Books on Preserving Food: Expert Tips for Flavorful Storage
Once you start preserving food, you quickly realize how addictive it is and want to learn more. Although plenty of information is available online, few things beat a good print book to give you the feeling of authenticity that you want to carry through in your food. No matter how long you have been preserving your own food, you will still find plenty of excellent books on the subject that will delight and inspire you.
A good, printed book is like having a knowledgeable, trusty friend on standby in the kitchen each time you have a question. Whether you are a novice at preserving food or want to learn more complex food preservation skills, there is a wealth of excellent books available for everyone.
Books On Preserving Food
Safely preserving food is an art, and as you progress, your skills advance, and you will soon find that you are eating healthier and saving money. There are so many books about food preservation that choosing the best one can be daunting.
Before you start your search for your new best friend in your kitchen, try to narrow down areas of food preservation that interest you. It also helps to identify a technique you want to learn more about.
It helps to ask yourself some questions:
- Do you need food preservation recipes that use preserving agents like vinegar and sugar, or should the emphasis be more on actual food preservation techniques?
- What is your main focus for preserving food? Is it to store food while it is in season for your family, or are you more interested in long-term storage to safeguard against possible food shortages and emergencies?
- What food storage equipment do you already have available? For example, if you don’t own a pressure canner, it would be better to get a book focusing on water bath canning since you can make a DIY version at home with things you’ve already got.
- What level are you? If you are a novice, you may need a book that includes a list of food preservation tools and equipment. More advanced homesteaders may focus more on more complex recipes and storage techniques.
Going through these questions also helps if you are choosing a book to give as a gift. Books about food preservation make excellent housewarming or even wedding presents for friends and family moving towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle. Personalize the book by writing a meaningful message, along with the date on the inside cover, and it will be a treasured gift.
9 Best Books On Preserving Food
There is so much to learn and new foods to preserve. What better way to indulge in your new interest than getting a good book to page through? We have singled out nine excellent choices that include something for everyone interested in preserving food.
Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/077880139X/
No list of books about food preservation would be complete without this book. First published in 2020, Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving has become regarded as the Bible in home preserving.
This is more than just a book about pickling or storing food; it is a resource that covers everything from the basics about what equipment is needed to loads of recipes. Whether you are just getting into preserving food or are an old hand, Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving should be an absolute staple in every homesteader’s kitchen.
Reviewers have described this book as an ‘invaluable resource’ and a ‘canning go to.’ It is the perfect beginner’s book as it explains techniques in easy-to-follow simple terms. Even if you have never preserved anything before, Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving will soon have you canning like a pro.
This magnificent book is available in hardcover, paperback, and spiral bound. We recommend purchasing the hardcover as this book contains many tried-and-tested excellent recipes, so it will undoubtedly do a lot of mileage for many happy years on the homestead.
The Prepper’s Canning & Preserving Bible
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Canning-Preserving-Bible-Dehydrating/dp/B0BD2CQGSJ/
There are many different reasons why people preserve food. The Prepper’s Canning & Preserving Bible, by Tyler Gordon, is a tremendous handbook for anyone interested in long-term storage with the view to being prepared for catastrophes.
The Prepper’s Canning & Preserving Bible is only available in paperback and doesn’t contain as many color photos as some other food preservation books. However, it is divided into seven easy-to-follow chapters that include everything from the regular canning of vegetables to smoking and storing meat.
Since this book covers many methods of preserving, it may lack some detail found in books dedicated to specific techniques. It is perfect for beginner preppers just dipping their toes into the world of food preservation who need to learn more about some less familiar food-preserving methods, like fermenting.
Water Bath Canning & Preserving Cookbook For Beginners
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Water-Canning-Preserving-Cookbook-Beginners/dp/B0BSSMC52Y/
Water Bath Canning & Preserving Cookbook for Beginners, by Serena Foster, is a newcomer on the food preservation bookshelf. Since water bath canning is one of the most commonly used preservation methods, this book can form the ideal starting point.
Not only does this handy book provide easy-to-follow, detailed instructions on the actual water bath canning process, but it also includes 1500 days of recipes. No seasonal fruit will ever need to be wasted again, as everything can be processed and preserved.
This valuable food preservation book is only available in paperback, and it is an inexpensive option that contains a wealth of information about water bath canning. Even if you don’t own a water bath canner, you can use an ordinary stock pot and start water bath canning immediately without requiring any special equipment.
The Complete Guide To Pressure Canning
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Pressure-Canning-Everything/dp/1641520906/
From canning diva Diane Deveraux, The Complete Guide To Pressure Canning is the ideal next step after mastering water bath canning. In addition to providing full instructions and tips to get started, it also includes two practice recipes so novices can build their confidence before they try their hand with large quantities.
Preserving low-acid foods, including broths, meat, stews, and vegetables, can be intimidating to beginners, as it must be done correctly to remain safe to eat. The Complete Guide To Pressure Canning provides detailed instructions, explanations, and tips on how to pressure can food to stay wholesome, safe, and nutritious.
Books are available in hardcover, paperback, and spiral-bound formats. It contains over 80 pressure canning recipes and is highly recommended for anyone who feels nervous about trying the pressure canning process.
Food In Jars
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Food-Jars-Preserving-Batches-Year-Round/dp/0762441437
Food In Jars, by Marisa McClellan, is the perfect homesteader’s guide to preserving and storing food directly from the orchard or veggie garden. The hardcover book, also available on Kindle, includes several practical recipes for common seasonal produce. It is a handy go-to resource when your garden starts producing faster than your family can use.
The beauty of Food In Jars is that it focuses specifically on preserving small batches throughout the year. The recipes include everything from jams and jellies to pickles and cranberry ketchup.
Reviews of this food preservation book are overwhelmingly positive. It is chock-full of interesting ways to preserve everyday ingredients to create mouthwatering food that can be stored and enjoyed throughout every season.
Homegrown Pantry: A Gardener’s Guide
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Homegrown-Pantry-Gardeners-Selecting-Year-Round/dp/1612125786
Calling all gardeners who are keen to preserve their own homegrown produce. Homegrown Pantry, by Barbara Pleasant, is an ideal book as it perfectly couples growing your food on a small scale with processing and preserving harvests.
Homegrown Pantry is a guide for backyard gardeners on what varieties of produce to plant and the correct amounts required to preserve and stock a pantry. It is a complete guide that takes homesteaders from planting to creating the final products for storage.
This book on preserving food is available in paperback and Kindle. It is an outstanding choice for anyone who loves preserving their homegrown food, as it also includes many valuable tips and practical planting information to maximize space in the garden.
Foolproof Preserving And Canning
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Foolproof-Preserving-Jellies-Pickles-Condiments/dp/1940352517
Authored by America’s Test Kitchen, Foolproof Preserving and Canning: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and Condiments, contains over 100 easy-to-follow, guaranteed delicious recipes. The book gets straight to the point and explains how to deal with canning pitfalls, like lids that won’t seal, in simple terms.
This book is perfect for anyone who has fond memories of enjoying homemade preserves and pickles at their grandma’s house when they were kids but doesn’t know where to start to create their own. Best of all, it contains plenty of full-color photos that take the reader through each process – no guesswork is required to get consistently delicious results.
Although Foolproof Preserving and Canning covers many food-preserving methods, it excels in recipes for preserving fruit. It ranks within the top 100 bestseller list in the Fruit Cooking category. Foolproof Preserving and Canning is available in paperback, spiral-bound format, and Kindle.
The Homestead Canning Cookbook
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y649SHK
The joy of preserving your own food is captured perfectly in Georgia Varozza’s Homestead Canning Cookbook. It bursts with wholesome recipes that will inspire you on your journey toward a food-sufficient lifestyle.
Although at face value, this book appears to be a cookbook, it also includes detailed instructions on the process of safely canning and preserving food. Everything from vegetables, soups, meats, and fruit is covered, and the beautiful photographs make it a delight to page through.
The Homestead Canning Cookbook contains more than 150 recipes, and its beautiful cover makes it an excellent gift for anyone starting out on a pioneer lifestyle. This preserving food book is available in paperback, spiral-bound, or Kindle.
Preserving Everything
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Preserving-Everything-Dehydrate-Vegetables-Countryman/dp/1581572425
When preserving food, a lot of focus is often on standard methods like canning or freezing. Author Leda Meredith takes readers on a journey through roads less traveled and invites them to explore techniques like curing, salting, fermenting, and dehydrating.
The title, ‘Preserving Everything: Can, Culture, Pickle, Freeze, Ferment Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke and Store Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Milk and More’ should give readers a clear idea of what is encompassed in the book. Although the book may not provide much detail on each method, it contains enough simple information for novices to get hooked on various techniques they may not have tried before.
One feature that makes this book appealing is that it covers ingredients often skipped by other books on preserving food. Pork and milk can be tricky to preserve, but not if you have this book! There are loads of options to keep even the most fragile foods safely preserved until you are ready to eat them.
Preserving Everything is a valuable book for homesteaders, as it provides a range of options to preserve various types of foods. It is available in paperback format or on Kindle.
Conclusion
Nothing beats a great book that you can open over and over again to find excellent recipes and great tips about preserving food. Whether you buy a book for yourself or as a gift for someone just starting out preserving their homegrown produce, you can be sure that it will remain a valuable resource that will never go out of date.