Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects

by Karen Solomon, Jennifer Martiné (Photographer)

Do you relish the joys of hot toast spread with your own homemade butter and jam? Love to dazzle your friends with jars and tins of choice goodies–all created by you? The kitchen is a paradise for crafty cooks, and whether you’re a newcomer to the realm of amateur artisanal edibles or a seasoned food crafter on the prowl for your next batch of appetizing challenges, Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It has recipes galore for you (75, to be exact).

Projects range from perfect pantry staples (Butter, Crackers, Pasta) to festive giftables (Toasted Walnut Brandy, Lemon Curd, Peanut Butter Cups); some give quick gratification (Mayonnaise, Rumkirschen, Potato Chips), while others reward patience (Gravlax, Ricotta Salata, Kimchee). Practical prep-ahead and storage instructions accompany each recipe, several give variations (like Caramelized Onion and Thyme Butter–yum), and most share ideas on how to use it, serve it, and give it away.

Complete with color photographs and the accumulated wisdom of author Karen Solomon’s years of food crafting, Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It is your one-stop resource for turning your culinary inspiration into a pantry full of hand-labeled, better-than-store-bought creations


Karen Solomon is a food and lifestyle writer and veteran culinary tinkerer and food crafter. She is the author of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to San Francisco, a contributor to San Francisco magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle, and a former editor and columnist for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She has also contributed to Chow! San Francisco Bay Area, the SF Zagat Guide, and dozens of Bay Area and national publications. She lives with her partner, son, and food-focused dachshund in (you guessed it) San Francisco, California. Reach her at www.ksolomon.com.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Adult

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2009

Reviews

[sarah gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is both satisfyingly broad (pickles! bacon! crackers! pasta! jam! limoncello di crema!) and disappointingly shallow. with a title like "jam it, pickle it" I expected quite a few more jam and pickle recipes. three jam recipes (and one "curd") and four pickle recipes is a bit of a let-down. what's here sounds fabulous -- I'm off to secure several pounds of fresh olives this fall for my own cured olives, and I'll try many of the liqueur recipes -- and the photography is stunning and will, I'm sure, inspire many a reluctant jam-pickle-curer.

the big drawback of this book is that it embraces an out-of-the-grocery-store philosophy and yet skips many of the important lessons (there's no talk about eating the the seasons, for instance, nor can a budding home preserver have a clue how to deal with large quantities of, say, fruit off a backyard tree, or an *entire* salmon, despite the rather oddly titled chapter, "hunt it") and suggests using many grocery store ingredients, like canned tomatoes (even though canning one's own tomatoes is, in my opinion, preserving 101). the book is inspirational and cute and crafty. a bible of preservation methods it is not. most definitely belongs as a coffee table complement to a very robust preserving library.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is exactly the way that I like to cook. Good cooking is based on good ingredients so what is better than cooking based on homemade ingredients? I don't need fancy recipes that require dozens of ingredients, fancy plates and squiggles of sauce. Just give me homemade yogurt topped with some homemade jam and sprinkled with homemade granola and that is satisfying to me.

This cookbook is full of all the recipes you'd need to set up your fridge and pantry with some basic homemade ingredients you can build on or off of. Plus it has some recipes for things that you wouldn't think could even be made at home (homemade peppermint patties?) Yum.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good basics, but you can find a flat bred recipe anywhere these days. The book is well laid out with nice photos of the dishes to insipre. I just can't endorse a book that uses the microwave for melting things.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you want each recipe with a side of judgement!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. This book is a shallow review of a variety of food preservation methods with a few other recipes thrown in for no apparent reason. I did not learn anything new, and I *am* the kind of person who likes to make her own mustard and can her own jam. I found the mustard recipe to be utterly bizarre, tasty mustard can be made in much less than the two weeks the included recipe required and whole seeds work as well as the powder, it all depends on the type of mustard you are making. The jam recipes give instructions for using two-part metal lids with canning jars while the photograph shows a type of canning jar with a separate seal that is considered unsafe for canning, thus sending a mixed and possibly dangerous message. We did make the peanut butter cups at my son's request, the filling required much more sugar than indicated but the results were delicious. On the other hand, melting chocolate and adding peanut butter is bound to be good.

Overall, I'm glad the book came from the library and will not be added to my cookbook shelf.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just made Strawberry Jam using the recipe from this book and we love it! First time making Jam and it turned out great!

[Karen Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family loves pickles and this book has a great collection of recipes with clear directions to follow. Enjoy! #AuthorKarenJeanMatskoHood

[Carolyn Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recipes and techniques to use. It ain't the Ball Blue Book, but it's pretty useful.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is fairly short and frequently strays fairly far from the preservation topics the title promises. The picking, jamming and curing sections make up maybe half the book. The rest is other "cooking projects" which seem unrelated like sweets and crackers.

[Kathryn Broege · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and wonderful recipes

Great collection of recipes for pantry staples as well as more decadent treats. All are simple nd made from easily obtainable ingredients

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

some overall interesting ideas although none of the recipes spoke to me.

[Anna]

Distressingly low on jam and pickle recipes, but high in being weirdly judgmental about like, store bought ingredients

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice variety.

[Bryan Morearty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely collection of recipes that make it easy to get a more creative use for many of the foods you enjoy in your daily lives.

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Other Cooking Projects" should be the actual title of this book, as Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It is a bit misleading. This isn't a how-to guide for canning, and it's not about preserving large quantities of food (grow-it-yourself/put-up-your-harvest purists will probably hate it). This is a collection of recipes for things we often don't even think about making ourselves, such as mayo and graham crackers. If you're looking to stock your kitchen with homemade chips, breadsticks, ketchup, salad dressing, pickles, pasta and peanut butter cups, then this is the book for you. Each recipe includes a time frame of when and how long the food will be good. Keep in mind that without all of the preservatives, these items won't last nearly as long as the prepackaged versions. I suppose that's why these recipes are for relatively small batches. If you don't mind making your own salad dressing every couple of days, that won't be a problem. It's not for me because I tend to whip up a small amount of dressing every time I have a salad anyway. Bottom line, some of the projects are worthwhile and some aren't. I think everyone could find something in here that they like, but what that is depends on each individual's lifestyle.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 5 stars, except I haven't made anything from it yet, so will hold off and update after I have. I did sit down and read the entire thing, cover-to-cover immediately upon coming home from the library with it.

Totally accessible and designed to make seemingly daunting and difficult cooking projects very simple, this book is written for regular folks wanting to try their hand at making everything from your own condiments ( from ketchup to compound butter), to smoking fish and meat, making your own pasta, candy and so much more. Truly it made me want to hit the kitchen and start making stuff right *now*. But where to start??

In the interest of full disclosure, Karen is a groovy local gal whom I've met and really like interacting with in the social media space around food swapping, preserving and more. This has in no way influenced my assessment of this most excellent cookbook though. Can't wait to pick up her latest as well: Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It. Yay!

[Marjanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally want to own this book. It really fits into what I'm 'into' lately. For financial reasons I have decided to try making things at home that I normally buy at the grocery store. (For instance, I've learned how to make my own sourdough bread and bagels this year.) This book is fabulous for that. There are recipes on making your own marshmallows, ravioli, beef jerky, cheese (yes, cheese! :), and orange marmalade. There are even recipes for making your own bacon (though I don't think I'll ever choose to tackle that one). This book has me excited to start creating some fun stuff in my kitchen.

[Jen Dent · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there are many books on this topic out at the moment the sparser selection of projects, as well as the gorgous visuals, can make this book be very up any novices ally. Decent realism regarding time needed to complete and several things that would be fun to try out with little ones who also might not feel as adept in the kitchen, or perhaps you'd just like them to know they can make their own ingredients.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy that I finally got my hands on this book. I think it's organized well (by verbs, as in the title) and the directions are very easy to follow. It's not particularly comprehensive in any one subject ("jam it" has directions for strawberry jam, orange marmalade, apple butter and lemon curd), but, those are the recipes I'd most likely choose anyway. I have intentions to make at least a third of this book so it was worth the buy.

[Emelda]

I really wanted to try my hand at a few recipes, but didn't get a chance to before it was due at the library. This is one of those books I'd like to have on hand for days when I feel fancy (homemade vegan graham crackers, yeah! and crackers and candies!) but would never buy for myself because it'd be a waste of money, quite frankly. Also, I don't like supporting non-vegan cookbooks. It is a pretty book, dead animals and their secretions aside.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a do-it-yourselfer's dream come true. Want to learn how to make your own bacon? Marshmellows? Chocolate peanut butter cups? Marmalade? Potato chips? There are so many awesome looking recipes that would be fun to try as well as many promising gift ideas, that I think I might need to add this one to my collection permanently.

Four stars because there's only one recipe for pickles (with variations). What about bread and butter, dill, sweet, etc. versions?

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you not love a book that has "make your own bacon, cheese, marshmallows, and more" right on the front cover? That's practically the three basic food groups!
All kidding aside, this is a gorgeously illustrated book containing a wide assortment of food items. There are many snack and dessert recipes, but the homemade pasta recipe looks delicious...and easy. While I wouldn't bother making every recipe, there are enough really good ones to make me consider buying this book.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned how to make homemade marshmallows. Who would have thought you could or would make them when you can buy a bag for a buck. It is worth it though. It only takes a couple hours and like the book said, "These light, fluffy, and flavorful clouds kick the butt off anything jet-puffed by a wide country mile." I am going to try a few other recipes.

[Aron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very pretty book with some fun recipes/projects to try out. The infused liquors get the most action for me, but I still really want to try making marshmallows, and maybe someday attempting bacon.

If you're hoping to learn about the processes of fermenting and curing, though, this book falls pretty short. I can't fault it too much for that, as it clearly wasn't the author's intent.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked the 2nd book better - I wouldn't look here for pasta recipes, etc. The dressings are all really good, and her instructions/photos for cheesemaking are really clear. If you were so inclined, the booze-making chapter would also be handy. . . but again, nothing in here is that radical. I'd suggest the 2nd book first.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to get this book from the library with pickling ideas but unfortunately it fell short with 6 recipes that I won't ever use. I am excited about using the cracker recipe along with a few of the "milk it" recipes. Overall it's a beautiful book (another cookbook that's an odd but fun shape!).

[Katherine Krige · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the pictures draw you in, the recipes tempt you with recipes for things you wouldn't necessarily think about making from scratch, like mayonaise, ketchup or mustard. I have made a few things and give thumbs up to anything I've tried (apple butter was delicious and the hot sauce got a thumbs up from my boyfriend).

[Anne Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like that this book doesn't use ingredients etc. that your every day folk 'like me' would never have in our cupboards! So well worth a look, as I did fancy having a go at making some jams and pickles.

Downside. I've only really attempted to follow these recipes once or twice. Maybe that's more my fault then the books. Anyway.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chock full of recipes with nicely photographed examples. I can see how useful this book would be to those wanting to explore a variety ways of putting up a bounty of produce and meats. It was not as useful to me as some other food preservation books I have reviewed. I borrowed this book from my local library.

[Beth Nieman · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great recipe book! It has recipes for making everything from your own home-cured bacon and fresh butter to flavored liquers, graham crackers, marshmallows, and even homemade versions of Pop Tarts--a favorite snack of my son--I wonder if I should try making those!