Fruits of the Midwest - A Cookbook and Guide from Harvest to Table Review

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(More customer reviews)I have spent New Years Day happily reading this wonderful book cover to cover. It was a true delight to imagine a summer day with the vivid colors and heady scents of the freshest fruit while pure white snow was just outside my window. I love this book!
Debbie has practical, clear tips for selecting, handling and storing fruit. There is such a variety of recipes with simple and direct instructions. With the addition of fresh apples, frozen or canned fruit, most of the ingredients are already in my pantry. I am able to have summer tastes on my table tonight!
The book is thoughtfully laid out with special hints and tips on the same page where needed. Debbie tells you the differences in varieties of the same fruit, and then writes what works best for her. She tells you what her family prefers as well as valid reasons why others may prefer a different texture or sweetness or way of preserving the fruit. Convenient tabs mark the beginning of each new section. She has valuable lists of substitutions and equivalents.
The photo of Debbie's grandmother on the cover of her book could be my own grandmother or great grandmother and evokes warm, sweet memories for me. It is a "feel-good" book. There is something in here for everyone!
Tonight's dessert will be Debbie's "Hurry-up Apple Dumplings".
Thank you, Debbie, for sharing your wisdom and wealth of information. This will be a treasured and well-used cook book!

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Many consumers are rediscovering the superior flavor, nutritional quality, and wholesome goodness of fresh locally grown fruit from their own garden, a Farmer's Market, or picked fresh from a local U-pick farm. "Fruits of the Midwest - A Cookbook and Guide from Harvest to Table" has been written to answer the questions many people have about how to harvest, handle, store, and preserve fresh fruits commonly grown in the Midwest.Written in an easy to use format, with individual sections devoted to apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries (sour), peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, and more, it provides help, information, and over 250 kitchen-tested fruit recipes.Additional sections address canning and freezing basics, jam and jelly making, and information on ingredient substitutions/equivalents and pan size/volume comparisons. The author operates a U-pick berry farm in Missouri where her customers frequently ask for the types ofinformation and recipes provided in this book.

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Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been canning for over 20 years, and without a doubt, this book provides the best instruction on how to can properly. This is important if you want to successfully can, and enjoy the food you can.
First: you are provided with numerous methods on how to can, water bath and pressure cooker for instance.
Second: you are provided with chart of what type of processing works best for which type of food (main ingredient in your canning).
Third: you are provided with a chart on how long to process each type of food, and better still, they have not forgotten that people are not at the same elevation across the country. As someone who started canning in Iowa and then moved to Colorado, this book makes all the difference.
Fourth: you are provided with clear, easy to follow recipes (many of these have been around for generations).
Fifth: the final products taste good! I gladly share the canned products with friends and family. Many items end up as birthday or Christmas presents.
Whether you are a novice, experienced, or somewhere in between to canning, this is a must have book.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jams, Jellies & Preserves Review

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(More customer reviews)I cook quite a bit but have never made jelly. I only remember my mother's way with pounds of fruit, parrafin, dozens of jars and a mess for days. But this isn't it!! This is not your mother's jelly making book! I can't believe how easy it is -- and the recipes in this book all make small batches -- usually around 6 or 8 jars! My favorite so far is the port wine spice jelly but there are so many chutneys and jams I want to try. I can't believe how great this recipe list looks and in an Idiot's Guide! I'll start paying more attention to these smart little orange books now.

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It's easy to concoct scrumptious spreads with this indispensible cookbook, featuring step-by-step tips and directions-and some unique flavors to make top-quality toppings and fillings.€152 prize-winning recipes for jams, jellies, conserves, marmalades, fruit butters, and chutneys including no-cook varieties, and sugar-free varieties€ Teaches how to prepare, set, and save preserves with the latest in canning equipment, techniques€ Includes recipes for both traditional single-fruit flavors (Raspberry Currant, Apple Cider) and combinations (Kiwi Mango, Apricot Orange Butter)

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Jams, Jellies & More: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-282 Review

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(More customer reviews)This pamphlet covers the essentials of creating Jams and jellies. It is not a deep scientific journey, but if you want to get started with your own jams and jellies, it is a great start. As with all Storey's Country Bulletins, it gives the raw essentials and no more. I have purchased over a dozen of these pamphlets and have not been disappointed in their content

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Savor the Summertime Flavor of Fresh Fruit All Year Long!Admiring brightly colored jars of jams, jellies, marmalades, and other fruit spreads in your pantry is sure to bring a bit of summer sunshine into even the coldest, grayest days of winter. Combining centuries-old lore with state-of-the-art methods, this bulletin will teach you everything you need to know to transform fresh fruit into tempting preserves. Here you’ll find wonderful, flavorful recipes — even some that are low in sugar. These are just a few: • Red Raspberry Preserves • Spiced Strawberry Jam • Ginger Jam • Apple Butter • Lemon Jelly • Carrot and Orange Marmalade

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Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber Review

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(More customer reviews)The recipes are very simple. Usually requiring a few steps for small batch jams and preserves. However, it is not for the inexperienced unless they have good back-up books like _Blue Ribbon Preserves_ which explains clearly how to sterilize and prepare jars and focus on a more scientific approach to preserves.

Ferber provides flavor inspirations and deceptively simple approach. However, there is no explanation in the book for pectin substitution. She relies on either the natural pectin found in the fruit or uses green apple jelly as a pectin base which means you get to make alot of green apple jelly adding a whole set of steps to the jam/jelly process. The book does not explain which fruits have enough natural pectin to set and what level of set.

If you know what it means to skim the juices already then the simple instructions are enough to work with but if you have no "feel" or previous knowledge of preserves making than the instructions seem skimpy. This is NOT a teaching volume it is an inspirational volume for the experienced preserves person.

The important thing though is that the flavors are fabulous. Just be sure to read the instructions first and research carefully your subsititutions and also your preserve process or else the simple instructions become too simple.

Recommended for the collection.

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Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is wonderful! The recipes are outstanding and the selection is impressive -- from jams and jellies to ice cream toppings and pie fillings, and everything inbetween. The text at the beginning of each recipe chapter and the separate chapters on tools and ingredients are very interesting and informative. I appreciate the author's attention to detail and her emphasis on using proper canning techniques so that the food you prepare for your home table will be both delicious and safe to serve.
I have made dozens and dozens of recipes from this book and they have all turned out great -- outstanding flavor with beautiful color and perfect texture. The Salsa Jam, Banberry Jam, Cherry Marmalade, Peach-Pineapple Preserves, Jalapeno Jelly, Strawberry-Raspberry Jelly, Asian Marinade, Basil Marinara Sauce, Pineapple Upside-Down Ice Cream Topping, and many more have become family favorites.
I never had much luck with jams made using the long-cook method, or homemade pectin. They took forever to make, it was nearly impossible to figure out when they were done, and they just never worked right. My jams ended up being either thin and watery or overcooked and hard as rubber. So, I really appreciate the wide variety of traditional and exotic soft spread recipes the author offers that use packaged pectin. Now, my jams turn out perfect every time and they are very quick to prepare. For people who still prefer to make spreads using the long-cook method, there are several chapters in this book filled with many other wonderful recipes that make it well worth the purchase. There are recipes for butters, curds, fruit, juices, vegetables, pickles, sauces, vinegars, syrups, liqueurs, pie fillings and ice cream toppings.
I had never thought about entering my canned goods in a fair competition but, after reading this book, I just might try it myself for fun. It was interesting learning how judges use the USDA standards to evaluate the entries plus the flavor and texture criteria that are used to choose the winners. I now understand the reasons why it is so important to only use the approved, modern methods of canning and processesing, not just for fair competitions, but also for the foods I will serve daily to family and friends.
This is an excellent cookbook and I highly recommend it for both experienced home canners and those who discovering the fun and joy of home canning for the very first time.

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