Better Homes and Gardens You Can Can: A Guide to Canning, Preserving, and Pickling (Better Homes & Gardens) [Paperback]

Better Homes and Gardens (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 1, 2010 | Series: Better Homes & Gardens

A comprehensive beginner's guide to home canning and preserving, complete with tasty recipes!

Preserving your own fruits and vegetables is an affordable and sustainable way to sweeten your pantry with delicious seasonal bounty to last all year. With Better Homes and Gardens You Can Can!, you'll learn everything you ever needed to know about canning and preserving your farmer's market finds and the fresh produce from your garden. Whether you're canning for the first time or just want to refresh your skills, this is the perfect guide.

All the basics are covered, from hot water baths and freezing techniques to food safety information and clever ideas for making gifts from your preserves. With a wide variety of recipes and step-by-step instruction, this book is clear and straightforward enough for any inspired do-it-yourselfer.

• Includes 100 recipes for classic flavors as well as bold new delights
• Features more than 50 beautiful color photos, including step-by-step photos to guide the novice canner through the most critical procedures
• Covers all the basics of equipment and ingredients and provides handy charts and go-to lists, as well as tips on produce seasonality

With recipes for jams, jellies, preserves, and chutneys, as well as pickles, relishes, and veggies, this book proves that you really can can!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The fun and simple guide that proves you really can can!

Canning and preserving your own fruits and vegetables is a fun, affordable, and sustainable way to fill your pantry with the season's bounty all year long. This inspirational-yet-practical guide offers hands-on advice and helpful tips to start canning and preserving your farmer's market favorites or the fresh produce from your own garden. With 100 delicious recipes to fire your imagination, including pickles, jams, jellies, chutneys, salsas, sauces, and even homemade cordials, you'll find everything you need to make your own preserves and canned fruits and vegetables at home!

• Learn all the basics-from water baths to freezing techniques-plus food safety tips and clever gift ideas

• Beautiful photos guide you through every step from garden-fresh to pantry-ready

• Includes equipment and ingredients, handy charts and lists, and tips on produce seasonality

About the Author

The iconic BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS brand is one of America's most trusted sources for information on cooking, gardening, home improvement, home design, decorating, and crafting. Today, the brand encompasses books, magazines, and digital media.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Better Homes & Gardens; 1 edition (June 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470607564
• ISBN-13: 978-0470607565
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.6 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #70 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Canning & Preserving

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good August 29, 2010

By K. Matheny

Format:Paperback

My husband and I just moved into a house with a fantastic yard for gardening and 5 peach and nectarine trees. We got this book to help up preserve all the precious fruit this fall.

Ive looked through it and it has great charts and explanations for the process. However in the back there is one small typo that incorrectly stated what the boiling point of water does at altitude. Which made the altitude section a little confusing. the boiling point of water goes DOWN the higher the altitude is. So at sea level, 212 degrees F, at 5000 ft 202.

Otherwise this book is fantastic for the canning process giving me ideas and providing plenty of pictures. I was actually surprised at how useful the book was, when I purchased it for 17 dollars I was expecting to only use the pickle and peach recipes, but the entire book has provided useful so far.

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars you really can can July 3, 2010

By Texas Girl

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have many home canning books. This is one of the best. I have canned for 7 years so I know the process. But if I just started I would highly recommend this book. Once again Better Homes and Gardens did a great job.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A good beginners book. August 17, 2011

By S. Lindsey

Format:Paperback

This book is very well organized and is full of useful information for beginners. I have used several of the recipes. Some have turned out beautiful and some had to be trashed despite having followed the recipes exactly. I've also noticed that some of the beautiful pictures are not accurate reflections of the recipes which I find very dissappointing. For example, the recipe will say to dice the peppers but in the picture the peppers were used whole. It does discuss sodium reduction despite what another reviewer claims. I would buy this book again, it's certainly worth the money for all the information. Just be careful with the recipes or you will be out several pounds of figs.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars you really can, can September 10, 2010

By camaikman

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

No dancing around this, you can can! This book is basic enough to get your rolling AND has a decent assortment of recipes to try. My garden was not as prosperous as I would have liked this year but next year, look out - and I plan on using a lot more of the recipes from this book to handle my bounty.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Clean, Clear, Relevant Reference January 14, 2011

By Freckles

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm new to canning. I wanted ONE book, ONE book to tell me exactly what I needed to know and give me some good, basic recipes for things that I'd actually be able to use. This is it. There are no gaps. I don't think I will ever need or want to purchase another book on canning after this one.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A Pretty Disappointment March 25, 2012

By J Keistler TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

I ordered this book because historically BH&G has published excellent books for the price. Unfortunately, this book doesn't measure up to their past books. Oh, it's pretty, and printed on good quality paper. However, as another reviewer stated, it's worthless for most serious canners and even for beginners. Why? It basically ignores pressure canning, preferring to concentrate on high-acid/hot water canning. Therefore, you can throw out learning about 95% of your vegetable needs. You can throw out 100% of your needed knowledge for canning any meats. The dehydration portion of the book is a poor substitute for Deanna DeLong's excellent dehydration book, one that has been published since the 70's with updates. The part on freezing food must've been cribbed from a 70-year-old freezing guide for those homes just getting freezers back then.

If canning is the interest, buy the Ball Blue Book. It has been, and remains, the best primer for newbie canners. And yes, I've been canning for 30+ years, I was looking for some interesting new recipes. Canning isn't hard at all, and I'd hate to see someone give up on the idea after seeing this publication.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars You Can "Water Bath Can" February 17, 2012

By JeepinJesse

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If your looking for low acid food recipes look elsewhere. This book only has THREE low acid pressure canning recipes. Great if you have a water bath caner. Crappy if you want to try out your new pressure canner. Full disclosure on this would have been helpful. Course Amazon rocks and let me keep the book when I went to return the item. Go Amazon!!

-Big Jesse

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re-review

Since I was able to keep this book I put it to good use. I have made numerous recipes including "Hot-Style Chili Sauce" page 144 and "Farmers Market Corn Salsa" page 122. All of the recipes I have tried so far have ROCKED!! If you're looking for a canning book for HIGH ACID canning this book wont disappoint.

-Big Jesse

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the BEST Canning Book I Own. April 14, 2011

By J. Baisden

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have owned a lot of canning books over the years. Sold many at yard sales and on Amazon. This one is staying as one of my "keepers". In fact, will probably be the one I use the most. The recipes range from basic to complex. But dont let "complex" scare you because it just means more ingredients are involved. Anyone can can with this book and I highly recommend it to the beginner as well as the seasoned canner!