The Art of Preserving

The Art of Preserving By Rick Field, Lisa Atwood, and Rebecca Courchesne, Weldon Owen, 2010. Paperback. $20; 240 pages

There’s a sweet and calming feel to this book: Sweet in its hominess, the pastel color palette, the ribbon detail on recipe titles; calming because the authors wisely chose not to bombard cooks with too many techniques or details for what, after all, is one of the simplest concepts in cooking. Anyone nervous about the proposition of canning (as I was) will find great pleasure here. Recipes celebrate the integrity of the ingredients: Fruit and veggie relishes and preserves are kept mostly whole, not cooked to oblivion, and ingredient lists are short.

GIVE THIS TO: A first-time canner ready to celebrate the seasons—and preserve them. —Hannah Klinger