The book follows a logical format. The introduction covers food safety and handling, choosing and using the correct equipment for the job, processing options, and other info to ensure a successful outcome. The following chapters introduce fruits both in general and in an alphabetical (exhaustive) herbal list including some lesser known (to North American readers) fruits such as quince, loquat, and mulberries (along with all the standard popular ones familiar to everyone). The rest of the book contains recipes and tutorials arranged roughly by category: jams, drinks, whole fruits (including pie fillings, sauces, and butters), and recipes which don't fit easily into one of the above categories for such things as candied peels, salts, pickles, chutneys, and the like.
The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard with metric measures in parentheses. Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are all easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store or farmer's market. The index is cross referenced and includes ingredients as item entries for quickly locating relevant recipes.
My one small quibble with the book is that the recipes are mostly not photographed. There are some photos, and they're clear and attractive, but they only represent about25-30 % of the recipes.
Well done. This book would make a great addition to the home cooking library. It is a nice supplement to the standard classics like the Ball Blue Book, and this one includes quite a lot of adventurous and appealing recipes (plum, cardamom, bay, and anise together in a shrub (drinkable sweetened light vinegar decoction - there are several shrub recipes included in the book and they're delicious and versatile).
Four and a half stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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