Preserving with a Purpose is a cheerfully written guide to canning and food preservation with recipes and tutorials by Sarah Thrush. Due out 30th July, 2024 from Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is not a traditional collection of preserving and canning recipes (nor is it meant to replace one). For that, readers almost certainly already have a copy of a classic book like the Ball Blue Book. This collection is more culturally diverse with a number of recipes for bases and preservables/fermented items inspired by a wide range of world cuisines. Some are adventurous, nearly all seem outside the regular canned tomato sauce and sauerkraut range.
The chapters are arranged thematically: purpose (self-sufficiency, money saving, etc), food and family, canning safety essentials, challenges, water and pressure canning (each in its own chapter, VERY good and essential info here), budget and traditional cost saving (many of which come down from depression and austerity eras).
The recipes are written with an intro/background, ingredients in a bullet list, and step by step prep info. Yields are given in relevant units (pints, quarts, etc). Many, but not all, recipes are accompanied by one or more photos. Photos are clear and in color.
The uses for an ever-abundant crop of zucchini are probably worth the price of admission.
Four stars. It's a useful and versatile book with a whimsical, upbeat, positive you-can-do.-it vibe that's very nice to see. Probably aimed at a younger audience (TikTok generation), it's nevertheless good to see preserving and canning being promoted to the next generations in a cool and accessible way.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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