29.
Author(s): Liana Krissof
Title: Canning for a New Generation
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 304 Pages
Genre: Cookbook
Acquisition: Birthday gift from SIL
Date Completed: March 20, 2011
Rating: Unrated until recipes are tested

My sister-in-law earns an A+ for this birthday gift, largely because she had no idea I had this book on my wishlist; we were recently talking about my new desire to try canning, and so for my birthday she bought me canning supplies and Krissoff's beautiful book - only to realize later I had it tagged on Amazon.

I have not yet had the opportunity to try any of the recipes, so I don't feel that I can give the book a proper rating, but I wanted to share my initial response to Canning for a New Generation as a straightforward text.

First of all, the book as a whole is visually pleasing. In my limited experience I have found that some cookbooks are either too cramped or use too much white space, but this particular book has an excellent layout with easy-to-follow text and clear directions. The images that are included are very enticing.

Secondly, I am thrilled with the organization of the book as a whole. Krissoff breaks her recipes down into seasons to make the best of good, fresh produce, and to share ideas for canning throughout the entire year. Each season is then broken down into fruits and vegetables, making it easy to navigate even if you choose not to use the table of contents.

Thirdly, Krissoff includes recipes in each seasonal chapter that use the canned goods described! This is another winning feature of the book, and a great advantage for a novice such as I. Sure, I want to learn canning, and I want to try all sorts of new and wonderful things ... but what do I do with all of these preserves once I have them sitting smugly on my shelf? Krissoff provides some ideas, and everything seems perfectly scrumptious.

In her introduction Krissoff describes her methods for choosing the recipes she includes - some of which are family favorites, and others are of her own invention - and one of the key requirements seems to be ease of preparation. All of the recipes are for water bath canning, and all are for foods with a high acid content, which apparently means there is no risk of botulism.

Now I can't wait for spring and summer produce to start rolling in so I can start my canning adventure!