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11:34 am
Knowledegable
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Mon 21-Mar-11
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Don't know about you but I have hundreds of books, some good some bad. I'm busy sorting my books out and thought others might be interested in my views on my books. I know I'd be interested in what books others find useful when it comes to storing food stuffs.
Traditional Jams, Jellies & Preserves. Sue Ashworth
isbn 0-7525-0762-1
Nice little book, only 34 recipes but most are easily modified, according to ingredients at hand.
How to Store Your Home Grown Produce. John & Val Harrison isbn 978-0-7160-2246-6
I think I'm in love with the Harrisons. Not a brilliant number of recipes but easily read explanations why crops are better suited for different storage methods. It covers a wide range of fruit and veg with their most appropriate storage method. Gosh it even has a section on preserving eggs. This is a book I read for pleasure.
Root Cellaring - Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables. Mike & Nancy Bubel. isbn978-0-88266-703-4
IMO everyone who grows fruit and veg should have a copy of this. Yes it's American but hey they do know about preserving foodstuffs. Not got space to build a root cellar? No problem - cupboard under the stairs, porch, garage the Bubels cover storage in all of these and more. And if you have nothing better to do they explain how to dig out and build a dedicated root cellar. (NOT something I intend to do)
Home Preserves. Jackie Burrow. isbn 0-904230-81-3
errrrrrrrr, nice selection of recipes but not a book I use regularly, in fact not sure last time I did use it. IMO there are better books out there.
Sensational Preserves. Hilaire Walden. isbn 1-84091-058-5
I love this book, despite the fact the size of it makes it difficult to keep open on the bench. Possibly it's the fact that not only does it give you a recipe for example, Spiced Dried Fruits but it then gives you a recipe for a finished dish using them.
Always on the look out for more books so over to you. What do you refer to regularly and what sits on your shelf unopened?
Failing is not a fault, refusing to try is
1:23 pm
Supreme Being
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Mon 21-Sep-09
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I like "The Perfect Pickle" By David Mabey & David Collison. First published in 1988 by the BBC but my copy is a reprint from 1995. It was spin off from a BBC TV cookery series called "The Perfect Pickle Programme"
ISBN 0 563 37068 8
I like it because after a history of the subject & the usual first principals of pickling it is divided into chapters listing various pickles from different areas in the world. It also has recipes for pickling eggs, meat & fish. It has some very old unusual English recipes like Pickled Elder Buds. I enjoy experimenting so I find it very useful as well as being fun.
If you come across a second-hand copy I urge you to buy it.
"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."
from Les Miserables
5:55 pm
Expert
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Sun 19-Sep-10
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marguerite patten 500 jams and preserves , still one of the best
10:03 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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I have a couple of favourites, but can't be bothered to get off my ar.e and see who wrote them now...will make a note next time I'm in t'kitchen
12:59 pm
Expert
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Oi Janet - what were they then??! 
I have yet to do any 'proper' amounts of preserving and tend to do a t'internet trawl when looking for recipes but my friends have The Preserving Book by Linda Brown and having leafed through it it looks good for a beginner such as me. They recommend it heartily too.
3:15 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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books for preserving hmmmmm can I put them inside or do I have to take them apart? It would be good if I could still read them after the preserving is done
by the way I am known as mentally challenged
Trying to enjoy life as it is
4:27 pm
Expert
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Fri 9-Sep-11
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I was given the River Cottage set of books as a pressie and I have to say they make lovely reading even if you aren't cooking. My only complaint is that the print is a bit small - well I know my sight is no longer 20:20 but honest the print is a bit challenging in parts.
Anyway... The Preserves one is by Pam Corbin, Hedgerow is by John Wright, Fruit by Mark Diacono, and Cakes by Pam Corbin (she is a clever lady).
They have basic recipes and info for the beginner and more complicated stuff for the experienced. I am quite happy with them and do love to browse through them (as long as I have my specs on!) Hugh FW writes a very witty and well written intro in each book. Makes a nice gift if anyone looking for inspiration for Christmas.
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
6:48 pm
2nd Grader
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Fri 31-Dec-10
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The book I use for making jams and chutneys is, I'm ashamed to say, ancient and falling apart. It's called 'The Harvest Kitchen' by Carol Hunter and is no longer available, but I suspect inspired by either Marguerite Patten's book or a book in the Good Housekeeping range. Either way, the chutney recipes always work.
The modern must-have does seem to be the River Cottage Preserves book by Pam Corbin, however and I hope to acquire it some time soon.
7:53 pm
I have the river cottage book but have others that I prefer ... will get back to you on which ones when I can be bothered too
10:56 pm
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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I have the river cottage one, but just for Ruth I have got off my backside and had a look what the other two favourites are....they are
The first is really good with some good old fashioned and unusual recipes, the second is a more modern book with many modern recipes (grapefruit & cranberry marmalade and the likes) I like them both but for different things. However I also agree that the river cottage books are good for a nice read as well as the recipe ideas
12:24 pm
Expert
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Thank you!! 
The Oded Schwartz one is sounding good but i have to say I was startled when I clicked through to Amazon - £60?!!! Ebay here I come...
12:27 pm
Expert
New members
Fri 9-Sep-11
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Ruth that sounds an outrageous price for a book. Have you tried the internet for secondhand books " I have bought from them in past and they are really good value " I'll try and find the name of the company I used.
Also you might be able to find some recipes from the book by Googling and then print them off " worth a try.
Found them - Abe Books - not sure if any of these results worth looking at,
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/preser...../sortby/3/
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
1:34 pm
Councillor
New members
Tue 20-Apr-10
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Ruth, I have the Lynda Brown 'Preserving Book' yes it is excellent. I started with the River Cottage book which was a brilliant start and more recently I got hold of '400 Sauces - Dips, Dressings, Salsas, Jams, Jellies and Pickles' by Catherine Atkinson, Christine France and Maggie Mayhew which is very, very good.
I am waiting for Nigel Slater to bring one out; less ingredients, less work and more flavour - he's my hero 
!!
Regarding buying second hand books on the internet I have over the last 6 months bought 3 books, all out of print, for little more than a song - 2 x Elizabeth David (Spices, Salt & Aromatics and English Bread & Yeast Cookery) and 1 x MFK Fisher (The Art of Eating) all of them at the prices were a gift and were exactly as described regarding condition, actually they are in virtually new condition and I have to say when it comes to bread making etc.. I have foresaken my River Cottage book on that and use almost 100% Elizabeth David ideas, I say ideas because her book is about a lot more than just recipes and if I could find her equivalent in the preserves area I would buy it tomorrow (unless of course it was £60.00)
I have reached an age where my train of thought often leaves the station without me...
2:29 pm
Expert
Wed 23-Sep-09
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Seems like it's an expensive book - Abe's ones are and the only copy in the UK on ebay is £65! Think I'll give one of the others a go!
10:31 pm
Councillor
Wed 30-Dec-09
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I must confess that I learned how to make chutneys from Delia's how to cook book 3. Chutneys and pickled eggs is about as far as I've got in preserving things, unless preserving berries as wine counts 
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