Preserving in Today's Kitchen: Easy, Modern Canning Methods-With 168 Recipes [Paperback]

Jeanne Lesem (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1997

A former food editor takes a new look at the age-old tradition of putting up fruits and vegetables against the coming winter. Lesem shows how to make various sauces, jellies, pickles, and more to spice up everyday meals. She creates innovative flavors using the food processor, the microwave, and the freezer. Also, she sprinkles her book with quotations from old almanacs, diaries, newspapers, and cookbooks to bring a lovely bit of nostalgia to the modern American table. 168 recipes. Line drawings throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Preserving in Today's Kitchen is the paperback version of Jeanne Lesem's Preserving Today, which was published in hardcover in 1992. It won a James Beard Foundation award in recognition of Lesem's canning methods, which are creatively suited to today's fast-moving life and smaller households: most of the recipes make one to four cups; some call for using the microwave or a Crock-Pot to streamline the cooking process; and many items can be refrigerated or frozen, bypassing the bother of a hot-water bath. Along with traditional favorites such as strawberry jam, there are recipes for Dried Apricot Jam, Peach Melba Jam With Raspberries, and Cantaloupe Pickles. The Reduced-Fat Tomato Orange Marmalade, Salt-Free Dill Pickles, and Homemade Tomato Paste are as appealing as Lesem's more classic treats.

Review

"Those intimidated by making their own preserves will welcome this helpful guide, which is geared to cooks with busy schedules who enjoy fresh new flavors . . . The 168 recipes encompass the familiar (Strawberry Rhubarb Jam) as well as the exotic (Cactus Pear Marmalade) . . . Unpretentious and modern throughout, the book includes a chapter on microwave dos and don'ts."-Fine Cooking

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (March 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805048812
• ISBN-13: 978-0805048810
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #770,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great for fruit chutneys, jams, and jellies, July 13, 2000

By 

William T Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preserving in Today's Kitchen: Easy, Modern Canning Methods-With 168 Recipes (Paperback)

This was a disappointment for me, as I was hoping to learn about canning the harvest of my garden. It has very little to do with vegetables. It is primarily focused on fruit-based products. I think it would be a great book if that's what you're interested in. But, please choose another book if you're looking for tomato, bean, and basic vegetable recipes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From Basic to Exotic, July 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Preserving in Today's Kitchen: Easy, Modern Canning Methods-With 168 Recipes (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for the novice or the practiced preserver. Lesem begins her book with a summary of the equipment needed, a clear description of the basic techniques, and a market guide to buying and storing fresh produce. Then the fun begins. I have tried the basics--Apple Butter (made in a slow cooker--Yum!), Strawberry Preserves and Quick Dill Slices--and the exotic--Pickled Snap Peas and Fresh Green Chutney with Chinese Parsley and Yogurt. So far, SUCCESS! Now, I'm looking forward to trying Jalapeno Lime Marmalade, Tomato Peach Jam and Green Tomato Ketchup. The recipes are clear and often accompanied by an amusing or interesting anecdote. Helpful hints are scattered throughout the book. And the really good news is that most of these recipes are for small quantities, many 2 or 3 cups of finished product. There is also a chapter about microwave preserving, what works, what doesn't.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to make wonderful jams & jellies..., August 23, 2000

By 

Rosemary (Los Gatos, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Preserving in Today's Kitchen: Easy, Modern Canning Methods-With 168 Recipes (Paperback)

...then this is the book for you. First of all, this cookbook has probably the most amazingly good recipe for strawberry jam I've ever found. Right there, it's worth the price of the book. Her spicy blueberry jam with spices like cinnamon & cloves is what I'd call an "adult jam". Almost a chutney.

Jeanne gives you a large collection of commercial-pectin-free recipes that end up giving you a better flavor and contain quite a bit less sugar. She encourages you to think in terms of small, quality batches as opposed to the 15-quart batches my grandmother used to turn out.

I've liked this book so much, I've given something like 8 copies of it away to friends who came whining around looking for more jam. Now all of us are happily making jam.