, marmalades and jellies can be spread on toast, English muffins or tea biscuits with no added butter necessary.

Throughout this book we offer recipes for smaller rather than larger finished amounts. A small yield gives more opportunity to make several different preserves. It also reduces the risk of scorching that is always a danger when cooking larger batches. And it makes large storage areas unnecessary. Most recipes can be made year round and, most important, at your convenience.

Preserving food is great fun and not at all difficult. When you decide to preserve food, there are two important things you must do. The first is to destroy all micro-organisms such as bacteria, molds and yeasts naturally present in food to prevent them from spoiling the preserved product. Having done this, the second thing is to make sure your preserving containers are sealed in such a way that other organisms cannot enter, otherwise they will cause your carefully prepared food to spoil.

Micro-organisms and enzymes naturally present in foods cause many changes to occur. Not all of these changes are bad. Many micro-organisms -- bacteria, molds and yeasts -- are intentionally used to create new forms of foods. For instance, bacteria added to milk produce creamy yogurt. Enzymes turn milk into curds, and molds introduced into the curds create wonderful cheeses. Winemakers know the result of yeasts growing in grape juice. However, not all organisms cause changes that are desirable. They can cause food to spoil.

Today's methods of preserving are much easier, thanks to innovations from jar manufacturers. The two-piece closures, are much more foolproof than were the glass-topped sealer jars used in bygone days. And modern jars come in a variety of convenient sizes that let us preserve small amounts quickly without overwhelming our storage areas. The small batches featured in our book let you make a small amount of a tasty preserve in very short order.

We now have access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables -- some of which were unknown to North America until recently. Many of these fruits and vegetables, such as mangoes, papayas, fresh figs and even strawberries and a variety of peppers are now available year round. Almost all of our recipes can be made throughout the year with this greater availability. However, a few foods are only available for short times of the year. Seville oranges are a good example. They are usually in stores only in January and February. Other fruits and vegetables, although available throughout the year, may be of better quality at certain times. We believe the quality of our own locally grown produce is superior since it arrives fresh in our kitchens without extended storage. At other times, good imported produce is available -- just remember, you may be paying more. Preserve when the quality is finest and price is lowest.

Customer Reviews

Canning Recipes
This book is a great idea but not very well executed. The recipes are smaller which is nice but I was disappointed that many of them are supposed to be stored in the refrigerator. That's leftovers NOT food preservation. There are several better books out there--The new Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is absolutely the best and most reliable book and has many small batch recipes included. If you can find copies of Sunset Home Canning (1993), The Food Lover's Guide to Canning (1997) or Canning by Sue and Bill Deeming (1983) you will have a wealth of reliable, creative canning recipes.

I LOVE THIS BOOK
I checked this out from the library rather than ordering it initially because of the mixed reviews. I have loved it so much I kept renewing and finally had to order a copy because I couldn't bear to part with it. This weekend I made the blueberry spiced honey jam and it is FABULOUS! Same for the red onion relish, the jalapeno mint jelly, the pasta sauce....everything I've tried has been a hit. There's an Indonesian Satay Sauce that I'll be making as soon as my own book shows up. I haven't even gotten to the section on freezing!

Quantities are small, but it's simple to double or triple a favorite recipe. One of my favorite parts of the book is the final chapter which has recipes for using some of the more unusual items.

If you're looking for traditional canning recipes, there are probably better books out there, but if you're looking for the unusual in quantities that are manageable, this is a great book!!!

One other thing you may wish to know: all the canning recipes are for water-bath canning, so you won't be disappointed to find out that all the recipes you want to make call for a pressure canner.

Don't listen to negatives
I've been canning for years. Yes, some of the recipes you definitely have to use your head (like the strawberry one). I've made over half of the recipes in the book and liked them all. Those that weren't entirely what I expected--they just got named something else. If you want to try your hand at preserving and don't want bushels of stuff in your kitchen--get this book!