The Complete Guide to Home Canning

Canning references are like medical references; no single book covers everything, so it's nice to have a few sources to check.  The Ball Blue Book has been the canning bible for years, and for good reason.  It is chock-full of really good information.  Another great reference is The Complete Guide to Home Canning issued by the USDA and National Center for Home Preservation.  The most recent edition was issued in December 2015.

The Complete Guide to Home Canning contains everything one would expect to find in a canning resource--chapters on fruits, tomatoes, vegetables, jams and jellies, meats, and pickles, and loads of recipes for each.  There is a very nice explanation of various canners and usage instructions and safety issues.  Also discussed are the importance of cleanliness and sterilization of jars and equipment--what is necessary and what is over-kill.  And there is even a bit on the safe disposal of foods suspected to be toxic, including the safety protocol for dealing with botulism.

The instructions are simple, clear, and concise without any fluff to confuse.  Where there are options in how a certain food is canned, the Guide provides a clear explanation of why one method is preferred over another.  With 197 pages, there are numerous illustrations and charts for easy reference. 

The greatest drawback of this book is that it lacks any discussion of why cured ham and bacon, butter, or cheese should not be canned.  In an era of returning to a simpler life, homesteads, preparedness, and DIY everything, with the internet where people can post their personal experiences and make unsafe recommendations based on anecdotes, I feel this is a serious shortcoming.  However, the information it does contain is excellent and valuable.  And best of all, it's free!  Well, it's your tax dollars at work, so I guess in that respect it was pretty expensive.

Sadly, it's a little bit of a hassle to print because it is in eight sections.  It would be really nice if they combined it all into one.  However, if money's not an object, you can go directly to the Purdue Cooperative Extension site and order a copy for $19 plus $5.85 shipping. 


The Complete Guide to Home Canning (free download)
The Complete Guide to Home Canning (purchase from Purdue Cooperative Extension Office)

Links to related posts:
Canning Butter and Cheese
Canning Bacon
Canning Ham

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com