Customer Reviews

Put 'em Up!

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been canning for over 30 years and teach canning classes in the community. Part of my class is helping my students find a good canning book to use as a resource. I personally have many books and regularly check to see what's new out there. Then I pass on my top 4 or 5 favorites to my students in the class. After looking through 'Put em UP', reading the how to information, browsing through the recipes, and just the way the book is laid out and illustrated, I would definitely move this to a top choice for someone who needs information on canning. Everyone who wants to can (or preserve by any method) needs a good book or two. Even after 30 years of canning I still reread the basics every year, just to make sure I'm not forgetting some step. This book has great step-by-step instructions. One of my favorite things about the book is that it lists produce and then follows with ways to preserve that particular food and recipes. Most other canning books group things by kind, such as all jam & jelly recipes in one chapter and all pickles in another chapter, etc. Often when I bring home some kind of produce from a farmers' market or local farm, I've not decided for sure what I will do with it. By using this book, I can go to the section on say blueberries and look through my options, then decide how I want to preserve the berries. I'm also impressed with the knowledge and creativity the author shows in this book. Her recipes are wide and varied and I can see that many will become favorites in my home.

Length:: 2:58 Mins

A comprehensive canning & preserving book packed full of recipes, techniques, tips, troubleshooting, resources & more! Big bang for your buck.

~XOXO~

I must say that Storey Publishing REALLY knows how to put out great cookbooks. Here's my newest favorite by Sherri Brooks Vinton called, Put 'em Up!: A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook, from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling.

For the past year, I've been gathering all the information I can get my hands on about preserving foods. I've spent hours talking with veteran canners (older & wiser women), researching techniques, comparing recipes, and finding the best sources for fresh produce. It's been a sweet high, I must say, to put up delicious tasting, locally grown, fruits and vegetables, knowing full well my family will be enjoying Summer's treats long after the plants are spent and the garden beds lie dormant.

Learning to preserve and actually putting up different foods is not a hobby for me. It's a new life choice. Some of you may already know that I stopped buying products containing high fructose corn syrup. Boy. That decision right there takes 75% percent off the grocery list. Well, some of the first items we missed eating were red plum jam and bread-and-butter pickles. I didn't want to live without those foods, so I had no choice but to make them on my own.

I don't think it's an coincidence that my new lifestyle choice and this new book have come together at the right time. When Storey Publishing gave me this book to review, I took it as a sign that I was on the right track in my thinking.


HERE'S WHAT I ENJOY MOST ABOUT PUT 'EM UP!

* Easy to read format throughout the book.
* Thorough information on the techniques of food preparation and food preservation methods.
* Contains extra big chunks of wisdom regarding "Working in Groups", "Things That Will Surely Get You Into Trouble", and "Things That Look Bad But Aren't Dangerous".
* Recipes are mixed with traditional basics and intriguing ethic delights.
* Recipes are organized by produce that's listed in alphabetical order.
* The illustrations are clear and simple to follow. We're not left guessing or assuming what happens next.


Produce covered in PUT 'EM UP!

Apples, Asparagus, Beans, Beets, Berries, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cherries, Chilies, Citrus, Corn, Cucumbers, Fennel, Figs, Garlic, Grapes, Herbs, Mushrooms, Onions, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Radishes, Ramps and Scapes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Summer Squash and Zucchini, Sweet Peppers, Tomatillos and Green Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Watermelon


Recipes I've made from this book, so far.

Spicy Peach Salsa, Bread-and-Butter Chips, Pickle Relish and Classic Crock Pickles

Recipes I can't wait to try next. I'll just name a few.

Cucumber Aqua Fresca, Classic Fermented Sauerkraut, Preserved Lemons, Picnic Relish, Pickled Garlic, Herbed Vinegar, Pickled Button Mushrooms, Caramelized Onion Confit, Peach Butter, Strawberry Vinegar, Salsa Verde, Whole Canned Tomatillos, Easy-Bake Tomato Paste, and Watermelon Granita.

No matter whether you've been canning for years or you're just getting started in the art of preserving foods, Put 'Em Up! is a book worth adding to your shelf. It's full of inspiration, incredible recipes, and knowledgeable information you can refer back to again and again.

I was really, really excited to get this book, based on the Table of Contents and other reviews. However, I have to say that I have been disappointed so far. I made two of the pickle recipes this summer. The dill spears turned out utterly inedible. There is just something WRONG with the brine recipe -- it tastes disgusting, worse than those neon green pickles you get off the shelf at the grocery store. Nothing like the other homemade pickles I've made from other recipes. The bread and butter pickles were only marginally better (at least I didn't dump all those all in the compost bin). I liked them okay just refrigerated, but once they were heat sealed, they turned totally mushy and the brine doesn't taste nearly as good, somehow. I'll probably give the book another try for other recipes, but if those are as bad as the first two were, this one's going right to the donation bin. I think there are much better books out there about pickling and preserving right now that I'd recommend above this one (the Blue Chair Jam cookbook and Canning for a New Generation come to mind immediately).

I will admit right up front that I am terrified of canning for the exact same reason the author discusses in this book...what if I kill someone? According to the author, I shouldn't be worrying at all and she goes into extensive detail so that even the novice home cook can preserve food. This really is a comprehensive guide and I found some amazing tips and references to equipment that I didn't even know existed! I particularly loved that every technique mentioned had pictures and diagrams to go along with it!


The first section of this book is all about preservation methods and includes everything from pickling, drying, freezing, and canning to making butters, oils, and infusions. Basic step by step descriptions are included, along with diagrams, so that I really felt that I understood each technique. You will learn which equipment is necessary and which will just make your life easier. Canning funnels and lid lifters were items that I had never seen before but I can certainly see how they could come in handy!


The rest of the book is all about the recipes. It is arranged alphabetically by type of food for ease of use. If you have 15 pounds of tomatoes that you just picked or you found a great deal on apples at the farmers market, just flip to that food and you will have suggestions for drying, canning, freezing, etc. I think this layout makes the book very easy to use!


There is a great selection of resources at the end including one for Local Harvest and tons of farmer's market resources to help you find seasonal produce to use in these recipes.


I really enjoyed reading this book and am going to start looking for some good canning supplies so that come spring I can try my hand at making some homemade jam. I understand the techniques after reading this book, now I just need the courage to try it for myself!


Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book from Storey Publishing in order to write my review. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

The book is very interesting and well written, but I find it frustrating that the pectin in the recipies is a specific brand (Pamona's) that is hard to find in stores and with a different set up than all of the typical national brands (pectin powder and calcium powder?). I wouldn't mind if there was a note on how to convert to standard pectins. I might not have purchased this if I had known.

I love this book - I've been canning for 4 years and have 4 large gardens, and have gotten into the habit of putting up the same recipes every year. This book will be by my side all through summer so I can shake everything up a bit. I'm really looking forward to making the Chow Chow Relish, the Carrot Slaw, Onion Pickles, flavored vinegars.... too many great recipes to list. The book is easy to follow, and well laid out. I like how it's set up by the produce item, so I can use it as each particular thing is available. I'm in Wisconsin; our growing season is limited and I won't put up anything that has to travel in a truck to get here :)

OK but not enough information on importance of Ph levels. Does not go into pressure cookers with low acid foods. I was always told pressure caners were a must with low acid food unless you are fermenting, such as lactic acid fermentation with sauerkraut. I realize she is changing the acidity of the food by what she is adding in her recipes, but I think it is important to say something about how important that is or someone might think it is ok to change the amount of lemon juice or type of vinegar.

Update now that we've tried many more recipes. I believe the yield is incorrect for the Pear Chutney and Apple Chutney, we made both several weeks apart with the same result - instead of five pints we got five HALF pints. Annoying from the perspective of making the chutney to give as gifts and preparing pint jars, we only got two of each instead of the five we expected. Still love this book!

Hubby and I joined a community garden this year and had a bumper crop of tomatoes in July so we decided to "put up" tomatoes. First, we canned raw tomatoes just to have them available during the winter months here in the mid-atlantic when grocery store tomatoes are pulpy and tasteless. I ordered this book for more ideas and we have become addicted to canning. We've spent the last three weekends putting up peaches, tomatoes, pears, cucumbers and onions. We're trying all methods of preservation for a particular fruit or vegetable. The Sweet and Sour Pickled Onions and Bread and Butter pickles are amazing. This book is excellent for a beginner. It explains how and why to do everything and the author has a great sense of humor and useful tips as well as great recipes. We can't wait to put up the rest of the pears from a co-workers tree. So far we've done Pear Butter and Pear Chutney, tomorrow we tackle Pears in Syrup. Next year we plan to have our own garden so we can preserver more foods. I do plan to do carrots and beans this year too. This book only provides information for boiling-water method canning. We tried pressure canning once and though we will try again, the boiling-water method is much easier. Another recommendation to beginners from the author and me, get the canning kit that contains the jar lifter, lid magnet and funnel - without them we would be lost. Happy canning.

I just got this book,less than 3 days ago,and have already suggested it to a new canner,and am currently making one of the recipes in the book! I love the step by step instructions and information. This book is great for a novice canner,for instructions on how and why. Plus,the recipe's are great for more experienced canners,like myself,who like to think outside the box. I love the straightforwardness of Ms.Vinton! This is the first canning guide I've ever read that made me laugh! There are a few things,however,that I didnt like. She uses an item called Calcium water.I've never heard of it,and never will use it. And like someone mentioned before the brand specific Pectin. The only kind you can find where I live, {in West TN} is Sure-Gel,and it works fine. So yes,you do have to adapt to your environment some. That is my only negative thing to say.I love the suggestions of getting your kids involved! I've been leary of getting my kids involved with canning,b/c it can be so hot and dangerous. But there are SEVERAL kid friendly recipe's in here. I look forward to putting this great book to good use,as the harvest progesses this year! If you give this as a gift to a novice,or even experienced canner,there is a lot of info to be gleaned from it.