The preserving process is something that I remember quite fondly as a child. My mother had all of these weird and unusual equipment that she pulled out for a couple of weeks each year for a sort of Preserving Marathon. Everything was preserved, be it stone fruit in syrup, to pickles, relish, jams and jellies. The produce that was being preserved was either from the vegetable garden in our back yard, or from the farms on the 'Mesa' in the outskirts of Pueblo. The process was quite methodical in the kitchen during canning times.
Preserving is a centuries-old way to make the most out of every season, stretching the more bountiful months into the sparser ones. from a child's prospectus it all seemed quite complicated, but through adult eyes it's quite easy and rewarding.
There are about 75 recipes, covering everything from traditional favourites such as raspberry jam, lemon curd, quince cheese and sloe gin, to fresh new combinations such as apple butter, cucumber pickle and nettle pesto.
The handbook includes seasonable tables, regional maps, flow charts of all the preserving processes and full-colour photographs throughout, and is completed by a directory of equipment and useful addresses. Do not be put off by the reference as this is a handbook, as I had dismissed the series because the title 'handbook' conjures up images of something that's flimsy and tatered. How wrong was I? This is a sturdy little book that's a textural and visual delight!
This is the perfect guide to preserving and seasonality!
But your copy from AMAZON
