Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round [Hardcover]

Marisa McClellan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2012

Popular food blogger Marisa McClellan takes you through all manner of food in jars, storing away the tastes of all seasons for later. Basics like jams and jellies are accompanied by pickles, chutneys, conserves, whole fruit, tomato sauces, salsas, marmalades, nut butters, seasonings, and more. Small batches make them easy projects for a canning novice to tackle, and the flavors of vanilla bean, sage, and pepper will keep more experienced jammers coming back for more.

 

Sample some Apricot Jam and Rhubarb Syrup in the spring, and then try your hand at Blueberry Butter and Peach Salsa in the summer; Dilly Beans and Spicy Pickled Cauliflower ring in the fall, while Three-Citrus Marmalade and Cranberry Ketchup are the harbingers of winter.

Stories of wild blackberry jam and California Meyer lemon marmalade from McClellan’s childhood make for a read as pleasurable as it is delicious; her home-canned food—learned from generations of the original “foodies”—feeds the soul as well as the body in more than 100 recipes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Library Journal
“Everything about this book, from the attractive design chock-full of enticing pictures to the ingredients, demystifies the canning process and alleviates associated fears….VERDICT: This is an excellent introduction to preserving. The author keeps things simple by using accessible ingredients and small batches.”

Washington Post
“McClellan’s voice is friendly and reassuring; the batches are manageable. True to its name, this recipe collection covers territory beyond the ping of a sealed lid, such as salts, syrups, granolas, stocks and butters.”

Relish!
“When there’s too much of a good thing…that’s the time to can just a couple of jars of something wonderful with a recipe from Food in Jars.”  

Seattle Times
“I'm delighted that McClellan's Food in Jars blog is now a book… [it’s] not restricted to jams and pickles; it's also got everything from nut butters to salsas.”  

Sante
“A ‘must have’ for any amateur or professional chef serious about gardening, farm-to-table, organic, and going green.”

Bookslut

“Food in Jars contains a terrific introductory section, complete with photos, that will get you set up correctly and safely with hot water bath canning, the most basic canning process. And since her focus is on putting up small batches, it's a good way to dip your toe in without having to worry about finding yourself overwhelmed by 100 pounds of tomatoes.”

 
Saveur

“We've long been fans of Marisa McClellan's blog Food in Jars, a two-time Best Food Blog Awards finalist dedicated to the joyful packing of anything and everything into lidded glass vessels: jams, pickles, salsas, chutneys, syrups. With her cookbook, the experience is even better: rich personal stories, useful tips for canning and storing, and smartly written, eminently approachable small-batch recipes leave us hard-pressed to find so much as a single fruit, vegetable, or herb that doesn't work beautifully in a jar.”

About the Author

Marisa McClellan is a former writer and editor for Slashfood, and has a master's degree in writing from St. Joseph's University. These days, she writes about canning, pickling, and preserving at Food in Jars (three times nominated by Saveur magazine for a Best Food Blog award). She lives in Philadelphia with her husband. Visit her at foodinjars.com

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Running Press (May 22, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762441437
• ISBN-13: 978-0762441433
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.1 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Canning & Preserving

More About the Author

Marisa McClellan is a food writer, canning teacher, and dedicated farmers' market shopper who lives in Center City Philadelphia with her husband Scott McNulty. She's the author of the blog Food in Jars and spends most of her days cooking up jams, fruit butters and pickles in her 80 square foot kitchen. Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches All Year Long is her very first cookbook.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for beginner and good recipes for all May 12, 2012

By DP Cooke

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Canning is something that's intimidated me. I knew I wanted to be able to preserve fruits and vegetables and save freezer space but it seemed so complicated and time consuming that I put off doing it. This book simplifies the process and explains the why's and hows and seems quite complete with ingredients and times.

I initially browsed the book then started to read it and it's like having an experienced friend guiding at the beginning. Followed by some intriguing recipes - I never thought of canning brussel sprouts.

I can truthfully say that I am enjoying this book as instructive and interesting.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best preserving book EVER! May 21, 2012

By Melody L. Adelman

Format:Hardcover

I have been following Marisa for quite awhile on her blog. Her instructions in this book and on her blog are easy to follow and all recipes are "GREAT." I have found since getting "Food in Jars," I do not need any other recipe book on preserving. What I really like about this book is that the recipes are just enough....for a nice bunch of jars and not an overwhelming amount. The book is clear and concise with a sturdy binding and wonderful pictures. I also like that fact that it is in pounds and ounces and also the metric system so it enables more than people in the U.S. to use it. Great job on your first book out Marisa!!

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A really good canning book May 21, 2012

By Whitney F.

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The flavors in this book are just wonderful. I made the rhubarb jam with strawberries and oranges a couple days ago, and it is hands-down the best jam I've ever tasted. The perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spice. So far this is the only recipe I have tried from the book, but I'm eager to try many others.

While I trust that the author knows a heck of a lot more about canning than I do, and I trust that she tested the recipes, and I trust that an unsafe book wouldn't have been published (well, maybe I'm naive on that one, but I'd like to think it's true)...maybe I'm just too new at canning to be relaxed about the process. I've only been canning for a year (the rhubarb jam was my tenth project), but I've read a lot of canning recipes and these are the first I've come across that don't ALWAYS use bottled lemon juice, that don't specify the headspace in EACH recipe, and that don't direct you to skim the foam from your jam before you fill the jars (I don't know what that last thing has to do with safety, but surely the other sources tell you to do it for a reason?). Also, this is the first time I've seen curd recipes that can be processed in a waterbath canner--I'm grateful for it, because I love curd and am eager to can it, but I can't help but be a little apprehensive about canning something that has eggs and butter in it. I also dislike that most of the recipes are written for pint jars...is it ok to can them in half-pint jars? Does that affect processing times? I mention this because the author discusses using different jar sizes, but only mentions how this affects the processing time if you can tomato sauce in quart jars instead of pints....

I do love this book, and I appreciate that most of the recipes use produce that I can easily find at my farmer's market or co-op here in the Midwest (unlike a lot of other modern canning books that use produce I've never even heard of). Unlike another reviewer, I am not concerned that these recipes are going to make me or my loved ones sick. If the author has chosen these methods, I believe it's because she knows them to be safe. But as a beginner, I think I'd like just a little bit more hand-holding to walk me through the process. Read more ›

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good tastes, but quantities aren't always perfect July 5, 2012

By Greg McElhatton

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I started canning a little over a year ago, and I've tried a number of resources since then. I've enjoyed the Food in Jars website over the past year, so this cookbook seemed like a natural fit.

On the whole I think that the tastes that Food in Jars creates are good, and for that I'll absolutely keep this book. But I've noticed that for some of these recipes, especially those in the jam/jelly section, that the quantities are never right. Some have made too much, but most of them don't come even close to making the amount mentioned on the recipe; usually only about 75% of the suggested yield. And while I'll admit that I'm a relatively new canner, this is not a problem I've had with recipes procured elsewhere (other cookbooks, Alton Brown's on Food Network, or family members).

Still, like I said, the tastes are fantastic. Just make sure that you've always prepared extra jars (just in case it makes way too much) and brace yourself for not getting as much as you'd expected, and you'll be good.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely an essential addition to a canning library! May 21, 2012

By E. Slater

Format:Hardcover

Having followed Marisa's blog for the past year, I eagerly anticipated the arrival of her cookbook. This book is beautifully photographed, well-organized, and includes lots of delicious recipes. If you are new to canning, the first section of the book will help you get started. A short bit on equipment and a very well explained section on the water bath canning process, accompanied by great pictures, as well as couple of pages on how to tell if your jam has set, address many of the issues new canners may have questions about.

The recipes themselves are a great balance of basics (peach jam, concord grape jelly, dilly beans) and some new twists on classics (rhubarb vanilla jam with earl grey tea!) Inspired by the lovely pictures to get right into it, I had a "rhubarb-palooza" yesterday and made the following: rhubarb vanilla jam with earl grey, rhubarb jelly, rhubarb chutney, and rhubarb syrup. All came out beautifully and all are delicious!

Regarding the comment made by one reviewer about the safety of the recipes, I know that Marisa and the publishing company worked together very carefully to insure that the recipes are safe for the home canner. The recipe for apple pumpkin butter clearly states that this recipe should be kept in the refrigerator rather than go through the water bath process. In addition, the introduction to the section on curds and conserves explains that the recipes for curds are cooked for longer periods of time and are identified as having a shorter shelf life than the pickle and preserve recipes.

In short, this is a great book and should be considered an essential resource for canning. I look forward to trying many more recipes in the coming months!