Canning and Preserving for Dummies, by Karen Ward, is the perfect reference for any beginner who wishes to learn this traditional method of keeping fruits and veggies fresh all year long. Both gardeners and farm-market shoppers are wise to use canning and preserving techniques to take advantage of summer's fresh bounty.
Water-Bath Canning
Fruit, tomatoes and pickled vegetables can be safely canned by the water-bath method, which is considered to be one of the simplest techniques. The goal is to destroy active bacteria and microorganisms in food by raising the temperature of jarred goods, creating a vacuum seal. A water-bath canner, jar rack, canning jars and two-piece caps are necessary for this process.
Pressure Canning
For low-acid foods, mostly vegetables, a pressure canning system works well. The food is exposed to a high temperature under specific pressure for a particular length of time in the canner. While it's not as scary as it might seem, pressure canning does entail some knowledge. Canning and Preserving for Dummies does a fine job of making sense of this canning technique.
Freezing & Drying
Most of us are familiar with the use of a freezer to preserve foods and keep them from spoiling before use. With a bit of knowledge and care, frozen foods can stay as close to fresh as possible by avoiding freezer burn, oxidation and the formation of ice crystals. Drying is a simple at-home method of preserving foods that requires little in the way of equipment.
Special Equipment for Food Preservation
The equipment necessary to preserve food may seem foreign to a beginner, but the chapter in Canning and Preserving for Dummies dealing with equipment not only does a good job of explaining what's necessary, it lists a great number of resources for these materials as well. Many of the techniques described can be performed without any special equipment at all.
Summary
Like all books in the Dummies series, Canning and Preserving for Dummies does an excellent job of explaining the process in layman's terms. The size of this book alone is confidence-building, as it manages to cover a lot of information in a small paperback format. Ms. Ward writes in a concise, no-nonsense fashion. With the useful illustrations provided, any doubt a beginner may have when first undertaking a canning or preserving project will be removed. Also included are recipes for popular jarred foods, such as apple butter, sweet pickle relish, cranberry-pepper jelly, lime-ginger marmalade and stewed tomatoes. Canned and jarred goods made at home are in an entirely different class from what's available in markets, making this book a natural addition to the library of any gardener.
Title: Canning & Preserving for Dummies
Author: Karen Ward
Publisher: Wiley 2003, 238 pgs., $16.99
ISBN: 9-780764-524714
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