HOME PRESERVING MADE EASY: A Complete Guide to Pickling, Smoking, Canning, Drying, Freezing and Jelly-Making

A comprehensive guide to many varieties of home food-preserving with all the attractions--and pitfalls--of any manual of such wide range. The novice should be warned at the outset (unfortunately the authors tend to overlook stern Do Nots) that headlong ventures into food canning, for example, do at times end in near-fatal failures. Best to supplement this guide with in situ demonstrations by experienced practitioners--there have been just too many instances of poisoning, particularly among enthusiastic young urbanites. However, given this precaution, this is certainly an extensive survey which includes methods for smoking, canning, pickling, freezing, etc., meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. A cool storage place is essential (there are directions for constructing outdoor pantries) and the authors discuss preserving agents such as charcoal, salt, oil, etc. with explicit advice on preparing both containers and foods. There's also a good section on wine making and a collection of jelly and jam recipes. A fine book for browsing and general information.