Product Description

From the experts, the definitive book on home preserving.

Ball Home Canning Products are the gold standard in home preserving supplies, the trademark jars on display in stores every summer from coast to coast. Now the experts at Ball have written a book destined to become the "bible" of home preserving.

As nutrition and food quality has become more important, home canning and preserving has increased in popularity for the benefits it offers:

• Cooks gain control of the ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables
• Preserving foods at their freshest point locks in nutrition
• The final product is free of chemical additives and preservatives
• Store-bought brands cannot match the wonderful flavor of homemade
• Only a few hours are needed to put up a batch of jam or relish
• Home preserves make a great personal gift any time of year

These 400 innovative and enticing recipes include everything from salsas and savory sauces to pickling, chutneys, relishes and of course, jams, jellies, and fruit spreads, such as:

• Mango-Raspberry Jam, Damson Plum Jam
• Crab Apple Jelly, Green Pepper Jelly
• Spiced Red Cabbage, Pickled Asparagus
• Roasted Red Pepper Spread, Tomatillo Salsa
• Brandied Apple Rings, Apricot-Date Chutney

The book includes comprehensive directions on safe canning and preserving methods plus lists of required equipment and utensils. Specific instructions for first-timers and handy tips for the experienced make the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving a valuable addition to any kitchen library.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #357 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-14
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

Review
All-purpose detailed guide to home preserving... extensive tips for beginners and expert canners and troubleshooting pointers. (Margaret C. Merrill Library Journal 20061101)

A bible for those of us who consider canning a way of life... clearly written and easy to follow. (Julie Turjoman Contra Costa Times 20060816)

More than 400 recipes, as well as guidelines for rookies and tips for pros. (Renee Enna Chicago Tribune 20061025)

Many terrific new recipes... its breezy, fast-paced jump-in-and-do-it approach makes the techniques of home canning immediately accessible. (Susan LaaTempa Los Angeles Times 200703)

Will answer all of your questions and many you don't yet know to ask... Homemade is just plain better. (Detroit Metro Times 200610)

This book packs in user-friendly recipes for novices and experienced canners ... [this is] the item of choice. (The Midwest Book Review 20061101)

The art, science, and secrets for successful home canning plus more than 400 recipes with variations, tips, techniques, and charts. (Lois Friedman New Horizons )

The season's bounty of fruit and vegetables can be enjoyed year-round with the help of 'this book'. (Renee Enna Tha Pantagraph (Bloomington IL) )

This all-purpose detailed guide... offers extensive tips for both beginners and expert canners and troubleshooting pointers. (Library Journal )

About the Author

Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine have between them 20 years of experience in the preserving industry. They are both employed by Jarden Home Brands.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Preserving the Good Things of Life Because You Can!.

Home canning puts the pleasure of eating natural, delicious produce at your fingertips year-round. Preserving food in mason jars might sound old-fashioned, but it is as modern and practical as the latest health food trend or gourmet creation -- and it's really quite simple! Home canners enjoy the rewards of numerous homemade meals and snacks, created from just one preserving session. When you preserve food at home, you create products that save you time in day-to-day food preparation, a real blessing given today's hectic lifestyles. Individual home-preserved jars can be opened and served as is, or used to simplify on-the-spot meal and snack preparation.

A Simple Step Beyond Cooking

Like baking, preserving food is a simple step beyond recipe preparation. For home canning, this step is called "heat processing." It is neither difficult nor time-consuming. In fact, the most popular home-preserved foods require less time than baking a cake or a casserole. Unlike baking, the results of home canning sessions do not require space in your refrigerator or freezer. Properly home-canned foods can be stored in your cupboard for up to a year.

During heat processing, mason jars filled with food and fitted with two-piece metal closures are heated, destroying harmful microorganisms that cause food spoilage and creating an airtight seal that prevents contamination during storage. Precise processing techniques, times and temperatures are determined by the acidity of the food being preserved. A full description of the process of home canning, with step-by-step instructions and all the details you need to know to preserve food safely, can be found in The Art and Science of Home Food Preservation, beginning on page 409.

If you're eager to jump right in, the Getting Started chapter (pages 8-18) gives detailed instructions on preparing five versatile home-canned foods: strawberry jam, mint jelly, salsa, corn relish and dill pickles. If you prefer to know all the details before you begin a project, take some time to peruse The Art and Science of Home Food Preservation, and especially the section called Boiling-Water Heat Processing, Step by Step (page 415), before you begin one of the Getting Started recipes.

Happy canning!

Customer Reviews

Wonderful For Beginners
I checked this book out at the library several times before finally buying it. This is a wonderfully informative book that will answer all your questions about canning. It is easy to understand and reading it will give you the confidence you need to preserve food. One benefti to this is that you are not required to purchase a lot of expensive equipment, you can pick up what you need from your local grocery store! I am looking forward to preserving a lot of food this summer and fall, I am new at this, but reading this book has showen me that anyone can do this!

Lots of recipes!!!
I love the great amount of recipes in this book, and the helpful sidebar notes. You should be able to find just about any recipe here. I was able to make mulberry jam from our own trees using a recipe from the book.

I really like the getting started recipes at the beginning of the book. They allow you to jump right in. I made my first batch of strawberry jam using that recipe. Turned out great too!!

The canning section in the back is concise and easy to understand as well as complete. This is a great book to add to your collection!

Good recipes, but you might need more jars
This is my first year canning, and I've made 2 recipes from this book so far (pickled peaches and pickled cantaloupe), and both seemed tasty before canning and boiling. My only complaint with this book is that the recipes do not give weights of fruits needed.

For the pickled peaches, I used 16 cups of small sized peach halves, but instead of 5 pints of finished product, I got 10 pints. I guess the recipe was designed for larger fruit, but it was never specified (and I looked through the book trying to find the answer).