BOOK REVIEW Not Your Mama's Canning Book

Not Your Mama's Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and what to make with Them

by Rebecca Lindamood, founder of Foodie with Family

Page Street Publishing Co. Inc, 2016, 224 pages

Canning is such an intrinsic part of being a gardener.  Sure, you can dry and freeze.  But canning is just best for some of your garden goodies.  And if it seems intimidating, you have nothing to fear.  The first time you make a batch of jelly or can up some pickles, you will say to yourself, what took me so long?

I have always used Ball's canning book through the years, but it was refreshing to find this one.  It takes you step by step on canning some interesting and tasty items like Ginger Peach Butter, Moonshine Apple Slices, Honey Mustard, Mulled Cider Syrup, Mushroom Soup Concentrate, Herb Bombs and more.  And by the way, it includes some preservation techniques that doesn't require a canner like Herb Bombs and doing some extractions.

The best part is there are nearly 40 recipes for after you have opened the cans...so you can actually use and enjoy your treasured preserves you worked so hard on.  Things like Walking Taco Bar, Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Peach Sauce, Mega Melty Bean Dip, Blackberry Lemon Italian Soda, Grape Hand Pies to name a few.

The first thing I'm making are some Herb Bombs.  Basically, it is a recipe where you can harvest your herbs and have them on hand year-round to add to recipes like Roasted Corn Chowder with Parsley Herb Bomb, and Herbed Pea Rice with the Garden Delight Herb Bomb.  So easy and satisfying.  Plus, the herbs will taste fresh and enliven the dishes with very little effort.  I will try so many more of this author's recipes, but next on the list will be the grape hand-pies.  I can imagine using the apple pie filling in my freezer to substitute for the grape so I'm eager to try it.

If you are a budding canner or seasoned professional, you can have a lot of fun with this book.  

To learn more about the author, you can check out her website, which has more recipes and food ideas at Foodie With Family - Foodie With Family