This is such a useful, interesting book. I find that it's super clear and easy to use for people who might be new to preserving.

This book is easy to understand and to follow . Contains helpful information for those who buy fresh food and wish to store it in a ways that keeps it fresh as long as possible.

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Preserving Answer Book is filled with all kinds of tips to help you properly preserve a multitude of ingredients.

I am always looking for easy ways to preserve my food. I have a big garden and sometimes I am overloaded with fresh fruit and veggies. There was a lot of info in this book, but I need a lot of color and pictures when I am just sitting around reading new books. I will probably buy this, just because it did mention a few things that I would have never guessed...

I have only had a garden for the last three years and only been preserving food for the last two. This book has many helpful hints and tricks, which I will be implementing this year with my produce. I plan on purchasing this book for my home library.

Excellent hints and tips on preserving. I have been preserving for a few seasons now, but still picked up several tips for ensuring my produce remains top quality. A really easy read and a good introduction into the world of self sufficiency.

Preserving has been a new interest of mine, especially since expanding my home garden. Anybody that is able to grow their own food through gardening wants to find ways to extend the life and use of their produce. The Preserving Answer Book contains a lot of great information that can help gardeners and bulk purchasers. However, there is a lot of information and, as a beginner, it did get a little overwhelming. I read the book cover to cover and almost think it would serve me better as a reference book to keep with me and dive into as I dive into different aspects of preserving foods. All in all, it was an interesting read and gave me lots of places to begin my preserving journey!

This is a comprehensive guide to everything you ever wanted to know about the different types of preserving. It even has a few interesting recipes thrown in.
I am mildly interested in the concept of preserving. In India, at least the places I am from, preserving usually means sun dehydrating and pickling using oil, salt, and other spices ( not that I have personal experience, much to my chagrin). This was a good way for me to learn about the preservation techniques of places with a lot less sun.
The format is very straightforward. The book is divided by the types of procedures, and then within the larger heading, the author answers questions. The questions range from simple (which made sense to even beginners like me) to the more complex for people who encounter some hassles while trying to carry out the practices at home.
I am not someone who intends to work on most of the things mentioned in the book, but I still enjoyed it solely for the information provided and the manner in which the author has maintained an upbeat but serious tone throughout the book with casual asides sometimes.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Very informative. I have been wanting to learn how do to all these things in the book and I can't wait to try them.

I am so happy I found this book. Like many modern women, I never bothered to ask any of my older relatives how to preserve fresh foods. Now that I am interested, it can be hard to find people around you with the knowledge related to the techniques or foods that interest you most. This book covers a range of information with accessible information and helpful tips, but does not overwhelm the beginner. Reading this book is like having a work party with your favorite aunties!

Although a lot of the information found in this book is on the internet, it's helpful to have a convenient and reliable resource for your preserving questions. Things like, can I use my grandmother's old recipes? Is my jam still good? What kind of jars are best? Vinton explains things in a reassuringly calm way, to soothe the jitters of new canners. There are some example recipes in each chapter, but this is more of a reference guide than a cookbook. A useful volume for home cooks or mid-sized to large public libraries.

This book has been a god send as I tried to pickle some garlic again and for some reason it went wrong so a quick look and I found out what I did wrong.
I'm going to try some of the recipes in it as well

I grew up in a family that preserved garden produce for future use, whether freezing, canning, or fermenting. So, this doesn't seem like a new thing to me, but I'm always interested in seeing how others do it. For the beginner, as the author states, it can seem really scary. This book is not so much a "how to" as a Q&A book. That said, it has all the information you will need to do food preservation, but it's just organized a little differently. For instance, for each method, there is always a "basics" section that does give the basic steps for that method. But, common concerns, safety issues, and other topics are also included for each method, along with a recommended recipe for learning the technique. Each technique is covered in detail, using the Q&A format. There's also an extensive resource section in the back of the book. Illustrations are limited to drawings, but adequate for this type of book.

I'd recommend this book as a companion to a more basic food preservation book. It will add depth and nuance to your knowledge.

I've been "putting up" fruit, vegetables, fish....pretty much any and every thing for many years and this book still taught me a few new tricks. Full of great information for beginners to old timers, this was an excellent investment and will fit in well with the rest of my books on the subject.

Rating 3.5 stars

This book provides lots of methods to preserve produce, but does not really contain many recipes for you to follow. It is set out as a Question and Answer book

This book is divided into 3 sections with an Introduction, the Preserving Process and Putting your Skills to Work.
The Introduction covers why, safety, sourcing, skills and tips plus there are a few recipes too such as white peach jam and raspberry jelly. There is also instructions on how to blanch food.

The Preserving Process chapter is divided into the following methods to preserve: boiling water, pressure canning, freezing, drying, fermentation, infusions. This chapter also includes the equipment that is required and a few recipes depending on the method. The final chapter, Putting your Skills to Work includes a few recipes and troubleshooting tips.

There are a number of illustrations throughout the book and the recipes are in imperial measurements, though there is a conversion table at the rear of the book. If your looking for a book full of recipes, then this is not the one to have. This is a book full of answers for questions you may have regarding preserving and any problems you might have along the way are answered.

I received this book for Netgalley in return for a honest review.

This book is amazing and not only covers canning but multiple ways to properly store and preserve food along with a information on what can cause your efforts to fail in your canning and preserving efforts.

I loved the book it is more of an informational guide then a true recipe book but I found it to be a fantastic resource for helpful hints and tidbits. And just a wonderful walk down preserving lane. If you are looking for a cookbook specifically on canning this may not be for you. However, if you love the history and learning different methods errors and tips for success this is a fascinating read.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

So instead of really getting a feel for preserving I got a feel of pretty much everything that could go wrong. Not a book for beginner canning.

What did I like? Most of the canning recipes came from the USDA site so the real information came in the form of questions that the experienced Preservist answers. I can’t believe some of the questions the author actually included were asked. So if you know enough about preserving to ask any of these questions seek here and you may find answers.

Would I recommend or buy? No, unless you think this book may offer you insight. The format had me confused because I thought this was going to be useful to start preserving but the answer question turned me off.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review.

The Preserving Answer Book is a comprehensive and well written food preservation title with a Q&A format curated and presented by Sherri Brooks Vinton. Originally published in 2014, this second revised edition is due out 2nd March 2021 from Storey Publishing. It's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The Q&A format takes some getting used to. There are numerous recipes included, and they're clearly listed and easy-to-find in the cross referenced index, but it can be difficult to find a specific bit of info on the fly. (The search feature in the electronic version of the book is a life-saver). The chapters are arranged in a logical progression: an introduction on why and how to start preserving food and why readers would want to, the processes involved in safely preserving food, followed by the bulk of the recipes arranged thematically: spreads, pickles, sauces, vegetables, whole fruits, and tomatoes & tomato products. The appendices include a metric conversion chart, resources and supplies lists, and a good index.

Each of the recipes contains an introduction including yields, bullet list of ingredients (measures are given only in American/imperial measures, with a metric conversion chart in the appendices), followed by step by step instructions. Nutritional information is not included. Ingredients are simple and will be widely available. The author has included some good tips about sourcing food to preserve without gardening (buying local, farmers' markets, etc).

There is very little photography in the book. Some of the recipes and content sections are accompanied by simple line drawn graphics. The whole has a nostalgic vibe - reminded me of the old "Whole Earth Catalog" line drawings. Readers who are heavily visual learners will likely feel the lack.

Four stars. I would recommend it for library acquisition, gardening/food groups, or home use. I would not recommend it as a standalone option - it's not going to replace Ball's Blue Book or the John Seymour classics anytime soon. There is some good info to be found here though.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

a very thorough book covering all forms of food preservation. I will use this as a reference book when putting up my fruits and veggies in the summer and fall.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I am not a novice preserver yet I found a lot in the book that was interesting and useful and I enjoyed reading through it as the question and answer presentation made it both relevant and succinct.
Unfortunately that presentation has some downsides in book form – there is a fair amount of repeated information and one would have to constantly refer to the index (which is good) if you want to find preserving information related to a specific technique or food. Hence my three star review. However it is still a very comprehensive and useful resource for anyone interesting in home preservation.