Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving
One of my favorite things about summer is the wonderful selection of fruits and vegetables that are not as plentiful the rest of the year like cherries and rhubarb. I love cherries and find myself buying them in vast quantities. We usually freeze them, but this year, we’ve also decided to make some jam. I grew up helping my mom make jams, jellies, and preserves, but decades have gone by since.
My newest book, Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving is ideal for newbies and seasoned canners. At first glance the cover draws you in, it’s bright, enticing, and infused with delicious homemade products. It reminds us how much fun creating our own preserves can be. This inspiring book is a sturdy ringed compendium that’s filled with 400 delicious and creative recipes for the modern home chef.
Contents:
*Getting Started
*Soft Spreads
*Fabulous Fruits
*Salsa, Relish & Chutney
*Condiments
*Perfect Pickles
*Tomatoes
*Pressure Canning
You may be wondering why would anyone want to attempt canning when they can buy preserves already made? Times are changing, and more and more people are getting into a healthier lifestyle. They want to learn to create meals and home-canned goods that are fresh, chemical-free, and cost-efficient.
Sounds like it will require a lot of work and time, right? Not when you know what you’re doing. This book offers you simple step-by-step instructions that are a breeze to follow, and your recipes will turn out perfectly.
The book starts you off with the equipment, jars, and utensils you’ll need. The next section is the heart of the book, it’s the training manual for beginners like me or a refresher for those who made jams in the past. Here you will learn how to make five popular foods: jam, jelly, salsa, relish, and pickles. Once you walk through the steps, you’ll be ready and confident to create your own tasty masterpieces.
As I leafed through the book, I was inspired by the bright and colorful images. The luscious fruit and yummy baked goods make me feel all cozy inside. They’ll make you hungry and eager to create that recipe. I had no idea there were various ways to create jams: with no added pectin, with powdered pectin, with liquid pectin or making freezer jams. I also love the unique recipe blends they offer like Blueberry Bonanza, Rhubarb Red Currant, Carrot Cake Jam, Raspberry Chipotle Freezer Jam, and Ginger Pear Marmalade. Who doesn’t love marmalade?
We followed the instructions for making Old-Fashioned Jams and created our own Blueberry Strawberry jam. It was fun and seriously uncomplicated to make the jam; I’m not sure why I didn’t try this earlier. I also want to mention that it was heavenly to taste.
To assist and guide us, each recipe offers tips, variations, and helpful advice. I found these very informative and I see them sparing us from lots of mistakes and grief. It things don’t go as smoothly as anticipated, there is a problem solver section at the back of the book.
The condiment section is amazing, you’ll learn how to make several kinds of ketchup, BBQ sauces, chili sauces, mustards, vinegars, and other specialty sauces. Want to make perfect pickles, they’ve got you covered! I love this book, and it’s hard to put down. It’s a perfect addition to my culinary collection and would make an ideal gift too.
Disclaimer: I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.