The summer, when almost everything is in season, is the time to thing about preserving. Home preservation and canning has been becoming more and more popular over the past few years, as people become more interested in making the most of high quality, farm-fresh produce and in the ingredients that go into their food. There is no better way to take control than by giving preserving a try. Put ’em Up! Fruit: A Preserving Guide & Cookbook is a good reference to start with when getting into preservation.
The book focuses on fruit preservation, which is where most beginning preservationists want to start. The recipes include 18 different fruits, from apples to tomatoes, in dozens of both sweet and savory recipes. Readers will want to start with the introduction of the book, which guides you through the tools that you need and gives you a crash course in the techniques used in preservation. It also includes lots of helpful tips and a troubleshooting guide that should be able to walk you through (or at least explain) any problems that you come across. If you follow the well-written instructions carefully, however, the process should go smoothly whether you are making a homemade Mixed Berry Jam, Blackberry Ketchup or a Smoky Tomato Salsa.
In addition to the recipes for preserves of various kinds, there are also plenty of recipes that use those preserves. An applesauce-like preserve called Aprisauce, for instance, can be used as a component in a sweet and savory glaze for porkchops. Beautiful photos of the finished dishes will get your mouth watering, if the names of the recipes alone don’t, and ideas for creative packaging of your preserves will inspire you to get started.
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