Member Reviews
This is a great book for anyone new to canning/preserving and for people, like me, who have used one method, but have been nervous to try another. Directions are very clear and detailed and are easy to follow. Lists of approximate yield of product per # of pounds of fruit are included for quick reference. Recipes in the book include items that I would love to store in my pantry including, apple butter, maple bourbon bacon jam, apple rings, stewed tomatoes, etc.
Fantastic overview of how to make the most of your homesteading rewards and then how to preserve it all! As a brand new homesteader, some of it was a little over my head but definitely gives me something to work towards. I am on the east coast of Canada so I like that this book wasn't just written for someone who is gardening year-round in the southern US. It is much closer to the information that I am looking for in a homesteading guide.
The images sprinkled throughout the pages are beautiful as well and everything tied together nicely with the theme. A lovely book to give as a gift for someone who enjoys canning and being as self-sustaining as possible.
Thanks #NetGalley for the review copy of this e-book!
The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest is a new reference volume on preserving shelf stable food at home.
Due out 1st May 2019 from Lyons Press, it's 224 pages and available in paperback format. Author Ann Accetta-Scott is a well known homesteading lifestyle blogger who has chronicled her family's shift from suburbanites to self sufficient homesteaders.
There are a few books which have become truly indispensable for the homesteading library. For our family, these include the Ball 'blue' book, a selection of John Seymour's books, Storey's Country Wisdom, Sanders' Self Reliant Homestead and a very few others. This book will definitely join those classics.
I was very impressed with the scientifically accurate and up to date information contained in this book. The author clearly and accurately describes the different methods of creating safe shelf stable food. The different types of vegetables, meats, and fruits are clearly delineated and the methods for preserving each of them (or combinations of) are described step by step. There are loads of tutorial photos.
Equipment is also discussed in detail. The author lists the everything necessary for each type of preservation and also lists extra labor saving equipment in the procedures; saving the reader from having to flip back and forth to different sections of the book.
There are a huge number of really nice recipes outside of the normal 'green beans & succotash' tried and true staples from years past. There's a recipe for maple bourbon bacon jam that didn't last a week at our house. My kids put it on their baked potatoes. They put it on toast. They put it on pancakes. They haven't stopped asking to make another batch of it. The jalapeño pickled eggs are another huge hit with my family. I never even liked pickled eggs before.
Five stars. Well written, scientifically accurate, comprehensive. A new classic.
I really enjoyed reading about Accetta-Scott's journey into homesteading. It was a very authentic experience and made me appreciate the stories she shares on how she navigated such a big transition with her family. The instructions for preservation were very simple and easy to follow.
An impressive collection of creative food storage ideas. As a novice canner, I am overwhelmed by all the information in this book. However, it is exciting to look forward to trying some of these suggested methods of preserving this summer!
Thanks to #NetGalley, I had an advanced PDF to read and review.
*All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. *
An approachable guide for anyone interested in canning and preserving their own food, whether you're a city or country mouse. Accessible instructions for beginners and a variety of recipes for more advanced preservers. Includes glossary of terms, description of equipment needed, and lots of photos.
The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest by Ann Accetta-Scott is definitely a how to guide. It is chock-a-block full of sage advise regarding multiple preserving methods. The book is meant to take the fear our of preserving food. Usually most preservers do not have a mentor that lives next door. This book explains everything the author could think of to help the reader be successful. There are many recipes, dos and don'ts, how to and whys.. If you have a question about preserving this book probably has the answer. Some of the types of preserving that are covered are water canning, pressure canning, dehydration, curing and smoking, cold storage and freezing. There are many usable charts like the weight of your fresh produce and how many jars it will make once processed. If you are even remotely interested in having healthy food for your family this book is a great incentive.
I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This might just be the most complete book on preserving food that I have ever seen. The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest starts at the simplest point, introducing all of the ways that food can be preserved and the tools necessary to do that. It then takes you thru each method, telling how to do it, what items you specifically need, and the types of foods that can be preserved in that method. It also includes a few recipes in each section. The different methods listed in the book are Water Canning, Pressure Canning, Dehydrating, Curing and Smoking, Fermentation, Root Cellar and Cold Storage, Freezing, and Freeze-Drying. I cannot wait until I can get my hands on this publication.
#TheFarmGirlsGuideToPreservingTheHarvest #NetGalley
Great book for new or seasoned persons who want to learn about preserving food. Many useful tools, some you may know, some you may not. Everyone could learn something from this author.
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
This book is for anyone who's interested in starting to preserve their home-grown (or farmers' market-purchased) foods. The author provides a well-organized set of instructions for various types of food preservation, from water-bath canning to curing meats. She is clearly an expert and shares her own good and bad experiences with the reader. Illustrations are very appetizing, and numerous tables & feature boxes help to visually present important information. As a microbiologist who also is a gardener, I appreciated her easy-to-understand presentation of the science behind food preservation. She mostly got it right (I've pointed out just a few errors to the publisher) and yet made it simple. I'd highly recommend this book for any beginning (and even more experienced) gardener, providing the minor errors in the science are fixed.
I am a long time canner, food preserver. I figured I would look through this book but never thought I would learn anything. Well I was wrong I learned quite a few things and there are quite a few things that have been updated through the years. I plan to get my sister this book since she is learning to can food.