It is that time of year on the farm – it seems like everything is coming in! I was happy to be sent a copy of Can It & Ferment It by Stephanie Turow at no charge for my honest review. So far the only thing I’ve fermented is sauerkraut. It will be fun to try something else. The temperatures are getting colder at night and the word frost is starting to appear in the forecasts. That means the hubby was out pulling the green tomatoes off of the vine and putting them in boxes in the basement so they can ripen.
He also brought in a boatload of peppers and the last of the eggplants. I spent today cutting up the ripe tomatoes and cooking them down for a batch of ketchup. But that has nothing to do with this great cookbook. Read on to learn more….
About Can It & Ferment It:
Welcome to the world of produce preservation. In Can It & Ferment It, blogger and preservation enthusiast Stephanie Thurow brings the canning and fermenting communities together by offering recipes that work for both canning and fermenting. From a first-timer to the advanced preservationist, Can It & Ferment It shows canners and fermenters alike how they can have the best of both worlds.
Stephanie explains the differences between the canning and fermentation processes, emphasizes the importance of using local and organic produce, describes canning and fermenting terminology and the supplies needed for both methods, and offers more than seventy-five fun and easy recipes for every season. Readers will learn how to preserve each fruit or vegetable in two different ways; each can be enjoyed water bath–canned or as a healthy, probiotic-rich ferment.
Recipes in this helpful guide include strawberry chutney, the perfect garlic dill pickle, spring onion kimchi, cinnamon-honey apple butter, and more!
About the Author:
Stephanie Thurow fell in love with kimchi as a toddler and never looked back. She is the creator of canning and fermenting blog Minnesota from Scratch and has been a fanatic for preserving foods since the mid-2000s. She resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, daughter, and plethora of pets.
My Opinion:
I have been canning things for more years than I care to discuss but fermenting is relatively new to me. Sauerkraut is about the extent of my experience and I do that in a whomping big crock. That is what I like so much about this cookbook – it will allow me to experiment with small batches so that if I mess up I’m not doing it with a big whomping crock of food.
The book opens with an overview of both processes and the equipment you need for each. They are written in a simple way that doesn’t make either intimidating. The book only delves into water bath canning, not pressure canning so keep that in mind. It deals with pickles, jams and relishes.
The recipes follow by season starting with Spring. Options are given for both the fruits and vegetables that are commonly available at the time of year. Of course depending upon where you live, your season might be bit different. For example, for most people strawberry season comes in April or May but I don’t see my berries until June.
The recipes are well written and easy to follow. You are offered recipes for either method for each fruit or vegetable. I’m interested in trying several for fermenting such as cranberries in honey, and green tomato salsa.
I am glad I have added this cookbook to my library for dealing with the harvest. I know it will give me new ideas for all of the produce the hubby brings me.
Rating:
5
Check out these recipes:
Sauerkraut
Zucchini Carrot Ginger Marmalade
Apricot Sauce
All Amazon links are affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I receive a small commission which helps to keep the Farm cats in treats.
