January 2018 Cookbooks

Preservation Pantry: Modern Canning From Root to Top Stem to Core by Sarah Marshall

I love canning, so I'm always looking for new canning recipes and ideas. In Preservation Pantry Sarah Marshall shows not just canning ideas, but really how to use the whole product so there is literally NO waste. The book is divided into 2 sections - fruits and vegetables. Then for each specific fruit or vegetable Marshall gives multiple recipes - some are to be canned, others are recipes using the canned product, or other ways to preserve that product without canning. In the introduction she describes how she learned to can from her mother and how growing and canning food are some of her favorite memories. She also gives an overview of how to water-bath can and an illustrated list of tools and equipment needed for canning. While she does a good job explaining the basics, I always recommend learning how to can from someone experienced or through your local county extension office. I really like how the book is laid out by the fruit or vegetable instead of broader categories. Marshall does have a few "basic" canning recipes, but many of her recipes are unique or different from most canning cookbooks. If you're an intermediate canner/gardener this might be the book to help you try some new and different canning ideas/recipes. There are definitely a few I want to try!