Great care must be taken with choosing canning books. ;)

Many that are still on the market are outdated and unsafe because they do not include all the revisions and changes for safety made since 1994. So while you may wish to "collect" old one, please do not use them for canning guidelines. And if you are unsure if a book is safe, tested, and approved, feel free to ask here.

The most commonly recommended book and the one that is ideal for the beginner is the Ball Blue Book, an inexpensive paperback magazine-sized book sold where ever canning supplies are sold for $5-6. It is current, safe, tested, and approved. It covers all the basics and provides step-by-step directions and photos that new canners find especially helpful. Lots of recipes too. You will find many discussions here about it that a search will pull up for you.

The link below will take you to several previous reviews and discussions on books that are available - both good and bad ones - so feel free to browse through them and if you have any questions about any of them, please let us know.

Welcome to canning and to the forum! ;)

Dave

PS: you will also see many references here to the National Center for Home Food Preservation - the 'bible' for home canning. Be sure to check it out too
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Here is a link that might be useful: Book Discussions...

Well, I think everyone should own the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, which is a greatly expanded version of the Blue Book with tons of recipes. Since it's so important, I'll assume it doesn't count for a favorite.

I would say my favorite is Small Batch Preserving. The recipes were tested by Ellie Topp who used to work for Bernardin (Canadian equivalent of Ball). I like SBP because most of the recipes aren't for just plain stuff, they're for interesting combinations. For example, caramelized onion relish, madras pickled eggplant, and blueberry mango topping with frangelico. As Carol (readinglady) has explained, Ellie Topp finds creative ways to make recipes safe, such as adding wine for acidity instead of just vinegar. I've never made something from there that I didn't like.

For jams I think serious traditional (no powdered pectin) jam makers should get Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber. I take all my jam recipes from here and they're just great. The three-day French process allows the fruit and syrup to equalize in weight so you get less floating fruit.

I also have The Joy of Pickling thanks to a generous forum member who sent it to me. Good recipes in there too.

Melissa

Since sea glass girl is in Canada, the equivalent to the Ball Blue Book would be the current edition of the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving. AFAIK, the Ball Blue Book cannot be purchased in Canada (except, for example, used on Amazon for absurd prices).

For the best all-around resource, I'd recommend the new Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving, which is a compilation of Ball, Bernardin and Kerr canning recipes. Stateside it's called The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving; either way it's the same book.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving

I like So Easy to Preserve from the University of Georgia. That's available online also . I know that all the recipes are tested and safe. Dave's comment is very valid -- great care MUST be taken. There are some real scary ones even on library shelves. Check with your extension educator to be sure the book has tested recipes.