Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a great idea but not very well executed. The recipes are smaller which is nice but I was disappointed that many of them are supposed to be stored in the refrigerator. That's leftovers NOT food preservation. There are several better books out there--The new Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is absolutely the best and most reliable book and has many small batch recipes included. If you can find copies of Sunset Home Canning (1993), The Food Lover's Guide to Canning (1997) or Canning by Sue and Bill Deeming (1983) you will have a wealth of reliable, creative canning recipes.

I checked this out from the library rather than ordering it initially because of the mixed reviews. I have loved it so much I kept renewing and finally had to order a copy because I couldn't bear to part with it. This weekend I made the blueberry spiced honey jam and it is FABULOUS! Same for the red onion relish, the jalapeno mint jelly, the pasta sauce....everything I've tried has been a hit. There's an Indonesian Satay Sauce that I'll be making as soon as my own book shows up. I haven't even gotten to the section on freezing!

Quantities are small, but it's simple to double or triple a favorite recipe. One of my favorite parts of the book is the final chapter which has recipes for using some of the more unusual items.

If you're looking for traditional canning recipes, there are probably better books out there, but if you're looking for the unusual in quantities that are manageable, this is a great book!!!

One other thing you may wish to know: all the canning recipes are for water-bath canning, so you won't be disappointed to find out that all the recipes you want to make call for a pressure canner.

I've been canning for years. Yes, some of the recipes you definitely have to use your head (like the strawberry one). I've made over half of the recipes in the book and liked them all. Those that weren't entirely what I expected--they just got named something else. If you want to try your hand at preserving and don't want bushels of stuff in your kitchen--get this book!

I love this book. I have had it for several years now and have used many recipes from it. The recent upswing in the trendiness of preserving has created a deluge of books on the subject. Their general lack of quality has made me realize just what a fabulous resource this is and has compelled me to write this review. This book has hundreds of recipes, and, sure, I was initially disappointed that a couple of sections were devoted to "preserving" things in the refrigerator or freezer, but most of the recipes are traditional water-bath canning recipes. Additionally, the newer books I've seen on the subject (of small-batch preserving) lack recipes in general and have a much higher proportion of "preserving" things in the fridge or freezer than this does. I would generally have deducted a star for the freezer and refrigerator recipes, but after having used this for several years, I have found that the breadth and quality of the recipes makes up for it.

5 Stars!

Are you time-challenged and in despair as you ogle the fresh summer fruits/veggies at the store or farmer's market? Moan no more! The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round is the answer for healthy, flavorful and EASY canning, freezing or pickling !

Inventory your pantry and spices (small bottles of herbs and spices are adequate for most recipes). Decide on a recipe. Purchase the produce (about 4 pounds of fruit/veggies for most recipes). Sterilize the canning jars while prepping the produce. It IS that easy!

Small batch preserving is the way to go. Beautiful full-color pictures inspire you to enjoy the abundance of your garden, your neighbor's overflow, or local produce.

I bought this book for me a yr ago... and I loved using it because if the batch quantity and the recipes. Sized just for me and my husband and the size of garden we have. So I decided to get the book for a Christmas gift for the neighbor, she just loves it as well! This was the 'best gift she ever got'. Both of us read and mark allot of recipes to try. Actually, you don't have to have a garden to use and make the recipes either!

I really like this book. Lots of variety. I have the inside of the sure-jell package for the standard recipes but I wanted some that were different, wouldn't take me all day, and wouldn't require another outbuilding just for storage. I will be using this one a lot.

I purchased this book a few years ago and I LOVE it. It has hundreds of recipes that you can use immediately or use them as a starting off point to create even more of your own unique jams, spreads, chutneys and pickles. This book was an inspiration to me. The recipes are easy to read and execute and I would love to meet the authors. I have started my own jam company and I have to say that this book has been so much help to me in developing my own brand and and unique and gorgeous flavors. This is a must have for your canning library and I would highly recommend it to others.

I purchased this book to obtain some recipes for things like Italian sauces that didn't require 30 lbs. of tomatoes which this book has. I succeeded in making 2 qts. of sauce with one of the recipes. However, most of the recipes are so small that they could barely satisfy one person. While one could double the recipe, you aren't technically supposed to mix doubled recipes together because it could affect the acidity so you would actually have to can the 2 batches separately. Getting 2 or 3 cups out of a recipe seems pointless. I was hoping for recipes that would allow you to put up at least 4 half-pints/pints. Many of the recipes aren't even for canning but for refrigeration or freezing. I do have to say though that the book does have some recipes that you won't find anywhere else which makes it somewhat worthwhile to have.

Wow, got this book for my mother and she is living alone. She really appreciates the small batch recipes and has a huge variety of savory items for the cold winter months or special occasions. Thanks for the quick service and the book was in excellent condition.