Preserving Today (Knopf Cooks American Series) [Hardcover]

Jeanne Lesem (Author)

Book Description

Series: Knopf Cooks American Series | Publication Date: March 10, 1992

Shows today's cook how to spice up bland dishes by using preserves instead of rich sauces and features new techniques, microwave information, and 168 recipes for jellies, chutneys, pickles, and salsas. 12,500 first printing. BOMC & Homestyle Alt.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Making preserves summons up the image of a grandmother, in apron, laboriously labeling and storing all those jars. But today grandma could use her food processor and microwave to do the same work in fewer hours. Lesem, formerly UPI's food editor, gives uncomplicated directions on making jams and more--pickles, relishes, even desserts and beverages. She points out that home canning can help lower the sugar, salt and preservatives in one's diet. Plus the availability of exotic and hybrid fruits and vegetables allows for such inventions as Sweet Carabola Pickles and Kiwi-Lemon Preserves. But be forewarned: even with modern equipment canning takes time; readers should study the steps to success before attempting a recipe. Also required is equipment (jars, a good-sized kettle, a jar lifter). Lesem draws recipes from a number of sources--including regional and historical cookbooks--and laces the book with anecdotes and information on the history of preserves. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Revised edition (March 10, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394586530
• ISBN-13: 978-0394586533
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,134,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference, August 5, 2005

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Preserving Today (Knopf Cooks American Series) (Hardcover)

This book contains hundreds of recipes for jams, conserves, and pickles. The book begins with a short introductory section covering canning, freezing, and storing preserves. It also includes a market guide, with tips on how to select the best fruits and vegetables for canning. The following chapters cover jams, jellies, and marmalades, fruit butters and spreads, pickles and relishes, chutneys and condiments, sauces, and recipes using preserves. There is also a short chapter on making fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages. Interspersed with the recipes are short informative or whimsical quotes from classic cookbooks or literature, as well as some very useful tips. End material includes a glossary, a source list, a bibliography, and an index.

Lesem points out that with today's smaller families, nobody wants dozens of jars of anything anymore, so her recipes are designed to create small batches with a minimum of fuss. Where feasible, she includes microwave instructions as well as stove instructions, and notes which method makes more sense for the recipe. Each recipe includes suggestions for the best method of storage (freezing, refrigeration, or canning, and for how long). Lesem also notes which recipes are easily doubled or halved, and what kinds of substitutions or variations work well. In addition to recipes for standard fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes, she also includes many recipes for lesser known fruits, such as quinces and guavas. Lesem states that her recipes use far less sugar than usual; she recommends only the minimum required for safe food preservation so that the flavor of the fruit remains sharp.

Lesem's goal is to achieve superior taste and/or produce preserves that cannot be (easily) purchased. Thus, she focuses on small yields using small amounts of fruit, which can often be found in the grocery store or farmer's market. The book is clearly not aimed at home gardeners trying to deal with massive amounts of produce all coming ripe at once. Nevertheless, by doubling (or even quadrupling) her recipes, or by trying several different recipes for the same ingredients, you should still be able to preserve your bumper crops with this book. Overall, I've found her recipes to be easy to follow, and her tips about individual recipes to be invaluable.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dill Pickled, December 3, 2009

By 

Virginia Fitzpatrick (Stanwood, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Preserving Today (Knopf Cooks American Series) (Hardcover)

Could not help myself. I just devoured a jar of ice box dill pickles I made two weeks ago from thin sliced cucumbers and onions. I followed the recipe titled "FROZEN SLICED SWEET DILL PICKLES" on page 155 of the hardbound edition of Lesem book published in 1975. It was easy. I will report back on any further ventures into this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference & Resource, September 20, 2011

By 

J. R. Clark "sfjenn" (Oakland CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preserving Today (Knopf Cooks American Series) (Hardcover)

This is a great kitchen reference - though the Ball Blue book is my kitchen standard, I like this one for the detailed info it offers on many other things.