Cookbook review: The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Delicious Recipes to Use Year-Round

By Tom Mentzer
Scripps Howard News Service
June 11, 2007

Preserving fruits and vegetables has picked up a rather dusty flavor over the past few decades. With grocery stores now stocking just about any item of produce imaginable year-round, we don't need to store fruit and veg for the colder months.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't.

With a little imagination and just a few tools, preserving foods can be a fun and rewarding hobby. And the goodies that come from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Delicious Recipes to Use Year-Round (Firefly Books, $19.95) are well worth the investment.

The best thing this book does is wipe away many preconceptions about preserving. Sure, the book offers a peck of pickle recipes, but even this jarring mainstay gets an facelift, with recipes ranging from curry pickle slices to herbed asparagus pickles to Madras pickled eggplant.

Jams and jellies also get a makeover. Forget about boring old strawberry jam. Instead, authors Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard introduce us to blood orange port marmalade, sparkling sweet pepper jelly and mango plum jam. Many of these recipes take less than a half-hour to prepare.

Things get even more exciting once you move beyond the pickles and fruits. The book offers a wide range of salsas, relishes and chutneys, wonderful accompaniments to just about any dinner. The authors also include complete recipes that feature their condiment creations, a fun way to try out some new dishes.

The volume also boasts a section of savory sauces. Ketchup and mustard both get jazzed up, finding flavors that the whole family can enjoy. There are also a batch of pasta sauces, great for weeknight dinners or holiday gifts-giving.

The book will also introduce many to the concept of freezer preserving, recipes that don't require the use of a stove. Best in this section are the pages on tapenades, thick pastes of olives, mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes. Keep a couple containers in the freezer and you've got a ready-made party platter, ready to thaw at a moment's notice.

One reason that preserving hasn't maintained its popularity is the extra work involved. The authors make the chore of processing jars simple, offering easy-to-follow instructions. And because the recipes call for pint or half-pint jars, most kitchens will already have a stock pot and rack up to the task.

Making preserves at home is a gratifying experience, a labor of love that tastes pretty good, too. Small-Batch Preserving doesn't require a lot of special tools and is perfect for the home cook.

(Tom Mentzer is a freelance writer. Contact him at tom.mentzer@gmail.com.)