Customer Reviews

The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is excellent book for learning to preserve you own food. A wide variety of techniques including freezing, canning, pickling, drying, & using cold storage as well as making jams & jellies are thoroughly covered.

All the sections contain clear easy-to-follow instructions and lots of helpful tips. There is even advice on buying produce & harvesting the crops. At the end of each section there are recipes that use the method previously taught.

Some delicious recipes include chili con carne, blueberry waffles, & winter onion soup. These are great for today's rushed family life. Simply heat them up and you have a quick & hearty meal. All recipes include nutritional information.

A table of equivalents, metric table, & detailed plans for making your own electric food dehydrator are great extras. This book makes a great addition to any cook's library & is also a great way to prepare a stock of emergency food.

My Mom gave me this book for Christmas one year. I was looking for basic directions and shelf life of all veggies and foods. I've been canning for several years, but this is the only book I use now. This book has something in it for everyone. Easy to use, clear and concise directions. Highly recommend it for beginners!

I had bought this book because I accidentally grew a 9 foot tall tomato "tree" and wanted to know what the heck I was going to do with 48 pounds of tomatoes...and boy, does this book have answers for that!

Whether you're an experienced canner or just someone trying to figure out how to preserve what you just grew, this is the book to have. Not only does it cover the basics, such as jelly bags, what-the-heck-is-pectin, blanching, steam canning vs. pressure canning, and basic safetey tips, it also conatins dozens of recipies and hints for experienced canners as well. Also included are hints on preserving dried and frozen fruits, and how to make "fruit leather"....which I tried, and its VERY yummy!

All in all, I'd wager that this is one cooking reference that you'll keep in the kitchen, collecting food stains, not on a shelf in the living room collecting dust.

Whether you're a gardener or you stock up on produce at your local farmer's market, fall is the time of year when it pays to make the most of all those fruits, herbs, and vegetables. But how? This book has the answers. Food writer Carol W.Costenbader has been at it for 35 years, and her experience shows in this detailed guide.You'll get step-by-step instructions and illustrations on each technique, along with lots of recipes.

The good points are it has good tables on conversion - any cookbook has them.

The bad points: few recipes even common ones, obscure organization - want to know about pickles? or applesauce? nope. Wants to be a text book but falls flat on its spine. I won't even donate mine to the school library. Shoot don't be a sucker on this one.

This book contains a wealth of information. Both the size and paper selection on the pages scream "texbook" and perhaps it is for culinary institutes. It's a good reference books but don't expect any enticing or artistic color photos.

My Mom gave me this book for Christmas one year. I was looking for basic directions and shelf life of all veggies and foods. I've been canning for several years, but this is the only book I use now. This book has something in it for everyone. Easy to use, clear and concise directions. Highly recommend it for beginners!