Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments & More

by America's Test Kitchen

Purchased directly from the publisher, authorized distributor, or author. Professionally spiraled and resold by a third party. This spiraled book is not necessarily affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by the publisher, distributor, or author.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food Preservation

310 pages, Spiral-bound

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

America's Test Kitchen, based in a brand new state-of-the-art 60,000 sq. ft. facility with over 15,000 sq. ft. of test kitchens and studio space, in Boston's Seaport District, is dedicated to finding the very best recipes for home cooks. Over 50 full-time (admittedly obsessive) test cooks spend their days testing recipes 30, 40, up to 100 times, tweaking every variable until they understand how and why recipes work. They also test cookware and supermarket ingredients so viewers can bypass marketing hype and buy the best quality products. As the home of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines, and publisher of more than one dozen cookbooks each year, America's Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing industry, the culinary world, and millions of home cooks. America's Test Kitchen the television show launched in 2001, and the company added a second television program, Cook's Country, in 2008.

Discover, learn, and expand your cooking repertoire with Julia Collin Davison, Bridget Lancaster, Jack Bishop, Dan Souza, Lisa McManus, Tucker Shaw, Bryan Roof, and our fabulous team of test cooks!

Learn more at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. These recipes are fantastic, very, very clear, and I most appreciate how they explain why they did this ingredient or process differently than your "old" recipe, how the change affected flavor and texture. One of the clearest canning books I've ever read. The Test Kitchen has already figured out all the ways you can go wrong, and told you how not to. Very well done!

[Sugarpuss O'Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the step-by-step pictures included with some of these recipes, but about one third of these recipes were NOT able to be canned. Call me Kooky, but I don't consider putting something in the back of my fridge preserving.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly as advertised and more, includes reviews of basic canning gear including some that rust! Wish I had read this before buying my jar lifter and I will look for Sure Jell low sugar pectin. Starts with basic surefire recipes and goes from there. While not as comprehensive as books like Stocking Up: The Third Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide, the recipes are for small batches, been extensively tweaked and I suspect are best in class. Great book for beginners and the occasional small batch canner (me). I use preserved foods as garnishes and small sides and not as a major food source.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking to get into canning definitely follow this book with your 1st batches of stuff. And ignore some of the other reviews on here as preserving is still putting stuff in your fridge. I've been rayed I've been in colony school for 4 years and that is one thing there's 1 thing that is bestowed considered preserving.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for new recipes to try canning, but I didn't find any in here I'd like to try. But this is a great book for anyone wanting information on canning and methods and tools. The recipes seem good, but most are fairly basic. I did like the addition of apple to recipes where the fruit used doesn't have enough pectin. I'll have to try that method sometime.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have reviewed four different preserving books from the library trying to find the perfect book to purchase to get started canning with: Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More, Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods, and Foolproof. Foolproof was last on my list and I have to say, I think I saved the best for last! It brings the America's Test Kitchen science-based approach, attention to detail, and tireless testing to preserving and seems like a great option for both beginners and more advanced home cooks.

Foolproof has very helpful explanations behind the science of preserving and why certain ingredient and timing choices were made. Every recipe has a thoughtfulness down to each minute of cooking time. Unlike the two Ball books I reviewed, Foolproof is apparently free of a corporate influence trying to get you to go with a certain brand for canning products. They tested different equipment and I will actually be going with their recommended canner and jar tongs because they made them sound so solid. They tested different pectin brands and found that Ball was actually not as good as Sure Jell which to some extent confirmed my suspicions that the Ball books may be pushing Ball products to the detriment of their recipes. Actually in Foolproof, they found that most jams and preserves did not need commercial pectin; many recipes include instead a grated Granny Smith apple. I love that option because they're available anywhere and I can imagine how it would add a nice bright tartness, as well as necessary pectin, to any recipe.

The other thing I loved about this book were the pictures. Many recipes have step-by-step picture instructions which seem so helpful especially for a beginner. It's a feature that most cookbooks do not have. All the pictures are full color and gorgeous.

As for the recipes themselves, I do feel some of them skew towards gimmick or being a little "out there" (more on that later) rather than a solid, classic recipe (there's no cranberry sauce recipe, boo! I also felt salsas were underrepresented with only 1 salsa recipe) but there are enough classics to outweigh the recipes I probably wouldn't make. I was pleased to see jams featured predominantly over jellies. There are a variety of cuisines from different countries featured so it's not limited to just American style recipes. In addition to some of the classics like strawberry jam, blueberry jam, peach jam, and your standard dill and bread and butter pickles, these are the ones I'm most interested in trying: holiday jam (seems really close to cranberry sauce but also has pears and spices, mmm), mulled cider jelly (imagine how good your house would smell cooking that!), dilly beans, zucchini pickles, pickled eggplant, pickled okra, pickled watermelon rind, kimchi, mustards, relish including a corn relish, and some fruit butters. Overall, a great spread.

Now, my complaints with the book. The organization of each section is fine but it's odd to me that it starts with preserves and jellies, then goes to tomatoes and pickles, then circles back to things like fruit butters, applesauce, and fruit preserved in syrup, by way of condiments. Huh? To me, put all of that stuff in the beginning with jams + jellies.

My bigger complaint is some of the recipes get nitpicky and overly complicated like some of America's Test Kitchen recipes have a tendency to do. It feels like the effort is not worth the outcome. Not all of the recipes have instructions for long term storage, which is fine. Some of them make a very small batch like 1 or 2 jars and are meant for fridge storage. Most of those can be stored refrigerated for 2+ months which is great. I think that's perfect especially for beginners, since you don't have to worry about fiddling with the jars and boiling water, and it does say "small batch" right in the title. I would definitely try some of those small batch fridge recipes. Also, a lot of the recipes can be doubled and there are instructions for doubling. BUT, some of these recipes go a little too far. The caramelized onion jam and bacon jam can each only be stored for 4 days. I question whether that's really "preserving." The quick pickled radishes bothered me the most! You combine the ingredients, let them sit at room temp for 15 minutes, and serve, and you can only keep them in the fridge for one hour. It may be a delish recipe for a garnish/side dish but it is much more like a salad, which must be eaten immediately, than a "preserved" recipe. So why is it in this book?

Despite those complaints, I really liked this book and I think this is the one I'm going to buy (or put on my Christmas list, hehe) so I can finally start canning :)

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great layout, photos and explanation of preserving.

But HOLY COW, this is sooooooooo much work. Forget it; isn't happening at my house.

The thoughts of rhubarb jam go dancing right out of my head...

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great basic canning and preserving book. I like that it's smaller batches, especially since not all of the recipes are designed for canning. The book is divided into sections by type of recipes - sweet jams & jellies, savory jams & chutneys, pickles, tomatoes, fruit in syrup, and condiments & fruit butters. Plus, there is a good introduction about the equipment needed for canning. There are a few recipes I'd like to try. Overall, a good solid preserving/canning cookbook.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

After looking through the book and wanting to try almost every recipe, this is a book I want for my bookshelf. Coming from America's Test Kitchen, there is plenty of explanations and pictures to accompany each of the recipes.

[Aja Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, wouldn't have expected less from the Cook's Illustrated crew. So many details, so much tested information, and some interesting recipes! I love cookbooks that tell you WHY the "rules" are the rules. Great reference.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first time I've read an American's Test Kitchen book. I admire their dedication, but like the radio shows I have heard, they go overboard talking about the perfect equipment. I prefer the Ball version of canning.

[Terri Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an avid canner and an avid reader there are few new canning books that I give a 4 star rating. This is one. There are at least 5 recipes in this book that are new and worth trying. I intend to try them all!

[Cristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up from the library to glean as much as I could. A thorough reference guide, it covers everything it claims to and does it well. The condiment chapter alone makes it a must-buy for my personal cookbook library.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need this book--it has everything you need to know about making jams and pickles, including how things went wrong in their test recipes, how to fix it, and recipes they recommend. Inspiration for next summer!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with simple to follow directions and recipes. I will need to refer to this book again when I start making my jams this summer.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recipes to try... Sounds like summer!

[Cordula Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book of preserving.
Easy to follow, very tasty and not mountains of food needed.
Just great!

[Linda Letourneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food preservation

I have canned before and interesting to wh they have tested, great and informative. I love this tv show and learn lots.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for beginners, everything is explained and the batches are small. The experienced will also find some interesting recipes and combinations.

[Green Cupcake · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of recipes that look delicious. Unfortunate that they say to use only one pectin as it is not available where I live. I guess I'll take my chances with what I can buy.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well laid out book with easy to gollow instructions.

[Katie Kleier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting recipes to add to my canning recipes

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love America's Test Kitchen!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before even getting to the recipes, the first chapter contains relevant information and overviews of processes. It is a great introduction to canning which includes a preserving lexicon (eg. the defining features of what constitutes jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, fruit butter, conserve, chutney, mostarda, and more); the science of canning, of pectin, and of pickling; how a boiling water canner works; a step-by-step overview of canning in general; how to troubleshoot common canning problems; key ingredients needed in preserving; and information about necessary equipment and other helpful tools.

Following that informative first chapter are the recipes. Chapters include sweet jams and jellies; savory jams and chutneys; pickles; tomatoes year-round; fruit in syrup; and condiments and fruit butters.

There is an excellent variety of recipes with everything from the classics to the new and different. For jams/jellies/preserves/marmalades there are the classic strawberry, strawberry-rhubarb, apricot, plum, raspberry, blood orange, grapefruit, grape, and cranberry. There are also flavors that shake things up a bit: strawberry-basil, blueberry-early grey, raspberry-chocolate, peach-bourbon, nectarine-cardamom, fig-pomegranate, cape gooseberry-rose, prickly pear, mulled cider, and more.

Savory jams and chutney recipes include such recipes as caramelized onion jam, bacon jam, carrot marmalade, plum-ginger chutney, brandied cherry and hazelnut conserve, red pepper jelly, and mint jelly, and more.

Recipes for pickles include options for quick pickles, classic pickles and more, as well as fermented pickles. It's super to see that cucumbers aren't the only pickling option: there's radishes, cabbage, carrots, fennel, asparagus, zucchini, okra, watermelon rind, jalapenos, dates, mango , garlic, ginger, eggs, and others.

There is an entire chapter dedicated to just tomatoes, and again it has excellent variety: roasted, crushed, whole peeled, various sauces, salsa, ketchup, chutney, and even Bloody Mary mix.

What if you don't want a jam, jelly, or the like? The chapter on "fruit in syrup" might have what you're after: peaches, cherries, spiced pears, clementines, spiced figs, classic fruit cocktail, Greek apricot spoon sweets, and peach mostarda.

Wrapping up the recipes is the chapter called "condiments and fruit butters", which includes a few mustards, a couple hot sauces, a few horseradishes, some relishes, preserved lemons, applesauce, and various fruit butters (eg. apple, spiced pear, cranberry-orange, guava, and quince).

Every recipe comes with at least one full-color picture (but often there is more than one), estimated prep time and cook time, the amount the recipe with yield, a "why this recipe works" section, and step-by-step instructions. The smaller-yield recipes tend to include information on how to double the recipe. Many recipes have instructions for both short-term storage and long-term storage. In addition, some recipes have suggested "how to use" notes (for example, you'd like to make fig-balsamic jam but aren't sure how to use it? The notes suggest serving with a soft Brie or goat cheese, serving it with roast pork, or using it as a glaze for grilled chicken.)

This book is appealing, user-friendly, and packed with great information. If you would like to get started preserving or if you would like to expand your knowledge and repertoire, this book is for you.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has very good, step-by-step instructions, and it has lots of pictures to help you through the process. This book is more geared towards beginners, with all the details, but I think more experienced people would find good recipes in here, too. As the name suggests, most of the recipes in here only make 2-4 jars (usually half-pint sized, for jam/jelly), so it's better for those who just want a couple of jars to use on sale produce from the grocery store or farmers' market, versus those who have an orchard and need to put up their 50 lbs of pears before they go bad. So far I've made two batches of the regular blueberry jam (there is also a blueberry-earl gray jam), which turned out great. The recipe was easy to follow, and all of them set and sealed, even though I messed up a little bit in the instructions.

The recipes are a good mix of "classic" recipes (e.g., strawberry jam, blueberry jam, etc.) as well as some more trendy recipes (strawberry-basil jam, bacon jam, etc.). There are also recipes for pickles, chutneys, ketchup, and mustard as well. All the recipes have instructions for short-term storage (typically the refrigerator) and instructions for long-term storage (water bath canning), if appropriate. Not all of the recipes are appropriate for canning, but each recipe is clearly labeled.

All of the recipes that use pectin use the reduced/no-sugar pectin, and they tell you what brand they prefer (Sure Jell), although you can still use other brands that have the reduced/no-sugar option. I prefer the lower sugar recipes because I think the fruit tastes better, so that was a real bonus for me with this book.

I also really like that most of the recipes tell you when you cannot double the recipe and also tell you what to change about the recipe if you want to double it. It was confusing, though, that there are some recipes that do not mention doubling at all; I assume that means you can go ahead and double without any worries? I wish it were more clear. It would have been just as easy for them to put a "Go ahead and double" note in there.

[Cathy]

fig pomegranate jam p 69
holiday jam p 72
blood orange marmalade p 75
mulled cider jelly p 87
carmelized onion jam p 93
fig balsamic jam p 96
carrot marmalade p 99
jalapeno peach preserves p 101
mango chutney p 102
apple shallot chutney p 104
plum ginger chutney p 108
brandied cherry and hazelnut conserve p 114
spiced fruit and nut preserve p 117
red pepper jelly p 118
summer tomato sauce p 206
arrabbiata sauce p 209
spicy tomato jam p 212
red enchilada sauce p 223
bloody mary mix p 224
spiced figs in syrup p 240
peach mostarda p 246
tangy corn relish p 258
spicy red pepper relish p 265
simple hot sauce p 266

[LG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful book.
I was looking for more recipes for pickles and condiments.
Store bought jam lasts too long for me to consider it useful to start making my own.

Recipes I tried or would like to try:
- green tomato chutney
- sriracha
- tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes **
- quick pickled carrots **
- quick pickled fennel **
- quick Thai pickled cabbage
- pickled curried cauliflower **
- pickled watermelon rind
- Sauerkraut (keep cabbage down with bag of brine)
- spicy Tomato Jam

Nice simple directions with tips.
Useful resource (but not useful enough for me to purchase.)

[Miss Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb resource for jams, marmalades, pickles and other preserves. Test Kitchen rigorously tests these recipes to make sure they have found the best possible method and ingredients.

From No-Commitment Strawberry Jam to Blueberry-Earl Grey Jam to the bright Holiday Jam and the perfect autumn Mulled Cider Jelly, to making your own Whole-Grain Mustard and Apple Butter, there are so many recipes with pictures and step by step instructions to ensure your product turns out.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The instructions seem simple, and the recipes look really good. I am still awaiting some supplies to try them out, and once I do, I'll update this review. However, I have other ATK books, and I have learned to trust them because they do so much research and testing when they write recipes. I really like that this book is geared toward home canners who want to make small batches and don't have much experience with canning.

[Elizabeth Lively · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photos for everything. Large variety of preserves, pickles, sauces, chutneys, and canned fruits. From the ordinary sriracha to the extraordinary blood orange marmalade. Many of them can be processed for long term storage and some of them need to be consumed within weeks. America's Test Kitchen recommends some essential equipment and supplies after describing their test methods and results. I would use many of these recipes. The book is well worth purchasing.