These are a gift so I have not read them but home they tell a beginner how to can.

My garden has been producing fruit and vegetables more this year than it has in years past. I decided to bottle as much as I could and wanted to be sure I was doing things correctly. I purchased this book and it was delivered within the time frame it promised. The book provided me the confidence to continue on, which was what I was wanting to hear.

This book teaches on all levels of food preservation and is very clear on the toxic aspects of home canning if these rules are not followed. This 2nd edition is published in 1999, after USDA testing in 1987 about doubled the processing times for tomatoes. This book contains a good sampling of all kinds of food preservation recipes. I'm very happy to be able to add this to my library.

This is your Government..... This is your Government writing a cookbook.
This reads as easily as the state budget. Yuck. Save your money. Buy the Ball book

Lorri

I did find some loss recipes that I used over 40 years ago. My family missed eating them and they were delighted when I sent them some of the canned food. I discovered that I will need to can more because what I sent didn't last them two weeks. I sent them all 2 pints of corn relish. Most of 42 pints I canned a month ago is gone.

Simply type USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning in any search engine and you will be taken to several pages offering .pdf vesions of the 1st edition. I can't imagine too many things are different. It even has cups and tsp/tbs measurements to make one quart jar at a time. Worth checking out before you spend money on the book.

This is a good book for anyone wanting to can or preserve food. I recieved my order very fast time...great service!

This book contains everything you could possibly ever want to know about canning. It's great for a beginner or someone more experiened. A must-have for any canner!

As a clinical microbiologist, I am very familiar with the processes described here, but the book is written in such a way that everyone can learn to enjoy how to can food, safely and effectively. This is the only book you'll ever need! As far as I am concerned, this text is from the ultimate authority.

very eaasy to read book on canning many items. I found this very useful in my kitchen, and have used several recipes from it.

A few years ago I came across the first edition of USDA's "Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving" in a second-hand bookshop. At the time I had zero experience with canning or preserving -- both of which seemed, to me, to be akin to alchemy. The USDA's guide contained all the information I need to get started, and answered many of my questions about the process, the 'science' and my options (such as added pectin vs. no added pectin in jams) I recently acquired this edition of the USDA's guide. It has all the strengths of the first guide, with a few changes to better suit most modern kitchens. Most notably is the listing of measurements using cups and spoons; as opposed to the weight measurements used in the first book. The USDA's guide also provides objective, practical information about selecting jars, canners, storage, ingredients etc. I now have a few books with fancy, tasty canning recipes, but I always use the USDA's Guide as reference . . .especially when purchasing equipment or creating my own recipes.