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 have been dying to try something with lemons…maybe lemon curd? Yum!
Latest: I’ve been wanting to learn how to make kefir. My sister-in-law just gave me two “grains” and so I’m trying to figure out what to do with them.
Grilling marinades: perfecting new ideas for chicken and beef, and making the best burger.
Right now I’m gearing up to start canning peaches and tomatoes (yes, I’m so late this year). I was intrigued by your tomato butter post and want to try that along with my usual basic tomato run this time! The book posted here seems really inventive and fresh, can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!!!!
I’m wanting to make real pickles in a crock. And, fruit leathers. And, pressure canning. And, too many things to list! I guess I’m a little obsessed with preserving food!
The spot on my book shelve is just the right size for this book! lol I have been working on organizing my canning shelves to make sure I am “putting by” enough for the winter. I have been needing more recipes!! 🙂
I have never made my own stocks. It seems that I use them in everything, and would really like to try my hand at making my own. I’d also like to try making pumpkin butter this fall.
I have an awesome recipe for pumpkin butter. I’d be happy to share it if you want to try it.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway! A kitchen project I am hoping to tackle soon is making my own bread that we will be able to use on a regular basis. I have made bread a few times, but have not yet found the right recipe yet.
my first attempt at canning tomatoes- san marzanos I grew from seed 🙂
Sounds excellent! I’d like to try pretzels and smoked tofu. 🙂
This book sounds so interesting and definetly has sparked my interest. Homemade Hot Dogs? um… heck yes! Cornflakes? Absolutely! This is going in my Amazon Wishlist now.
As to a kitchen project I’ve been wanting to tackle, a really good pizza dough is still high on the list. As for preserving, I have wanted to learn to make my own sausages and other preserved meat for a while, but it’s always seemed a little intimidating.
Does renovating my kitchen so my cabinets and counters are more functional count as a kitchen project? I’d also really love to try making cheese. I’m hoping to get into that project once the deluge of canning projects decreases.
Oooh, the number one project I’ve been wanting to tackle is to stop just reading jamming/jarring blogs and start doing it myself!!
Hahaha, this is so awesome. I am interested in doing my first round of canning this year. My Mother and Grandmother used to do a lot of canning every year, but I never learned how. I am looking forward to getting this book and her other one. Thank you for having such an awesome giveaway!
There are a million and one food projects I’d like to do in the kitchen, but the one project that is eluding me is re-organizing my cupboards. I’m going to get a concussion from the extract bottles that fall out of my baking cupboard every time I open the door!
My current kitchen project is to reorganize my pantry so I can stock it full of the jams and jelly and butters I’m making. Pressure canner is next for making my own canned tuna…Yum!
If we eliminate the kitchen repair/improvement projects from the list (that one’s quite long, sadly), then I’d have to say that first on my list is salsa. Lots and lots of burn your eyebrows off salsa.
Blueberry jam! With such berry abundance as exists at the moment, I just need to find some free time…which may accurately be my next kitchen project!
I’d love to tackle home made miso! That’d be fabulous!
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at homemade BBQ sauce!
I am always looking for interesting condiments or sauces. Making Worchestershire or miso is really appealing. Looks like a book full of good ideas.
I love, love, love Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it. I just saw the new book at the bookstore and got really excited to buy it and give some of the recipes a whirl. I’m getting ready to start making mead, which I’m pretty excited about. And also, this will be my first year of having enough tomatoes in my garden to do some canning of them. I’m slightly nervous about it, but I had success with canning applesauce last year, so I’m hopeful!
I’ve become quite adept at canning over the years but have never tried pressure canning. It scares me a bit.
I’m still hoping to get comfortable enough with canning to actually eat the stuff I can without fear of self-poisoning. I’m getting there, a little at a time.
I just started canning this week! I am beyond HOOKED! Basically, I have been canning everything in sight. I’d really like to do a blood orange marmalade this winter!
LOVE this site!
I would love to preserve some sort of jam with lavender. I have been leary to try because lavender can be so overwhelming. What a great giveaway! I’d love to have a copy of this book.
Cheese!!! I’m hankering to try cheesemaking! Oh, and canning tomato sauce. Which is more intimidating? Not sure…
I really want to do some pickled beets! I know it’s basic, but we just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet. Looks like a lovely book!
About half my kitchen is taken up with tubs and boxes left over from last year’s move from a 3 room house in KS to a tiny 1 room Portland shoebox. I would LOVE to finally tackle it once and for all! Just pare down to the essentials. It’s hard to be creative amidst all that STUFF!
I have lots of basil to dry for winter that should get done..soon
Pickled green tomatoes. I have so many thriving plants this year I can bear to think about sacrificing some before they ripen.
I want to make pickles. I started this weekend with dilly beans, but I’m sure I did something wrong because they went wrinkly on me.
I am really wanting to tackle homemade cheese and an array of ice cream
I want to make ricotta cheese!
everything, everything is on my list. I honestly can’t pick one to choose first! I finally installed a new range after using only a hot plate and toaster oven for the last four years… True story. Ps. I LOVE your blog. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’m currently trying to put up 5 bushel baskets of plums my hubby picked from the neighbors tree, which they don’t eat but we hate to see going to waste. Then, we’re onto apricots. 🙂
My big project, besides putting up as much as possible from our garden, the local farm stand, and foraging, is to find some Gluten free baking recipes I really like, and that don’t scream Gluten free.
I’m waiting on my tomato plants to put away sauce this year. Last year I did my first canning – some pickled peppers and a hot sauce. This year I’d like to can a lot more.
Just made my first blueberry shrub syrup (a fruit and vinegar drink) and looking forward to trying other flavors.
I’ve been wanting to try some peach jalapeno jam! A friend of mine gave me some last year, and it was really good!
I’m new to canning, but the next thing I’d like to do is blackberry jam! (gotta get all these tomatoes out of the way first though!)
I am inspired by charcutepalooza – I can’t eat pork, I want to try making duck Prosciutto this fall once it cools down a bit. More immediately, I have hot peppers coming out of my ears. I think it is time to make some pickled peppers.
This book is on my list, I would loooove this!!
I’ve been wanting to tackle homemade bread and butter pickles. And pickled beets. And really any kind of pickled veggie, I love them!!
I’m hoping I can still find some sour cherries in my area this week to make some pickled cherries. If not, I’m going raspberry picking to make some raspberry cordial!
Well we have been working hard this year for the first time in awhile, so thinking apple butter will be our next big project and tomato sauce too.
I am going to try making apple butter this fall. I’m excited to give it a try, plus my neighbor has an apple tree and is letting me take all of the fruits!
The project I’m trying to get to is canning beef stock. We raise our own beef and I have many, many soup bones in the freezer. Would free up space in the freezer and it would be nice to have homemade stock at the ready. Soon will be doing all thing tomato so the stock will probably have to wait.
I’ve smoked my own jerky now, so my next projects are making my own 1) chipotles and 2) bacon!
I have been meaning to make tomato sauce out of my tomatoes but I just haven’t had the time. I’ve been sticking them in the freezer until school quiets down and I can try my hand at making sauce.
hard apple cider! my neighbor has a braeburn tree and i still have half of the applesauce i canned last year sitting around. more butter will be made (of course!), but i’m excited for my cider.