It is stunning to me how much the world of information around canning, preserving and DIY food arts has expanded in the last couple of years. When I first started this blog in early 2009, it was so easy to be familiar with the canon of books on the topic. I had them all and they took up about 18 inches of space on the bookshelf.
Then suddenly, a new wave of books started to flow onto the market. One of the best of this first round was Karen Solomon’s Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It. It offered instruction on canning, easy home dairy items and a variety of other projects that were universally welcomed by home cooks who wanted slightly more control over their food.
Karen recently published a follow-up volume called Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It that is just as delightful as her first book. It includes a handful traditional preserves, as well as instructions for homemade cereals (cornflakes! puffed rice!), miso, rice milk, smoked nuts and so much more.
For those of you who were intrigued but overwhelmed by Charcutepalooza and its many meaty challenges, you’re going to want to take a peek at the Hunt It section of the book. Karen has included a series of accessible, easy to follow recipes for corned beef, pastrami and hot dogs (as well as instructions for how to transform those hot dogs into corn dogs.
Every time I sit down with this book for more than a few minutes, I start to itch for the kitchen. The urge to cook become irresistible. My apartment has seen her Sesame Rosemary Granola, the Basic Barbecue Sauce and the Pickled Grapes (so good).
Last fall when I was in San Francisco, I got to meet Karen. We were both judges at the Good Food Awards and during a break in the tasting, she bought me a cup of coffee and we shared tales of obsessive preserving and cookbook writing. Somehow, that led to a request that I write a blurb for the book’s back cover. Entirely flattered, I was thrilled to do it.
All that said, here’s the point I really want to make. Even if I’d never known the first book, never met Karen and never spent hours pouring over a xeroxed galley copy trying to concisely say why I thought it was so good, I would still like this book. The recipes are super solid. The head notes are full of personality. And the pictures are pretty. It’s definitely a buy it, use it, love it book.
I’ve been wanting to try making my own whole-grain mustard, which I finally did today! Unfortunately it needs time to come together in the fridge so I won’t get to taste it for maybe 2 weeks!
I’m also looking forward to making my own pita bread, and English muffins to accompany the fruit preserves I’m trying to make more of!
There are so many more but those are the ones on the table for the next few weeks.
just started canning (water bath) last year- my hurdle for this year is to streamline the process and begin pressure canning
I am so happy to hear that Karen has come out with a second book! “Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It” has a permanent home on our coffee table. This one looks like it’s going to be equally wonderful and I cannot wait to cook through it.
As far as kitchen projects: I just started making yogurt, which I’m loving, and am going to try making nut milk this week.
Hmm, I’m new to preserving and I’ve been on a bit of a bender, canning everything I can think of as I think of it. But I guess the one thing I’ve been waiting not so patiently to make are cantelope pickles. I’ve been waiting for my garden to yield some just under ripe lopes to scoop into balls and pickle! I’m so intrigued. Oh, that and quince paste. Quince are hard to find and I may have to wait until the tree in my Aunt’s yard is full of fruit and then drive the two hours to beg for a basket! Then come fall, pickled pears and pear butter will be on the docket.
Ooooo! I would love this book. I really enjoyed the first one. It would be great to make some homemade cerial that isn’t granola.
I’m on vacation now, so when I get home, my big project will be putting up pickles. I have some fermenting in a crock in the bathtub. Can’t wait to try them when we get home.
I love her first book too! My next project is to can wild alaskan salmon for winter enjoyment.
I’m a living historian and out group has really focused on period correct condiments – so far I’ve made tomato jam, chow chow and grape ketchup, next I liked to try some herbal cordials.
I want to try sprouted flours for baking healthier!
Those recipes look tasty! As for current projects, I’m eyeing the nectarines from the farmers’ market today. I’d like to try preserving them with agave instead of sugar.
I would like to tackle sauerkraut and pickled green beans.
I have two! I need to turn my plums into something – jam? And I want to put up a shelf in our spice cabinet so that I can actually SEE what spices we have.
Right now my tomatoes are getting ready to move from “first ripe tomato!” to “overwhelming!!!!”, so I would say that salsa and tomato sauce are in my near future.
Just finished our very first canning project last night. So excited! The next project I want to tackle is a candied pickled jalepeno. The peppers are sitting on the counter right now waiting…
I want to learn how to make pickles and make dilly green beans!
I’ve been canning for as long as I can remember. I used to help my mom prepare fruits and tomatoes on hot summer days. We always did high acid foods and so used a boiling water bath. I just got a pressure canner and I’m searching for just the right thing to can. Somehow canned meat doesn’t appeal. I’ll continue to look through my books and what not until I find just the right thing.
oooh … with you there on the canned meat! When my grandfather passed away, mom and I went down to the cellar to start cleaning and clearing. We came across LOADS of canned chicken that was older than my mom. SCARY. They looked slimy.
What a great book!
Just one kitchen project? I have a million! However, the biggest kitchen project for me is to TEAR OUT my kitchen and start over! I have the world’s smallest kitchen. Despite it’s small size and awkward setup, I have learned to manage and organize in the most creative ways. One day, hopefully sooner than later, my hubby and I plan to pull it all out and re-do the whole kitchen, top to bottom!
Hot pepper jelly! (If my peppers ever ripen!) Tomato Jam! (If my tomatoes ever ripen…) Get rid of under-used utensils/dishware/pots&pans
This book looks awesome!
Ever since I read your post about blueberry butter, I’ve wanted to try it. Today, is the day. I am making it in my crockpot as I write this. It’s my first attempt at butters, as well as, canning. I hope all goes as planned.
I must learn how to can 1/2 of the 29 salmon currently taking up WAY too much spze in my freezer. I live in Alaska. My other project for this year is fireweed jelly.
Dilly beans! I’ve never made them, but always wanted too. I have the jars ready; I’m just waiting for the beans.
We just moved into a new house, so I am actually still in the process of unpacking our kitchen. That’s project #1. Project #2… back to canning before all the delicious summer fruits and veggies are gone until next year!
Make shelf-stable dinners from scratch, canned and/or dehydrated, as long as they don’t require the fridge/freezer. Long-term goal is 6 weeks worth (since that’s the longer amount of time it takes to get power after a hurricane – luckily I’ve never had to go longer than 2 weeks).
Goals – Making pesto with all the basil I grew this year, dehydrating some of the herbs I grew, dehydrating some fruits and veggies and learn to not hate cooking.
The next thing on my kitchen wish list is to make some corn relish- between a CSA, a community farm, and a couple of generous family members, I am up to my elbows in corn…. tackling that today!
Right now, I’m looking for ways to use my many pounds of tomatoes that are coming in my farm share. I am working on some salsa right now and want to try tomato jam next!
As the summer starts to come to a close, I’d love to preserve all of the delicious berries that are in season!
I would like to get over my fear of my pressure canner. I’m afraid it’s going to explode so I don’t use it. However I have peppers I would like to can…
I am hoping to make some pickled turnips in the very near future. I loved the first book so I have no doubt I will enjoy this one as well
My kitchen project is an easy one–gotta pickle all of those end-of-summer jalapenos we have popping up!
This book looks great!!
I’ve been canning this summer, so now it’s on to strawberry jam!
I’m hoping to tackle my kitchen stove. It’s gotten a little grimy with all the canning it’s seen this summer. But since I don’t really do little batches, by the time I’m finished processing things, I’m exhausted and ready for a nap!
I have always wanted to tackle the field of fermentation. Yogurt, kimchi, saurkraut, sourdough bread, etc. Sigh. Someday.
I would LOVE that book! I’ve tackled/learned how to make syrups and pickles this summer so far and am attending a class on Tuesday to learn the ins and outs of canning. I have some limoncello from Karen’s first book on my counter now!
Oh how neat! I have been meaning to make homemade yogurt for a while, having heard from lots of friends that it’s super easy. I’ve also recently been obsessed with homemade crackers.
I want to make jalepeno apricot jelly.
Right now I’m in the process of changing the way I buy and store dry goods (buying in bulk with a local food club and storing in glass jars that are attractive and functional)… I’ve also started making jam for the first time (strawberry, raspberry and marionberry already in the pantry) next up blueberries! And then peaches and later tomatoes!
hot dogs! hot dogs! I would really love to make a reasonably healthy hot dog. I have made various flavours of pork sausage but didn’t even consider hot dogs! Even if I don’t win a copy I will beg my bookmobile to order a copy. thanks!
Can’t wait for tomatos to ripen to can! Did it last year with 30lbs of tomatos – definitely not enough!! But we certainly enjoyed the fruits of that bounty- esp. in the cold of winter!
Pickles — made out of carrots and green beans, not standard cucumber fare.
Like alot of people I need to reorganize my canning supplies and my emergency prep supplies. Now that my stash is growing it needs it needs to be put in order so that I am using the oldest stuff first. Thanks for this give away opportunity!
I would really like to can peaches and pears for my son…. it is finding the time to do it. I know they are not too difficult to do but peach/pear season is right around the time that I go back to teaching.
My kitchen tackle task is to make a great jalapeno jelly. I’ve had some that were so fabulous and lots that were OK. Then I tried to make some and it was just OK.
jalapeno jelly goes GREAT with sweet potato fries! MMMMM.
I need to something with what’s left of the rhubarb, blueberries and cherries that I have.
I’m also starting to get more tomatoes then I can eat so I have to start to think about what I’m going to do with them along with maybe pickling some of my peppers.
Lots to do but I love it.
I have Karen’s first book, having requested it for Christmas after a recommendation from you, I believe. It’s a wonderful piece of work. I love how she takes seemingly complex “old-fashioned” kitchen tricks and breaks them down so just about any modern cook can handle them (and revealing that they’re not really all that complex to begin with). I haven’t actually made anything from the first book yet but I like to just sit down and page through it for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Perhaps I shall go make some crackers…
I am going to start the painstaking and love filled project of maintaining sourdough starter.
What a terrific looking book! I’ve been wanting to tackle making Torrone candy. I’ve had the wafer sheet for about 2 years but just have not gotten up the courage to tackle the project!
I just got her first book out of the library, and her recipe has me almost convinced to try homemade marshmallows!
I want to conquer my Grandmother’s recipe for homemade chicken and dumplins’! Yummo!
I am new to this blog and only been canning for two years. I love canning though. I have made a couple jams and pickles. I would one day like to make sauerkraut. I am a bit nervous about making it perfect so that it ferments properly.
I want to make cheese, fruit butters, beer, and dive deeper into canning and fermentation. Where will I find the time?! Maybe this book will inspire me to make the time 🙂