Confronting Canning Conundrums

Canning can be a bit daunting, but there are some first-rate resources out there to help you get through it. Here are some we found especially helpful when researching our canning feature.

National Center for Home Food Preservation
This is sold as a book, but the website is equally helpful, with particularly useful illustrations.

Canning & Preserving for Dummies
By Karen Ward (Wiley Publishing Inc., 2003)
This comprehensive book addressed all the questions we had.

Preserving Summer’s Bounty
Edited by Susan McClure and the staff of the Rodale Food Center (Rodale Books, 1998)
Covers the principles of preserving, but the recipes included were uninspiring.

Blue Ribbon Preserves
By Linda J. Amendt (HP Books, 2001)
Almost every major preserving term you’ll encounter is spelled out in this book, plus advice on how to secure a blue ribbon at the state fair.

Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition
By Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker (Scribner, 2006)
The basics of canning are covered in the back and, while we wouldn’t recommend you go out and buy this book expressly for this project, its canning section is worth glancing over if you have it on hand.

If you’re already canning and it’s left you flummoxed, go here for some help.