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
Difficult to pick one favorite. If I must it would be apricot butter.
Love homemade pickles with garlic!
So hard to pick a favorite but here goes. The first time I tried homemade pickled asparagus it was such an unexpected treat – I’ll have to go with that. I was pregnant and it became an instant addiction. I would call up the lady who canned it and ask for a dozen jars at a time! When I started canning on my own it was at the top of my list of things to learn.
Any tomato-based products, especially tomato butter!
My favorite food in jars thus far is salsa. I made my first foray into canning last season with three versions of salsa and really enjoyed getting to eat them through the winter. I found your site through the canning subreddit on reddit, and have been really enjoying it. Thanks!
This is only my second year of canning, thanks to this site. So, since I haven’t branched out yet, I’d say berry and peach jams. My family loves it!
Butters of all kinds are my favourites.
I’m just getting into canning, but I do remember my mom’s peaches and ketchup. It was the best!
My favorite jams are being edged out by pickles, relishes, and lemon and lime curds. So many possibilities.
Homemade jelly’s the bomb – any flavor, but especially plum. Congratulations on your beautiful book!
Love blueberry jam! I made freezer jam last year, and now that I’m not terrified of canning anymore (in large part due to your blog!) I’m excited to preserve some this year.
preserved lemons and boozy jams
Pickles are definitely my favorite food-in-a-jar! 🙂
Your cookbook is beautiful, by the way!
Homemade spiced apple butter !
We are still enjoying canned peaches from last summer. Yuummmm!
It’s a toss up…either raspberry jam, or a good summer cocktail.
Just wanted to let you know that we made your strawberry vanilla jam 2 weeks ago and how delicious it is! Just a subtle hint of vanilla. Last night we took 3 cups of homemade yogurt and mixed in a 1/2 pint jar of the jam and then made frozen yogurt in the ice cream maker – it was super good and super fast!
Jam, jam and more jam!
Can’t wait to make my grandma’s 14 day pickles!
Mmmm…definitely jam! Strawberry, blackberry, peach…I love them all!
Mustard!
Black forest jam.
Strawberry preserves or bread and butter pickles are my favorites.
My favorites are whatever friends, family request again and again. Nephew…peach butter. Mom….meyer lemon marmalade. Best friend…peach salsa. Me…anything chutney : )
I love a good strawberry jam AND pickles. LOVE LOVE LOVE pickles!!!!
My very vocal hints that I wanted your cookbook & a pressure canner for Mother Day were completely ignored so I’m throwing my hat in the ring for this give away. If I’m not successful my husband will be getting your book and a pressure canner for Fathers Day!
My favorite kind of food to PUT IN jars is jam, but my favorite kind of food to EAT from jars is pickles and ferments!
I started canning a little over a year ago with some girl friends, and we have consulted your blog regularly. We have even made some of your posted recipes. At our latest session, we were all drooling over your book. Often, you look through a book and want to try a few of the recipes. But, your book is full of recipes that all of us want to try. And, the small batch approach makes it easily doable. Can’t wait to try them out!
I would have to say peach jam!!! But I may change my mind after trying a few new recipes from your book. 🙂
I like to gift jams. Of all home-made stuff, kimchi is prob my favorite “jar food”…
Congrats on the book!
For me, pure bliss is an absolutely perfect apricot jam (not too sweet!) spooned straight from the jar.
Chutneys are my favorite, but my eye was caught by the Slow-Cooker Blueberry Butter page. Definitely need to try that!
Salsa!
I am discovering the joys of pickling right now!
I have been making granola from a recipe on this site, and it is super-delicious. Definitely a household favorite. I can’t wait to try out some of the slow cooker fruit butter recipes you have too. Slow cooker + canning fruity goodness = love!
This year I am going to make chutney, but I think my current fave is caramelized pear jam with vanilla bean. SO good with brie, and I think it came from you?
All manner of canned fruits and veggies are wonderful ….and so much better than the store bought stuff! I would luv a copy of the cookbook!
I love your tomato jam! It’s the best ever – goes great with peanut butter, cream cheese, or goat cheese. This discovery transformed my life.
My favorite is my mum’s apple sauce made from the apples that grow on her ancient wolf river apple tree. Still working to match her. So excited for the giveaway! *fingers crossed
I just read your writeup on pickled spring onions which sound really good! My favorite FIJs jams first but pickled vegetable comes a close second, I don’t know, not second, I think they are both tied for first.
Putting things in jars makes me think of being a squirrel, hiding my nuts to eat at a future winter’s meal. I suppose it would have to be jam, rhubarb vanilla in particular, that I would choose. for me spreading jam on homemade toasted bread and sharing a pot of strong tea, with a dear friend, is the best way to have a conversation!
The boozy peaches look wonderful! I am in the process of doing preserved lemons now.
Fermented dill carrots – Yum!
Pickles!
I love pumpkin butter the most. But I certainly wouldn’t refuse pickles.
I feel like a squirrel, burying her nuts for the long winter, when I can something. It mi8ght end up on my table, and it might be given to a friend for a gift of nourishment. I suppose my fave would be jam. Jam congers up the image of spreading it on toasted homemade bread, and having a pot of really good tea to share with a friend.
I’m going to be a traditionalist and say that my favorite thing in jars is still jam! I do store most of my pantry items in jars though. I love the way they look.
Berry jam is probably my favorite. I made some blackberry-nectarine freezer jam last year that was just fantastic, if I do say so myself!
Tomato sauce!
Hopefully, my tomato plants will yield more this year than during last year’s drought and temps over 100 degrees!!
I love strawberry/blueberry jelly – all year round thanks to canning my own!