The standard, but some recipes require tweaking I just started canning this summer, when it became clear that I could not keep up with the cucumbers and green beans coming from the CSA. I bought this book because it's pretty much required reading for all canners. So do buy the book if you're new to canning.
It was very helpful in providing general information, as well as for figuring out vinegar-to-water ratios required to get the right acidity. And the recipes for Dilly Beans and Roasted Red Pepper Spread are fantastic.
The fresh-pack Dill Pickle recipe, though, includes waaaay too much salt. I made one batch of pickles according to the Fast Favorite Garlic & Dill Pickles recipe on Epicurious.com, and it was perfect. I made several batches of pickles according the recipe in this book, and they were inedibly salty. When I open a jar of them, I now pour out all the liquid, rinse the pickles with cold water, than refill the jar with 2/3 fresh water and 1/3 white vinegar, then refrigerate. After a few days enough salt has been leached back out of the pickles that they're edible again, but life would be better (and the pickles more flavorful) if I didn't have to take this step!
Again, though, I do believe that every canner should own this book, but don't use it as the only source of canning recipes.
Better than ever I've used an old edition of the Blue Book for Canning for about 25 years and have found it very useful, this new edition is more colorful and beautiful, but still contains the basic information for canning and various other kinds of food preservation, with some great recipes for pickles, relishes, jams, etc. I consider it one of my most necessary kitchen supplies!
Great Book When I ordered this book, my mother, who is the know all, be all of canning, was a little disheartened with me. She wanted me to use her old, falling apart canning recipe book. When I recieved my copy of the Ball Blue Book of Preserving and showed it to her, she was so impressed that she wants a copy too! It not only has great recipes for canning, but also simple instructions on drying as well. I would highly recommend this book!
Canning Bible If you buy no other canning guide, get this one. This is really the "Canning Bible" and exactly what every home canner needs. I refer to it every season.
Great book, buy it elsewhere! Amazon itself had a decent price for this book originally. Now they can't get it and want you to buy it from one of their partners for 21 bucks. You can get this book on multiple other websites in the seven dollar range, which includes shipping and handling.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
