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: #1581 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-14
• Original language: English
• 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

BALL Complete Book of Home Preserving
This book is great for beginners or those with little experience in canning - especially pressure canning.

Lots of recipes and instructions though a little higher-priced than I would have thought.

For the experienced canner there is little in this book that you can't find online with a little effort through various recipe websites or other information resources.

If you are just starting or learning the art of canning I recommend the book. However, for the rest of us it isn't worth the expenditure.

Ball complete book of home perserving
Great book. Wonderful ideas and lot of helpful hints. The authors have created a book of inexpensive gift ideas too.

Ball Complete book of Home Preserving
This is an execellent canning book! It has fantastic recipes that are easy to follow. I would recomend this book to anyone and especialy begining home perservers. Its great!!