The Beginners Guide to Canning: 90 Easy Recipes to Can, Savor, and Gift By Diane Devereaux - The Canning Diva
Diane Devereaux - The Canning Diva ✓ 8 summary
The can-do guide to water bath and pressure canning for beginners
For many people, canning conjures memories of cozy kitchens filled with fresh flavors. Whether you’re picking up this time-honored tradition again or just starting out, The Beginner’s Guide to Canning teaches you everything you need to know about water bath and pressure canning, with plenty of recipes for jams, pickles, vegetables, soups, and more.
This beginner’s guide starts your canning journey with an easy primer laying out all the essential information about pressure and water bath canning. In the first chapter, you’ll find several easy, sure-fire hits, like Low-Sugar Berry Jam and Dilly Beans, including step-by-step illustrations. From there, try your new skills with any of the 90 comforting classics and new twists that are sure to tickle your taste buds.
The Beginner’s Guide to Canning includes:
Safe & practical―Explore the nuts and bolts of canning, including a look at the necessary equipment, ingredients, and fundamental rules of safe canning.
Savor the seasons―With dozens of delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, you can preserve seasonal flavors to enjoy all year round, like Apple-Peach Butter and Simple Spaghetti Sauce.
Spread the love―A whole chapter is dedicated to delicious, giftable treats, like Rhubarb Chardonnay Jam, Raspberry-Chocolate Ice Cream Topping, and Pepper Jelly.
Can you preserve it? Yes, you can with The Beginner’s Guide to Canning. The Beginners Guide to Canning: 90 Easy Recipes to Can, Savor, and Gift
Canning is becoming a lost art. While it was a normal activity less than 75 years ago to grow as much as your own produce as possible and then preserve the seasonal produce for the off-season and the rest of the year, it is not a normal thing to do now. Most people weren't taught by their parents and grandparents and take for granted they will be able to purchase their favorite delicacies in the grocery store at any given time.
However, as I am writing this, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis and going to the store and expecting anything to be stocked on the grocery shelves is almost a privilege of days not far past and if we are lucky enough to find what we need, there is surely a limit on what we are allowed to purchase. My local grocery store allows customers to purchase 2 cans of corn, green beans, peas, etc., if you have a need for more than that, what are you to do?
I started canning for the first time last year as a part of my journey to be more self-sufficient. I wish that when I started I had this beautiful book by the Canning Diva, Diane Devereaux. When I opened this book I was pleased to see that the first pages explain water bath canning and pressure canning and the difference between the two, the supplies needed for both, and the differences between the raw pack and hot pack. These were all bits of important information that I had to search out in different places when I started canning and because of that, I was less confident in the products I was canning in the beginning.
As I read through the rest of the book, I was pleased to see that it was full of tips to make the recipe easier, tips on how to enjoy the recipe and how to adapt it for the reader’s own tastes. The recipes are practical and easy to follow and although it is the “Beginner’s Guide to Canning”, the book is full of recipes that belong in any canners kitchen, whether beginner or expert. At the beginning, I pulled out my tabs to mark the recipes I was eager to try and about halfway through I had to laugh at myself, I had marked every page. I don’t know many cookbooks even in my own kitchen that I have been able to claim that bragging right.
This book is simple to read with easy to follow instructions and no “noise”. It is a practical book that will guide beginner canners through to becoming experts and add to the expert canners recipe arsenal. I look forward to making the recipes in this book over the next few months and to becoming more self-sufficient looking to the shelves of my own home before looking to the grocery store shelves. I recommend to everyone they pick this book up and do the same.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Paperback 4.5 stars
Ahhh...Ever since reading my Laura Ingalls Wilder books and Anne of Green Gables...I've wanted to get into canning.
Welcome to the fun, delicious world of home canning and preserving.
Reading about those characters eating their homemade preserves and jams made me intensely jealous.
So, when I saw this gorgeous little how-to book up for review...I couldn't resist.
I won't lie though - canning is intimidating. Horror stories of food poisoning, recipe mishaps and more.
However, the author has anticipated that us newbiews might have a few reservations.
Through my classes and in my writing, I have made it my mission to remove any fear associated with home canning and preserving.She's structured her book around the beginner's skill levels and includes recipes to reflect that.
There is an incredibly detailed section about what the requirements are for healthy and effective methods to can.
To help make canning simpler, this chapter has some easy, sure-fire hit recipes that will ease your way into canning....After reading this beginner's guide, I really feel ready to can - I'm ready and roaring to go.
Unfortunately, my summer isn't quite ready for the canning yet but it is definitely getting there - and you bet that I'm eagerly checking it out every chance I get.
I'm excited to make homemade tomato sauce and canned stews/soups.
There's also recipes for pickles (of course) and various fruit preserves - which I can purchase the fruit for (cause my garden is the savory sort).
I also love the last section - giftable treats - with all sorts of classic jams and jellies that will work perfectly for holidays.
All in all, I'm really excited about this one - I can't wait to try it out.
A huge thank you to Rockridge Press, Callisto Publisher's Club and Diane Devereaux for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads Paperback This is a great guide to canning for beginners. My husband grew up in a family that canned but I did not, and we both taught ourselves soon after we were married. We've found that it can be a very inexpensive way to put up excess produce and also make healthy, tasty foods. Put the word out that you're looking for canning jars and you can start collecting them for free, especially if you have older folks in your circle who are paring down their canning now that their families and gardens are smaller (thank them with goodies later). We mostly process foods that we get free or nearly free -- pears from the tree in our daughter's back yard, applesauce from apples from neighborhood trees where folks let us pick them (nobody uses the apples from their apple trees anymore and they're happy for you to keep their lawns clean by picking every few days and tidying up underneath) or from apple trees in rural parks, elderberry pie filling from wild elderberries, roasted tomato sauce from backyard tomatoes (roast your tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs for a much better flavored spaghetti sauce!), and so on. We have a neighbor down the street who was happy to have someone finally use her backyard grapes and we were able to put up about 20 quarts of the darkest, most delicious grape juice last fall. We also use wild grapes for jelly and there is not a grape jelly in the universe that tastes anything remotely like wild grape jelly. People roll their eyes back in their heads when they eat it, and other than the cost of sugar (get organic) and lids, it's free. Don't let anybody tell you that canning has to be expensive.
In any case, this is a good book to go over the basics of hot water canning and pressure canning. There are an assortment of recipes for jams, jellies, chutnies, salsas, stews, meats, pickles and so on. Most of them are modernized with sure-gel and pectin added instead of the old fashioned way. The upside of that is that recipes tend to use less sugar and be more foolproof. The downside is that it's more expensive and the pectin products often have added chemicals that you might not want in your food. Some of the recipes are the more old fashioned ones, though, so you can pick the type that work for you. There are some photos but not a lot. All in all it's a good book for exactly what it says, beginning canning.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Paperback I know there are lots of people that like to Google everything and, Wallah, done... Well, not me!
I like to have a book in front of me with lots of directions I can read over and over again. This is definitely one of those times you want to keep all your ducks in a row. Canning is a skill that the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It helped me to have someone show me some tips and tricks in person, but I think this book is a valuable resource to have on hand as well. The author takes each recipe step by step which is very helpful.
Canning is an expensive journey initially. There is quite a bit of equipment that you will need to have on hand. Also if you do not garden, buying food items not in season can be costly as well. However, the payoff of having canned fruits, vegetables, etc. all year long is wonderful, and I also like the idea of making canned goods for gifting. Nobody needs another chachki, but everyone loves to eat. There are so many recipes included in this book that would make yummy presents to give loved ones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Callisto Publishers/Rockridge Press and was under no obligation to post a review. Paperback I didn’t grow up in a family that canned. I’ve always admired the gifts of wonderful canned products throughout the years and have always wanted someone to take me under their wings to learn the art of canning. Obviously that has never happened. I was thrilled to get my hands on this book. No more excuses. I have honestly never explored another canning book prior to this.
The first start of the book goes over some canning basics supplies and methods of canning. It has information on pressure cookers, jars, lids, rings, and several other helpful tools. I was hoping it would cover some pressure cooker safety. I have one and use it often. I don’t know if I need any adaptations with canning. There is even information on what not to can and an explanation to why.
There is a good variety of recipes from veggies, fruits, meats, soups, salsa, jellies, and much more. Some of the recipes had a bit of an odd combination for my taste but overall I could adapt them to my taste.
This seems like a decent canning book and it gave me a bit more confidence to try canning myself.
I received a copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.
Paperback
Thank you Callisto Publishing for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. When I was growing up, I lived on a farm with a huge garden and my parents canned a lot of things. This is a great beginner book to remind me of the process. Honestly I'd be just a bit leery of canning meat but that's just my own concern. I look forward to trying several other recipes. Paperback With this Covid-19 pandemic going on and groceries often hard to come by, I am excited to try my hand at canning. I love the idea of having my own canned goods--food I've prepared myself, that I know will provide easy access during hard times such as now--where I'm sheltering in place.
I've never done canned foods before, but this guide is for beginner's and the recipes don't overwhelm me. I plan to start a small potted garden, and can't wait to try some of these recipes out and store my goods on my own shelves.
The photos in this Beginner's Guide to Canning are inspiring and the recipes seem doable, even for a novice like me. Pie fillings, pickles, soups, and even gift-giving snacks! I can't wait to can them all.
I received a complimentary copy from Callisto Publisher's Club. Paperback This book is filled with excellent recipes and easy to follow instructions for water bath and pressure canning. I’m semi familiar with canning on my own, but wanted to know more. This book definitely gave me lots of ideas. Things that were awesome to have in this book included uses for each recipe, tips/tricks/alternatives on each recipe, and time breakdowns for each step. The one thing that bugged me about this book is that there is no mention of shelf life, which I know is up in the air, but I still think it’s important to talk about especially in a book for beginners. I still think this is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in canning.
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Paperback I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As a beginner to canning as a means of storing food, I found this book to be invaluable. There's a lot of good information contained within, easy recipes, and thorough explanations of food safety, tools, and methods. If you're a beginner to canning and are interested in learning about it, I would recommend this book as a place to start! Paperback Easy to read and understand guide to basic water bath and pressure canning, with a handful of unique recipes that I look forward to trying. A great addition to my collection.
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* Paperback
