So often over the life of this blog, I’ve written about beautiful cookbooks. These posts are fun for me to write because I love any excuse to sit awhile with a new cookery volume and explore what it has to offer. Many of you take the time to write me an email or leave a comment, to tell me how useful you find these cookbook pieces, because they give you a chance to peek inside a book in a way that’s different from the experience on Amazon.
Today’s cookbook feature is a particularly unique joy, because this time, I’m sharing my own book
To my mind, the book is a tangible embodiment of this website. It brings together the most popular recipes from the archives as well as a number of new recipes you’ve never seen before. All the previously-published recipes were retested and rewritten before being included in the manuscript to ensure that they were the best versions of themselves. Many were also scaled down to yield just three or four pints, to keep with the small batch theme.
It includes detailed canning instructions (with helpful instructional pictures!), tips on how to determine whether your jam has reached its set point, a guide for adjusting processing time for altitude and all the best safety practices.
The recipes are sorted by genre, so that all the pickles are in one chapter, jellies in another and so on. Within each section, the recipes are arranged by season, so that each spring, you can start at the beginning of the jam chapter and then work your way through to the end.
The book is also full of really gorgeous images. Truly, my jars have never looked better. The photography was done by Steve Legato, at his Philadelphia studio, and it was such a pleasure to watch him work. Also, I made all the canned goods pictured, so you can trust that your finished products should look pretty darn close to what you see.
Another way I tried to keep the book tied closely to this site is that it’s not just about canning. Towards the back of the book, you’ll find sections devoted to nut butters, granolas, bread and scone mixes in jars and even flavored salts. There’s also information about how to best freeze different fruits and vegetables, and some details on pressure canning low acid foods.
Finally, the reason I think so many of you will like the book is that it’s me. It’s my voice, the same one you read here day after day. I’m always working to write about food preservation in a way that conveys the fact that it’s a joy, not a chore. That feeling ribbons throughout the book. I love joining so many of you in your kitchens through this blog and I hope I’ll get to do the same through the book.
Thanks to my kind publicist at Running Press, I have three copies of the Food in Jars
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and share your favorite kind of food in jars. Jam? Jelly? Pickles? Chutney? Canned peaches? Granola? Iced coffee? There is no wrong answer.
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Sunday, May 27, 2012. Winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) and will be posted to the blog on Monday, May 28, 2012.
- Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian readers.
- One entry/comment per person, please.
If you can’t bear to wait and see if you win the giveaway, you can always order a copy by clicking here: Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round
Disclosure: I wrote this book. Running Press is providing three copies at no cost to me for this giveaway.
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I’ve just discovered your website, and hope to be making food in jars soon. I’ve been looking around and thinking about what jars to get first! I’m thinking my first food in jars project will be some preserved limes. So far the closest thing I’ve made is a simple refrigerator strawberry jam. I can no longer eat store bought.
Jams, no jellies. No, wait, pickles. Oh, shoot, condiments. Crud. I can’t pick one. How about this: My favorite kind of food in jars is…food!!
And if I don’t win a copy, I’m definitely buying one. I’ve been very excited for this book to come out!!
My favorite is canned peaches…..but love making special jams and jellies.
While not fancy, nothing can beat canned peaches. They are my heaven.
My favorite food in jars would have to be my Norwegian grandmothers apricot preserves (not her pickled pigs feed).
I started canning jams & fruit butters last spring; this year so far my favorites are the fruit butters (blueberry & strawberry thus far).
Who can pick one? But *today* my favorite is mango chutney with some heat to it, because I found a great one at the farmers market! We’ll see what happens tomorrow…
Blackberry jelly!!! My grandmother used to make it when I was a kid and that was the best part of going to her house – we got to go to her canning room and get some more!
Brand new to canning so I don’t have a favorite recipe yet. I’ve been doing some research and would love such an awesome cookbook to help get me started.
I just love your blog! I have found some of the most wonderful things to try:)
I’m fairly new to canning. My favorites so far have been the jellies I made using the flowers in my back yard (violets, dandelions, lilacs).
Pickles, definitely pickles!
If I made it, I like it. My current favorites are tuna, corn relish, and peach chutney.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam! No, wait I just finally made pickles, all kinds of pickles, this past summer and they are wonderful! Would love to win a copy of your cookbook! Love your blog, too.
My favorite food in jars are mixes for gifts (chocolate cookie mix) and salsa.
I’m a new canner. So far my favorite part of canning is building friendships while learning tips & tricks that have been passed down for years. The food is secondary. (Pickles!!)
Jam!
I love your site. I have a small condo and still wanted to can, so your small batch recipes are so perfect for me!
Venturing forward and trying to remember how. Well, things have changed. Many more recipes than there use to be. I just loved canning sweet pickles. Would love to learn how to make grape jam and not have it be green when I’m done. Not sure what happened, but the responses were partly why I gave it up many years ago. My BEST accomplishment was peach butter. Yummy
Jams are my favorite – EVERY summer of my childhood my father foraged for wild berries and mom turned them into little jars full of summer that brightened our cold winter mornings!
DILLY BEANS!! These beans were made by my grandmother for years. My sister Jenny & I have taken over her family recipe. They are great to pass around at a BBQ or to add to an Old Fashion too!
I started canning last year and now make about 4 dozen something every week, either salsa, pickles, jams. But the Salsa is my favorite
i’m looking forward to making strawberry margarita jam. yum!
I love everything in jars. From snacks to homemade yogurt to fruit salad and body scrubs and cupcake wrappers and birthday candles. I am a bit obsessed with things in jars. Most of my lunch consists of various things packed in jars!
Congrats on the new book. I love making different types of pickles so will definitely have to check out the recipes in the book.
My favorite thing lately is my Mom’s apricot vanilla jam. Last Summer was my first attempt at canning and I am looking forward to new ventures and praying for lots of tomatoes and pepperoncinis!
I love fruits in jars! Well actually everything is good in jars! Lol
Pickles!!!!
Right now my favorite is rhubarb-ginger wheat beer jam. Delightful!
My favorite food in jars recipe is by far Dilly Beans!
Any fresh fruit of summer that lets me recall the sun in days of winter!
Iove canning items from my garden, especially sauces like tomato sauces and Apple sauce. I wod love your book.
Your Book looks like it has lots of great, easy to understand recipes!!! Andyou put them in categories!! So sweet and simple..that’s what I love!!!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to put this book together!!! I do hope I win it!!!
Oh My… there are to many foods I love in jars!! I just finished making a batch of Marion-berry jam and a batch of raspberry jam… Sometimes it gets too confusing on what type of pectin to use for certain types of jams!! You have made the canning process so much easier…:D
I’ve been following your blog for months and months now, maybe almost a year, and I just wanted to let you know that I love it
My fave thing to can is jam because it’s so easy, but I don’t use it often enough so it usually hangs around for quite some time, thank goodness it makes a wonderful gift. Next fave thing to can is pickled carrots and pickled beans, so delicious. I’d love to learn how to make more pickled things!
Canned tomatoes and pickled jalapenos are my favorite. They’re so versatile.
I love your blog and would be thrilled to have your cookbook…..long live canning! =)
Tomato jam! Your recipe converted me and many west coasters to appreciate the tomato in a whole new way. Thankyou! Can’t wait to read the book:)
I love fermented beverages and whole fruit jams! And I love your site! Fingers crossed.
Jams! They’re so versatile; you can spread ‘em on a biscuit, between 2 cake layers, thin it out and pour it over cheesecake, bake it in a danish or turnover or some thumbprint cookies, not to mention the pb&j.
I love homemade salsa! Favorite Food In Jars would be homemade salsa. Perfect to have on hand for snacking with tortilla chips or for a wonderful side dish add salsa to rice! Add black beans, corn, chilies, etc. to have a perfect meal. Oh, but just salsa and rice is good!
Wonderful ! Congrats!
Fave food In jars: Ice tea. Even same batch tastes better from a jelly jar.
My favorites are jam, pickles, homemade tomato sauce and anything in season!
Congratulations on the new book!!! I like to make jam and pickles, but then I also use the quart size jars for unsweetened ice tea containers in the summer when I’m working in the garden!
My favorite has to be strawberry rhubarb jam.
Blueberry jam!
I am so excited your book is out! Your blog has opened so many (food) doors for me and now my poor husband is swimming in canning jars. So far I have found no limit to what I like to eat out of jars. I guess if I have to pick a favorite it goes to my chicken liver pate since I can easily transport it to picnics and give it away as gifts.
My favorite food in jars is applesauce. My boys love it above all else. It feels so good to give them something healthy, tasty, and made by me. =)
Right now my favorite things in jars are M&M’s after getting my recap mason jar covers!!
pickles, especially spicy ones.
Thank you for being such a great inspiration! I love canning spaghetti sauce. I know there is no sugar in it but the kids love it anyway.