Home preserving books

My son Rob (aka VI) has me processing some of his produce from the the Farmers Market as well as what I have bought. So far I've made bread and butter pickles, pickled beets (twice), pickled cauliflower,green beans and carrots, Vietamese pickled radishes and have saurkraut working. He brought me zuccini for either chutney or relish that I found recipes for and of course pickles and dill for pickles. Neither of which I have started yet.

He loaned me his copy of Complete book of Home Preserving. While searching Amazon.com I also came across Ball's Blue Book of Home Preserving. Any ideas as to which is better. I'd like to get my own copy since I saw things I'd like to try and some of the stuff is from different seasons and I have to return his book.

Also any other suggestions would be welcome.
Paulette

Hi Paulette,

The book VI lent you, is it the USDA's Guide to Complete Home Canning? If yes, then you have my bible for home canning. While I have the Ball Book, which I like a lot, it does not always agree with the USDA's recommendations on processing. When in doubt I use the USDA's processing times and methods.

The University of Georgia publishes a great book called So Easy to Preserve now in its 5th edition. I see now they also offer DVD's on food preservation, which is great for a novice. I would get this book, which you would not have to be checking the USDA guidelines because they are already incorporated.

The USDA Guide to Home CAnning is on line at my favorite internet resource for canning: National Center for Food Preservation for research based canning, freezing and preserving information.

A canner cans because they can.

Regards,

An aunt of the s/o kindly sent me the USDA just a few months ago. With the recent influx of produce from the the s/o's parents' gardens it's come in quite handy. BTW: I ran across the Ball book at Menards a couple days ago...the government issue appears to be the more handy.

...thank you Cathy for the link...it hadn't occurred to me to search online:)

I haven't been canning because we don't have enough stuff for that. I usually only get a couple of pints and between Rob and us we can keep it in the frig and it will be gone before you know it. Given my food safety background I have always been petrified of actually canning. Maybe someday, but then I would have to have produce by the bushel not just a couple of bunches or small containers. I was reading the complete book of home preserving and found a lot of interesting pickles, salsas and chutneys that I would like to try. Got enough pickles today to put up but I make old fashioned dill pickles that ferment on the counter with a brine of salt and water. Rob gave me enough zucchini so that I will try the chutney or relish. Probably only get about 2 or 3 pints.

So what I'm looking for is mostly recipes and not how to's. The amounts I have will stay in the frig nicely since they will be consumed quickly.
Paulette

paulette wrote:My son Rob (aka VI) has me processing some of his produce from the the Farmers Market as well as what I have bought. So far I've made bread and butter pickles, pickled beets (twice), pickled cauliflower,green beans and carrots, Vietamese pickled radishes and have saurkraut working. He brought me zuccini for either chutney or relish that I found recipes for and of course pickles and dill for pickles. Neither of which I have started yet.

He loaned me his copy of Complete book of Home Preserving. While searching Amazon.com I also came across Ball's Blue Book of Home Preserving. Any ideas as to which is better. I'd like to get my own copy since I saw things I'd like to try and some of the stuff is from different seasons and I have to return his book.

Also any other suggestions would be welcome.
Paulette

I presume this is the book he lent you. I recently bought it and like it very much. I chose it over the Blue Book simply because my local boarders had it in stock the day I was there. Since you've seen it already, you know it has instructions about canning, in addition to recipes. Perhaps the folks at Ball wanted to publish a second book with more recipes and details. My *guess* is that there isn't much information in the Blue Book that isn't in this newer book.

Here are two other books you may enjoy as complements to one of the above:

The Joy of Pickling

Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber. Note that this book only contains recipes for jams and jellies, but does not give instructions for canning (i.e. water processing) the jams.

HI,

If Ball is involved, then what you bought recently is the most up-to-date of the Blue Book series, though Blue Book name may have been dropped. The most recent Ball Blue Book was published in 2004.

I still get the USDA book, which I have opened side by side next to any canning recipe. I will sometimes adjust ingredients to more closely parallel USDA as well as canning methods and timing.

Regards,

I have always really liked Putting Food By, which has seen me through all kinds of preserving projects. It goes beyond canning into dehydrating and other ways of keeping foods.

Local author Madelaine Bullwinkel has a nice book on small-batch jam making, Gourmet Preserves Chez Madelaine; it's not for beginners, but she offers some nice flavor combinations and focuses on avoiding excess use of commercial pectins.

Online preserving resources:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Jarden Home Brands
Sure-Jell

Can you all recommend sources in the northern burbs for purchasing canning supplies. Namely I'm thinking racks, tongs and jars. I probably have enough stockpots for the actual boiling.

And I'm a novice...in addition to the books mentioned above, can anyone offer practical advice, suggestions, encouragement?

I advise that you do not use thin/cheap stock pots (or closely watch your temps if you do). My aunt made a batch of tomato chutney but the bottom scalded badly because it was such a thin bottomed pot and the entire batch was ruined.

bjt

I am about to embark upon my first canning experience by making salsa.
I have a recipe from my CSA for canning salsa. Its pretty standard - garlic, peppers, tomatos.

My question: I'd like to jazz up the salsa with some corn and black beans. Is this going to throw off the proper acid balance?

bjt wrote:I advise that you do not use thin/cheap stock pots (or closely watch your temps if you do). My aunt made a batch of tomato chutney but the bottom scalded badly because it was such a thin bottomed pot and the entire batch was ruined.

bjt

I'm not sure what you mean above. The bottom of what scalded? Did she use a rack to elevate the jars above the bottom of the pot?

sujormik wrote:Can you all recommend sources in the northern burbs for purchasing canning supplies. Namely I'm thinking racks, tongs and jars. I probably have enough stockpots for the actual boiling.

And I'm a novice...in addition to the books mentioned above, can anyone offer practical advice, suggestions, encouragement?

Usually Walmart's have supplies. I've also seen them at most Ace and True Value stores. Even the Jewel closest to me here in the city has them. So, I guess first is just keep your eyes open and look in the seasonal aisles.

The best advice I can think of is that old information is not always good information. As Cathy2 has recommended, get the most current government procedures. You can use these to modify older recipes.

To go with that, buy a cookbook or two that are current - published in the last year or two. Specifically info related to acid and tomatoes has changed, so most older recipes are out of date already.

Also, this is really better with help. While you can do it alone, it's much more fun - an less labor intense - to do it with some friends or relatives with whom you enjoy spending time. It can take hours from start to finish, too.

Buy the freshest ingredients you can find. Wash everything completely. And, never, never, never fudge even a bit on a recipe's instructions.

Mostly, have fun and enjoy eating the fruits (and veggies) of your labors.

october:

Adding corn or black beans to your salsa requires pressure canning. If you are starting out, I'm guessing you're canning using the water-bath method. Start by making the salsa recipe to the letter. Once you get comfortable with that, tweak the ingredients. Adding non-acidic ingredients to water-bath canning could be problematic.

What we've done is put up the salsa using our base recipe. When we open a jar, add corn and black beans and simmer on the stove for a bit. Refrigerate and eat within one week.

To go with that, buy a cookbook or two that are current - published in the last year or two. Specifically info related to acid and tomatoes has changed, so most older recipes are out of date already.

Just because a book is currently published, you cannot rely on their processing procedures to be accurate.

I contacted a cookbook author who instructed people to waterbath can an item I knew clearly needed pressure canning. Her response seemed to be more market driven than food safety, "Not many people have pressure canners. I used the waterbath method because it is approachable to more people."

Acidifying tomatoes has been recommended for at least 18 years, though this information is not always present in cookbooks.

Regards,

dees_1 wrote:october:

Adding corn or black beans to your salsa requires pressure canning. If you are starting out, I'm guessing you're canning using the water-bath method. Start by making the salsa recipe to the letter. Once you get comfortable with that, tweak the ingredients. Adding non-acidic ingredients to water-bath canning could be problematic.

What we've done is put up the salsa using our base recipe. When we open a jar, add corn and black beans and simmer on the stove for a bit. Refrigerate and eat within one week.

That's a very sensible approach.

Regards,