Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More: A Cookbook

by Linda J. Amendt

Blue Ribbon Preserves features the award-winning recipes, canning tips, and methods for making preserves that have made Linda J. Amendt one of the top prize-winning cooks in the nation. This handy and helpful volume explains how to make the finest jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, conserves, butters, curds, fruit, vegetables, juices, sauces, pickles, vinegars, syrups, and specialty preserves. Plus, it has a complete canning guide with the latest methods and safety precautions.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kristina Seleshanko]

Although this is an interesting book with some helpful information, I have two major problems with it. The first is that the author fails to mention that most fairs do not accept any canned goods that are made with recipes not fully tested and published by the major hitters like Ball. (I guess that would make her book seem mostly useless, since she's targeting people who want to enter fairs.) Then I noticed the book includes a recipe for banana jam...which is a big no-no. Bananas have not tested safe for canning. So this, in turn, made me question all the recipes in the book!

[Erin]

I checked this book out of the library and started marking recipes that i wanted to write down. By the end of it, the book had a flag on almost every page. That's what made me decide to purchase it. The recipes are simple and award-winning. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in canning and perserving fruits and vegetables.

[Deanna]

I am giving this book one star because I have found recipes in it that are flat out wrong. Therefore, some of the recipes as written have not been tested. If you make them, they will fail and all your work and expense wasted. For example, the meyer lemon curd and seven other curd recipes specify to pressure can them in a pressure canner. I did this and it resulted in a mess where at least a third of the curd boiled out of the jars into the water. I found out subsequently that pressure canning is unsafe for fruit curds. Maybe I could chalk it up to a cookbook out of date to current government guidelines. However, it is clear the author never tested her recipes as written by using a pressure canner because the results would not have been pretty.

[S Vanorse]

This lady knows her stuff, canning stuff that is. Have made several of her recipes, and it is the first canning book I pull out every year. Every recipe has been a success.

[Chelsea]

This is the best canning/preserving book I've ever read. It is always my #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to get started. Every recipe is a winner.

[Karen Harasick]

I have been canning for about 20 years and this is the premiere book on the subject! Linda has won countless ribbons at California State Fairs and shares great expertise. I especially love her recipe for Apricot Plum jam, but have made many of her recipes. Everything I have tried from this book, including the recipe and method, has been stellar. If you are a beginner or pro, this is the perfect book.

[Kate]

Another great canning book. Although this woman is nuts! I think she has won a blue ribbon in every state fair in the country (and probably most county fairs too). She is a serious canner. Don't be shocked when she tells you to strain your grape juice through 4 layers of cheese cloth 4 times. That's right, 4 times! How long does she spend making grape juice?

[Melisa]

Step by step, comprehensive guide to preserving fruits, vegetables, juices, etc.

[Megan]

THE BEST canning book- hands down!

[Cindy]

Good as a starting point but not all meet USDA guidelines.