Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round

I have recently become interested and canning and I took this book out of the library, along with the Ball Complete Book of Preserving and Put 'Em Up!. I liked the idea of the recipes being for small batches of of 3-4 pints, or 3-8 half pints, since my kitchen is small, and my pantry is non-existent. I started by reading through the information on the canning process from the Ball Book, before moving on to the tasty sounding recipes in this one. I skimmed the recipe titles and the chatty little paragraphs that introduced each one, and carefully marked recipes that I wanted to try. Once I had tried a few simple recipes in the Ball Book (considered such a classic and trusted source, full of time-tested information), I came back to this one and tried a few recipes. Specifically I did the Basic Tomato Salsa, Pickled Brussels Sprouts, Pickled Zucchini, Caramelized Red Onion Relish, and Cranberry Syrup. This is when I started to notice the exceptional number of typos, and instances of missing necessary information. In most recipes it seems that the author has cut and pasted text from previous recipes. (Understandable when it is the same phrase "Prepare a water bath...") In some instances, an ingredient is listed twice in a row. In others it does not list the amount of headspace needed, which is vitally important in successful canning. I can only assume that the writer and publisher were in such a rush to get the book out and capitalize on the author's successful blog, that no one stopped to edit the text, or more importantly to TEST the recipes.

I noticed that while I followed each and every recipe exactly as written on the page, weighing or measuring the ingredients carefully, I had wildly different results with the recipes. In the Basic Salsa I had enough salsa to fill 4 pint jars, but the recipe only called for 3 to be prepared, leaving me with an extra pint of salsa to be used immediately. The recipe for Pickled Brussels Sprouts called for 2 lbs of sprouts, which I carefully prepared. Unfortunately, they came no where close to filling the 4 pint jars the recipe indicated, so I had to quickly move some sprouts from the fourth jar into each of the other three jars, AND make an extra half-batch of brine to cover the sprouts. This left me with 3 jars and a partial jar to use right away. The recipe for Caramelized Red Onion Relish also came no where close to filling the 3 jars it said it would. I had only 2.5 jars filled, though I do have to note that the relish was absolutely delicious and was raved about by friends and family. I will be making it again, albeit with a slightly larger quantity of onions, based on my own notes, so I can be sure it will actually fill the jars. Finally we have the Cranberry Syrup. I am from New England, and love the flavor of Cranberry year round. I was excited to make this syrup for use in seltzer and mixed drinks. Sadly the flavor was not wonderful. It tasted primarily of sugar, and lacked the brightness and tartness associated with cranberries. I believe increasing the amount of cranberries, and adding some lemon juice might go a long way with improving this syrup. Sadly, I won't be trying this myself, as I am still learning about canning and am not comfortable creating my own recipes yet.

As a frame of reference for readers who are considering this book, I created 15 different canning recipes in the last two weeks (since I started). Seven were from the Ball Book, and each came out perfectly as described and outlined. I created 3 from Put 'Em Up!, and again, each came out exactly as described. The final 5 were from Food In Jars, and NONE of the 5 recipes I tried came out as described in the book. They lacked vital information and contained numerous typos that should have been caught during editing. While I understand a typo may slip by even a careful editor, the ones I noticed were numerous and glaring. While the pictures are pretty, it does not make up for lack of substance with the actual information. Also, this novel-style binding is highly inconvenient while cooking. One has to either break the spine to lay it flat on the counter, or make a copy of a recipe to use it.

Like many other readers I would urge prospective canners to check out the Ball Complete Book of Preserving instead. The information is excellent and thorough. If you would like to move beyond that, I would also highly recommend Put 'Em Up!, which is arranged by type of food you wish to preserve, and includes recipes for canning, freezing, drying and fermenting. That book was clearly tested and edited before being dropped on the public.

Canning is something that's intimidated me. I knew I wanted to be able to preserve fruits and vegetables and save freezer space but it seemed so complicated and time consuming that I put off doing it. This book simplifies the process and explains the why's and hows and seems quite complete with ingredients and times.

I initially browsed the book then started to read it and it's like having an experienced friend guiding at the beginning. Followed by some intriguing recipes - I never thought of canning brussel sprouts.

I can truthfully say that I am enjoying this book as instructive and interesting.

The flavors in this book are just wonderful. I made the rhubarb jam with strawberries and oranges a couple days ago, and it is hands-down the best jam I've ever tasted. The perfect balance of sweet, tart, and spice. So far this is the only recipe I have tried from the book, but I'm eager to try many others.

While I trust that the author knows a heck of a lot more about canning than I do, and I trust that she tested the recipes, and I trust that an unsafe book wouldn't have been published (well, maybe I'm naive on that one, but I'd like to think it's true)...maybe I'm just too new at canning to be relaxed about the process. I've only been canning for a year (the rhubarb jam was my tenth project), but I've read a lot of canning recipes and these are the first I've come across that don't ALWAYS use bottled lemon juice, that don't specify the headspace in EACH recipe, and that don't direct you to skim the foam from your jam before you fill the jars (I don't know what that last thing has to do with safety, but surely the other sources tell you to do it for a reason?). Also, this is the first time I've seen curd recipes that can be processed in a waterbath canner--I'm grateful for it, because I love curd and am eager to can it, but I can't help but be a little apprehensive about canning something that has eggs and butter in it. I also dislike that most of the recipes are written for pint jars...is it ok to can them in half-pint jars? Does that affect processing times? I mention this because the author discusses using different jar sizes, but only mentions how this affects the processing time if you can tomato sauce in quart jars instead of pints.

I do love this book, and I appreciate that most of the recipes use produce that I can easily find at my farmer's market or co-op here in the Midwest (unlike a lot of other modern canning books that use produce I've never even heard of). Unlike another reviewer, I am not concerned that these recipes are going to make me or my loved ones sick. If the author has chosen these methods, I believe it's because she knows them to be safe. But as a beginner, I think I'd like just a little bit more hand-holding to walk me through the process.

Such a misleading book title. I was looking for a book on canning and preserving food in small batches like the title implies. It should be called "recipes using jars: freezing, refrigerating in jars, dry ingredient jars for gifts, and water bathing gourmet condiments that you would only use once a year".
As someone new to home canning, I was really hoping for just a regular book of advice and "regular" recipes, maybe with a proven twist included by the author, on canning in small batches. Food I would actually use and feed my family with, using staple products I may have access to in bulk. Not this crazy gourmet, wierd ideas for a curd or putting granola in a jar or a bread in a jar recipe. Even the picture on the front looks like it's about preserving food, like in the title. And I question the reviews now, since I purchased this book after reading the reviews and recommendations and checking out the authors website. The book is not as marketed or titled. But if you've been canning for years, and dont pressure can, and just want to use your mason jar supply for gift giving, and want to spend hundreds of dollars on specialty spices and ingredients...then this is the book for you

I started canning a little over a year ago, and I've tried a number of resources since then. I've enjoyed the Food in Jars website over the past year, so this cookbook seemed like a natural fit.

On the whole I think that the tastes that Food in Jars creates are good, and for that I'll absolutely keep this book. But I've noticed that for some of these recipes, especially those in the jam/jelly section, that the quantities are never right. Some have made too much, but most of them don't come even close to making the amount mentioned on the recipe; usually only about 75% of the suggested yield. And while I'll admit that I'm a relatively new canner, this is not a problem I've had with recipes procured elsewhere (other cookbooks, Alton Brown's on Food Network, or family members).

Still, like I said, the tastes are fantastic. Just make sure that you've always prepared extra jars (just in case it makes way too much) and brace yourself for not getting as much as you'd expected, and you'll be good.

I have to admit to being just a little disappointed with this book. Having read the description, I didn't realize it is exclusively water-bath canning. It devotes the last 3 pages of the book to a discussion of pressure-canning, but no recipes whatsoever. I didn't pick up on that from the description. That said, it has some interesting recipes for water-bath; it's just that wasn't what I was looking for. So I'm glad I also ordered "Modern Pressure Canning" by Amelia Jeanroy, also available on Amazon.

The subtitle to this book is, "Preserving in small batches year-round". Well for the past two years I thought I didn't want small batches, I wanted to create in volume because I was going to do the same recipes all the time. What happened was I tried a new recipe last year because I was given loads and loads of free eggplant. And so I had to try new recipes. As Oprah says, I had an "AH-HA" moment.
First your definition and my definition for "small batch" may be off by a quart or more. Author Marisa McClellan likes to use one pint jars. I like to use 1/2 pint jars, so already I have double the amount she is canning in her written recipe. Marisa's small batch isn't super small as I was assuming. Also I have to give a huge shout out to the texture, color and weight of this book. I love the overall size. The actual size of the hard bound cover is 9 X 6 3/4", which makes the reading page about 8 1/2 X 6 1/2 inches which fits in your hand so comfortable. The pages are heavy in weight and feel like heavy duty journal pages. The page color background changes with each recipe, which I love. Not blaring loud colors, but soothing light greens when key limes are used. Or light orange and browns used when Oranges and cinnamon come to play on a recipe. So fun to read. The pages have good heavy texture to take notes on. And lets talk about the three empty pages at the end of the book she has titled for you and I as, "Perserving Notes" because who doesn't love to have notes to refer back to, or ideas you get later.

I own pickling cookbooks, jelly and Jam making cookbooks and I own "mixes for gifts" books. I have the "blue book" for canning and I think every jelly/Jam person needs to own several books. This particular book gives great ideas to old recipes. Which is what I was looking for. This spring, summer and fall I plan on trying The strawberry with vanilla bean and Earl Grey tea Jam, Spiced Plum Jam, cantaloupe Jam, Mimosa Jelly, Mulled Cider Jelly, Pickled Brussel Sprouts, Sweet and sour pickled red onions, Lemony pickled cauliflower, spiced pickled pear halves and Shay's Chocolate Cake in a Jar.
There are a few recipes that I probably won't try, like the granola recipes, but that is my personal prefrence.
I should tell you that I finally submitting to buying her book only after trying out a recipe from her blog, "food in jars blog". I needed a recipe for lemon and strawberries. I found Strawberry Lemon Marmalade and printed it off and tried it out. It was a huge success. If you still unsure you want this book, check out her blog and several of her recipes there. Really awesome site.
Marisa McClellan I am sorry I doubted you. I get it now. When I try a brand new canning recipe I want to try a small batch relatively speaking, because it might be that I want to make it again and again, or maybe not so much. And I do hope you write another book, I will be first in line next time.

The format, the recipes, this book is not to my liking. The Ball Blue Book of Canning is a far better resource. There are maybe three or four innovative recipes total. There is a lot of chatty narrative, which is OK I guess, but there's not enough variety. The blog Food in Jars, which this comes from, has such fascinating ideas that I was really excited to get the book. What a disappointment! Plus, it's bound like a novel rather than a cookbook, so you would have to break the spine to lay it on the counter or hold it open with a couple of cans of dog food. I will be donating it to the library, I won't waste shelf space on it.

I regret buying this book. I was hoping to learn about food preservation, primarily canning, to take advantage of the summer produce. I honestly didn't learn much from this book, except perhaps that the author really likes sweet things. After reading this book, I bought the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. Much, much better. Learn from the Ball book, then check out this lady's blog for an occasional recipe.

i was attracted to this book by reading a few of the author's blog entries. Unfortunately, there is no connection between her blogging about "small batch canning" and this book. I already know the basics of canning jams and vegetables, but I gave it up because I had to give away most of of it, due to oversupply. Kinda like the warning not to leave your car window down in late summer, or you will find a bag of zucchini when you return.

This book is a light treatment of standard canning processes, followed by a lot of recipes, some VERY different. For the most part, jam recipes contained in the book produce 3 pints, which equates to 6 half-pints, which is close to the standard batch size in pectin box recipes or Ball's Blue Book of Canning.

If you are looking for lots of original recipes, then this book is OK, but if you are looking for a different approach to canning, you won't find it in this book. For that, you would have to dig through the author's blog, which can be quite tedious.