Artisan Preserving: Over 100 Recipes for Jams, Chutneys and Relishes, Pickles, Sauces and Cordials, and Cured Meats and Fish

Food preservation is enjoying a renaissance. With dozens of beautifully produced books on canning, pickling, fermenting, and curing published in the last few years, many attached to well-known brands or people, it is nearly impossible for any general work on the topic to stand out. Although this overview doesn't fill a unique niche, Macdonald's (The Artisan Market) guide is unequivocally excellent. It deftly balances favorites (raspberry jam, lemon curd) with adventurous yet accessible spins on classics (pink grapefruit and elderflower marmalade, caramelized bell peppers) and a few surprises (boozy cherry and walnut mincemeat, pickled black grapes, beet gravlax). The photography is appealing, the flavors sophisticated but unfussy, and the recipes simple and clean, presenting a title that is both easy enough for beginners and creative enough for the experienced home preservationist.