The Food Lover's Guide to Canning: Contemporary Recipes & Techniques

I've been canning for about ten years and this is my favorite cookbook by far. I purchased this copy as a gift for my sister, a fellow canner. Since the book is now, unfortunately out-of-print I decided to order a used copy for her before the availability disappears or the price becomes prohibitive. Other reviewers have emphasized how good it is for the beginner, and it is, but this book appeals to all skill levels. Packed with exotic combinations that are simply not in any other cookbooks I own -- and I have at least 25 different canning books. Every year there are recipes in this book that I must prepare -- they have become favorites -- like the Pickled Garlic in white wine, which is really excellent and the Sweet and Sour Baby Carrots also delicious. After a couple of failed attempts at pickles, I had great success with the author's recipe for Susie Gray's Sweet Pickle Chunks. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the Cranberry-Orange Relish which contains a touch of Grand Marnier. I regularly make new selections from the book because of the overall excellence of the combinations and never had a disappointment. I'd give it ten stars if I could and encourage all interested parties to buy it while they may.

Although this book gives excellent tips on the techniques and 'know how' of canning, the recipes are quite lacking in exact measurements. I have now made three of the recipes in this book and have had to modify all three. For example, the recipe for Cranberry Orange Relish calls for a full cup of vinegar. After following the recipe exactly it ended up tasting like a bad, vinegary wine. Next time I will decrease the amount of vinegar by 1/2 a cup. I'm not sure if anyone actually tried out these recipes before deciding to publish them in a book but if they did, their idea of a good relish is not the same as mine. This was otherwise a great book with great tips and techniques. Just make sure you do a test batch first so you know what needs to be changed in the recipe!

I am new to canning, but not new to dabbling in the kitchen, so I felt it was time to learn. I ordered this book before the holidays so I would have time to read it thoroughly and learn to use my canner in time to give gifts to my friends for the holidays. I've been able to pick a nice variety of recipes so not all my friends receive the same item. There were a few helpful tips that weren't in some of the other canning books I read with explanations as to 'why'. I purchased a couple of canning books at the same time as this one and borrowed a couple more, but find myself coming back to this book the most!

I am a serious dabbler in many kitchen areas..canning is one of them. I searched many bookstores and found very few books that fit my needs. Most everything else was either very old, or contained recipes that i would never use. This book, on the other hand, was wonderful! It contains wonderful, easy to follow instructions and canning guidelines, as well as a collection of great recipes. The recipes included cover many things...from traditional jams and jellies (many with that little extra something that makes a wonderful, stand-out recipe) to more unique chutneys and relishes. All of the recipes are unique, but well within the limits of a beginner or intermediate canner. A truly inspired book!

I have several canning guides and this is, by far, the best. I was afraid to start canning until I bought this book. What makes this book so superior is there are photographs instead of illustrations. There are photographs detailing every step of the canning process, as well as photo examples of spoiled food (yuk!), prize-winning jars, equipment, etc. For beginners, there's a really easy, tasty spiced pear recipe they walk you through. There's a variety of recipes for jams, jellies, soups, sauces, salsas, chutneys, etc. And to top things off, there's an excellent chart at the back of the book that covers every type of food you can imagine along with its USDA recommendations. If you haven't canned before, and don't have a grandmom that can show you, this is the next best thing.