Recipe Book Review: Best of Bridge Home Preserving

I recently received a complimentary copy of  Best of Bridge Home Preserving. There are 120 recipes for canning fruits and vegetables. Less than a year ago, I took a workshop and learned about canning. I'd never thought it would be so easy and how simple it was to make them.  Home canning puts the pleasure of eating natural, delicious produce at your fingertips year-round. It's way better than the store-bought jam because they have preservatives.

In this book, you'll see a lot of beautiful, high-quality photographs that will make your mouth water. Instructions are also easy to follow. I have yet to try making my own relishes.

Preserving food is modern, practical and really quite simple, especially when you’re using tried and true recipes from Best of Bridge. As with all their other much-loved cookbooks, these are easy recipes with gourmet results.

Easy-to-understand detailed instructions provide all the information needed before beginning any canning project and the user-friendly recipes are totally appealing. There is a wealth of fantastic information from The Basics section which includes equipment, food safety and general processing information, to special altitude and produce purchasing charts. And an extensive glossary identifies everything from ingredients and canning equipment to preserving techniques.

The outstanding variety of recipes covers everything from jams, marmalades, conserves and jellies to chutneys, pickles, relishes, salsas and more. Depending on the time available or the home cook's comfort, the recipes range from a simple no-cook Strawberry Jam to Seville Orange Marmalade, Sweet and Tangy Gherkins, Rhubarb Relish to Grilled Corn and Tomato Salsa.

Here's one of my favorite recipes: Sour cherries make a delicious, slightly tart jam.

Sour Cherry Jam

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups finely chopped pitted sour (tart) cherries
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 package (1.75oz/49g or 57g) powdered pectin
4-1/2 cups granulated sugar

PREPARATION:

1. In a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot, combine cherries and lemon juice. Stir in pectin until dissolved.
2. Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. 
3. Add sugar in a steady stream, stirring constantly. 
4. Return to a full boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Boil hard for 1 minute. 
5. Remove from heat and skim off any foam. 
6. Stir for 5-8 minutes to prevent floating fruit.
7. Ladel into sterilized jars to within 1/4in of rim; wipe rims.
8. Apply prepared lids and rings; tighten rings just until fingertip tight.
9. Process jars in a builing water canner for 10 minutes.
10. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface and let rest at room temperature until set. Check seals; refrigerate any unsealed jars for up to 3 weeks.

Tip: You can use a food processor to chop cherries. Just make sure all of the pits are removed.


BEST OF BRIDGE is more than a company. It's a testament to the spirit and wherewithal of eight exceptional women whose collective head for business was matched by their commitment to each other. Visit www.bestofbridge.com for more information.


Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the mentioned book from the PR firm or publisher in exchange of my review. Thanks to Robert Rose Inc. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.