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“For new and novice gardeners who want a straightforward, unfussy guide to growing their own food.” —Library Journal

You can grow beautiful, healthy, delicious veggies and herbs right from the start—just follow the trustworthy advice found in The Beginner’s Guide to Growing Great Vegetables. Expert gardener Lorene Edwards Forkner shares all the information you need to create a thriving garden, from facts about soil and sun to tips on fertilizing, mulching, and watering. Regional planting charts show what to plant when, and a month-by-month planner takes you from January through December. Profiles of popular edibles explain exactly how to plant, care for, and harvest your bounty. Whether your garden grows in the ground, on a balcony, or in containers on a sunny patio, this is your guide to grow-your-own success. Your backyard bounty awaits!

“Wonderfully written, beautifully illustrated, and everything you need to know to get more productivity out of your food garden.” —Joe Lamp’l, creator and executive producer, Growing a Greener World

Discover how to get more out of your growing space with succession planting—carefully planned, continuous seed sowing—and provide a steady stream of fresh food from early spring through late fall.
 
Drawing inspiration from succession in natural landscapes, Meg McAndrews Cowden teaches you how to implement lessons from these dynamic systems in your home garden. You’ll learn how to layer succession across your perennial and annual crops; maximize the early growing season; determine the sequence to plant and replant in summer; and incorporate annual and perennial flowers to benefit wildlife and ensure efficient pollination. You’ll also find detailed, seasonal sowing charts to inform your garden planning, so you can grow more anywhere, regardless of your climate.
 
Plant Grow Harvest Repeat will inspire you to create an even more productive, beautiful, and enjoyable garden across the seasons—every vegetable gardener’s dream.

Food preservation is one of the most intimidating aspects of homesteading, yet one of the most important. Although there is a plethora of websites, books and blogs dedicated to learning how to preserve the harvest, people must search multiple places in order to gather the necessary information. For a beginner new to the world of preserving this leaves them frustrated and quite discouraged. The ideal tool for a newbie is a detailed reference guide, one such as The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest, that shares the basics on canning, dehydrating, freezing, fermenting, curing, and smoking, and how to use the right tools for each method. Homesteader and blogger Ann Accetta-Scott guides readers at the beginning, moderate or advanced levels of preserving. Newcomers to the world of preserving can start with a simple jam and jelly recipe using a hot water bath canner, while others may be advanced enough to have mastered the pressure canner and are ready to move onto curing and smoking meat and fish. The progression in this book will help the home preserver build confidence in the most common methods of preserving.

Grow a Year’s Worth of Food for Your Family

Do something good for your loved ones by learning how to plant a garden that will yield wholesome, organic fruits and vegetables in surprisingly less space than you would think. Melissa K. Norris, fifth-generation homesteader and host of the popular Pioneering Today podcast, walks you through each step of the process, including how to

• decide which food crops are best for your area and family
• plan your garden to maximize the space you have
• protect your garden from common pests and diseases naturally
• determine when your fruits and vegetables are ready to be harvested
• improve soil health with simple techniques like crop rotation and backyard composting  

Sharing the same practices and techniques from her homestead, Melissa shows you how easy it can be to raise a year’s worth of produce at home. Simple-to-follow charts, worksheets, and photographs are provided throughout to help you through every phase of the gardening process.     

You can enjoy good eating and greater well-being for you and your family.

The essential beginner's manual on living a greener, healthier, and more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Absolutely all you need to know to provide you and your family with homegrown food throughout the year. Alison Candlin offers easy-to-follow advice on planning, establishing, and maintaining a small-acre farm, an allotment, or a backyard garden. She also includes essential tips for selecting, housing, and looking after chickens, goats, pigs, bees, and other animals. Learn how to collect and recycle water, compost your leftover scraps, and generate renewable energy for your own home in order to save money and minimize your impact on the environment. With step-by-step instructions and more than 350 photographs and charming illustrations, this book is a practical and comprehensive guide to living off the land.

Just how productive can one small vegetable garden be? More productive than one might think! Colin McCrate and Brad Halm, former CSA growers and current owners of the Seattle Urban Farm Company, help readers boost their garden productivity by teaching them how to plan carefully, maximize production in every bed, get the most out of every plant, scale up systems to maximize efficiency, and expand the harvest season with succession planting, intercropping, and season extension.
 
Along with chapters devoted to the Five Tenets of a Productive Gardener (Plan Well to Get the Most from Your Garden; Maximize Production in Each Bed; Get the Most out of Every Plant; Scale up Tools and Systems for Efficiency; and Expand and Extend the Harvest), the book contains interactive tools that home gardeners can use to assist them in determining how, when, and what to plant; evaluating crop health; and planning and storing the harvest. For today’s vegetable gardeners who want to grow as much of their own food as possible, this guide offers expert advice and strategies for cultivating a garden that supplies what they need.

“Empowers readers with a toolkit of traditional and sustainable practices for an emerging artisanal crafts movement, and a brighter future.” —Alice Waters, chef and owner, Chez Panisse; founder, The Edible Schoolyard Project

Modern life is a cornucopia of technological wonders. But is something precious being lost? A tangible bond with our natural world—the deep satisfaction of connecting to the earth that was enjoyed by previous generations?

In The Heirloom Gardener, John Forti celebrates gardening as a craft and shares the lore and traditional practices that link us with our environment and with each other. Charmingly illustrated and brimming with wisdom, this guide will inspire you to slow down, recharge, and reconnect.

This sumptuous guide filled with beautiful photography and expert practical tips is guaranteed to be the only resource you will ever need to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.

Preserving food at home is vital to eating in a seasonal, sustainable, low-waste and, most importantly, utterly delicious way.
Everyone can master the art of preserving with this essential book on canning, which provides a one-stop resource. Whether you have foraged hedgerows, picked produce from your own vegetable garden or allotment, or searched out the best seasonal buys in the supermarket or market, this book contains more than 100 delicious recipes for preserving fruit and vegetables, meat or fish.
Emma Macdonald gives clear and comprehensive instructions for curing, drying, pickling, bottling/canning, crystalizing and jellying; as well as recipes for all kinds of jams, chutneys, cordials, fruit liqueurs, terrines, cheeses and butters. Every classic is covered, including: gravlax, confit chicken, candied peel, quince cheese, mint jelly, onion marmalade, mango chutney, sloe gin and piccalilli. There are many others, some of them centuries old, many of them with a modern twist, such as Banana and Date Chutney and Grapefruit and Elderflower Marmalade. Emma also includes expert tips on troubleshooting and information on all the equipment you will need. Pick up your cheesecloths and straining funnel and get preserving!

The first canning manual and cookbook authored by a Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner, The Preservation Kitchen reveals a world of endless flavor combinations using revolutionary ideas that bring homemade preserves deliciously to life. Pairing science with art, Paul Virant presents expert preserving techniques, sophisticated recipes, and seasonal menus inspired by the award-winning fare at his restaurant, Vie, in Western Springs, Illinois.

Imaginative tangy jams, brandied fruits, zesty relishes, cured meats, and sweet and savory conserves are the focus of the first half of this book, while seasonal menus pairing these preserves with everything from salads and cocktails to poached fish and braised meat compose the second. Brandied Cherries used in Cherry Clafoutis, or as a garnish for the Beer-Jam Manhattan, are a sweet reminder of the summer harvest. And the Chicken Fried Steak with Smoked Spring Onion Relish anticipates warmer days when you're still deep in winter.

Alongside recipes and menus, Virant draws on his extensive technical knowledge and experience to provide detailed and comprehensive guidelines for safe canning practices, testing pH, pressure canning, water bath processing, and storing. But no matter how precise the science, Virant never forgets the art in each handcrafted preserve and thoughtfully developed recipe. His unique approach re-imagines seasonal eating by harmonizing opposite or unusual partnerships: the brightness of summer fruit may be tempered with the earthiness of meats and winter produce, or the delicacy of spring vegetables might be enriched by the robust herbs and spices more typical of fall. The Preservation Kitchen not only demonstrates and instructs, it encourages and explores the limitless possibilities of capturing the seasons in a jar.

The ultimate canning guide for cooks--from the novice to the professional--and the only book you need to save (and savor) the season throughout the entire year

Gardening history, 18th-century American painters, poems, and practical information; it's a rich book. And unlike other books on preserving, West gives recipes that will goad you to make easy preserves." --The Atlantic

Strawberry jam. Pickled beets. Homegrown tomatoes. These are the tastes of Kevin West's Southern childhood, and they are the tastes that inspired him to "save the season," as he traveled from the citrus groves of Southern California to the cranberry bogs of Massachusetts and everywhere in between, chronicling America's rich preserving traditions.

Here, West presents his findings: 220 recipes for sweet and savory jams, pickles, cordials, cocktails, candies, and more--from Classic Apricot Jam to Green Tomato Chutney; from Pickled Asparagus with Tarragon and Green Garlic to Scotch Marmalade. Includes 300 full-color photographs.

"This is a book that caters to the real-life canner in all of us." - John Becker and Megan Scott, Joy of Cooking editorial team

If you're looking for Hot & Sour Cherry preserves, Old Bay Pickled Cauliflower, or Gochugaru Preserved Lemons, you've come to the right place! In Beyond Canning, Autumn Giles has packed the pages with creative preserved foods and preserving techniques. You'll use herb-infused vinegar to make a shrub, explore the science of maceration for the sake of better preserves, step up to the air-locked mason jar for worry-free ferments, master simple ratios for inventing your own small-batch creations, and much more. The 70 recipes feature flavors and textures that are equally inventive: Rangpur Lime Marmalade, Lavender Apple Butter, Raspberry-Rhubarb Sauce, Quick Peach-Bourbon Jam, Hibiscus Lime Jelly, Kombu Dashi Pickled Shitake Mushrooms, Curried Orange Pickle, Maple-Plum Mostarda, Pickled Figs with Port & Black Pepper, Raspberry & Burnt Honey Gastrique, Fermented Jalepeno Slices, Lemony Sprouts Kraut-Chi, and Radicchio & Sunchoke Kraut with Thyme are all inside.

Preserve it!

A comprehensive guide to canning and freezing

Home canning and freezing are time-honored kitchen skills that are being rediscovered by a new generation of Americans—both for the pleasure of performing these simple activities and for their inherent economy. Now home cooks can take advantage of their local farmer's markets to buy fresh, inexpensive and seasonal produce to enjoy all year round. In Preserving, Pat Crocker offers practical, easy-to-follow information on home canning and freezing to get novices started and inspire experienced hands.

Relish it!

More than 200 recipes for pickles, chutneys, jams, sauces, curds, relishes and so much more

Organized by season and focused on simple but effective concepts, this practical guide offers thorough information on preserving a diverse range of foods for the pantry, from asparagus and blueberries to peaches and winter squash. Here are techniques on canning, jamming and freezing everything from the most basic hot-packed fruit recipes to gorgeous, internationally flavored chutneys and relishes. Filled with safe and detailed instructions, step-by-step photography and more than two hundred recipes, Preserving is a kitchen essential that is sure to become a classic.

PRESERVING IS BACK, AND IT'S BETTER THAN EVER. Flavors are brighter, batch sizes are more flexible, and modern methods make the process safer and easier. Eating locally is on everybodys mind, and nothing is more local than Heirloom Salsa made from vine-fresh tomatoes or a quick batch of Ice-Box Berry Jam saved from the seasons last berries. Even beginners who never made peach jam or dill pickles in their grandmothers kitchens are eager to pick up preserving skills as a way to save money, extend the local harvest, and control the quality of preserved ingredients.

The step-by-step instructions in Put 'em Up will have the most timid beginners filling their pantries and freezers with the preserved goodness of summer in no time. An extensive Techniques section includes complete how-to for every kind of preserving: refrigerating and freezing, air- and oven-drying, cold- and hot-pack canning, and pickling. And with recipe yields as small as a few pints or as large as several gallons, readers can easily choose recipes that work for the amount of produce and time at hand.

Real food advocate Sherri Brooks Vinton offers recipes with exciting flavor combinations to please contemporary palates and put preserved fruits and vegetables on dinner-party menus everywhere. Pickled Asparagus and Wasabi Beans are delicious additions to holiday relish trays; Sweet Pepper Marmalade perks up cool-weather roasts; and Berry Bourbon is an unexpected base for a warming cocktail.

The best versions of tried-and-true favorites are all here too. Bushels of fresh-picked apples are easily turned into applesauce, dried fruit rings, jelly, butter, or even brandy. Falling-off-the-vine tomatoes can be frozen whole, oven dried, canned, or made into a tangy marinara. Options for pickling cucumbers range from Bread and Butter Chips and Dill Spears to Asian Ice-Box Pickles. Something delicious for every pantry!

Recipes Include:

Pickled AsparagusÊ Wasabi BeansÊ Beet Relish
Berry BourbonÊ Grannys Chow-ChowÊ Agua FrescaÊ Cantaloupe RumÊ Asian Carrot SlawÊ Curried CauliflowerÊ Drunken CherriesÊ Cherry and Black Pepper PreservesÊ Pickled JalapenosÊ Three-Chili Hot SauceÊ Preserved LemonsÊ Candied Citrus RindÊ Oven-Dried Sweet CornÊ Bread and Butter ChipsÊ Pickled FennelÊ Figs in Honey SyrupÊ Roasted Garlic ButterÊ Grape LeatherÊ Dill Pesto with FetaÊ Martini OnionsÊ Ginger and Peach JamÊ Dried Pear ChipsÊ Sugar PlumsÊ Pickled RampsÊ Classic Strawberry JamÊ Sweet Pepper MarmaladeÊ Salsa VerdeÊ Oven-Dried TomatoesÊ Pickled Watermelon Rind

Can it, pickle it, and store it with confidence. 

If you can boil water, you can make your own delectable jams and jellies, try your hand at fresh-pack pickling, and jar savory sauces. Ball Canning Back to Basics focuses on the building-block techniques and easy, classic recipes every canner should know. The book begins with in-depth information on water bath canning, the equipment you need, and food safety guidance. Each preserving method is thoroughly explained with beginner-friendly tutorials and step-by-step photographs highlighting key steps. Learn to capture the sweet, ripe flavors of your favorite fruits and vegetables with 100 approachable, versatile recipes for the modern pantry. Packed with simple variation ideas for low-sugar and flavor change-ups, and time-tested tips from the most trusted authority in home canning, this handy guide delivers everything you need to successfully master home canning safely and deliciously.

From the experts at Jarden Home Brands, makers of Ball canning products, comes the first truly comprehensive canning guide created for today's home cooks. This modern handbook boasts more than 350 of the best recipes ranging from jams and jellies to jerkies, pickles, salsas, and more-including extender recipes to create brand new dishes using your freshly preserved farmer's market finds or vegetable garden bounty.

Organized by technique, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving covers water bath and pressure canning, pickling, fermenting, freezing, dehydrating, and smoking. Straightforward instructions and step-by-step photos ensure success for beginners, while practiced home canners will find more advanced methods and inspiring ingredient twists.

Thoroughly tested for safety and quality by thermal process engineers at the Fresh Preserving Quality Assurance Lab, recipes range from much-loved classics — Tart Lemon Jelly, Tomato-Herb Jam, Ploughman's Pickles — to fresh flavors such as Asian Pear Kimchi, Smoked Maple-Juniper Bacon, and homemade Kombucha. Make the most of your preserves with delicious dishes including Crab Cakes garnished with Eastern Shore Corn Relish and traditional Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies. Special sidebars highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables, while handy charts cover processing times, temperatures, and recipe formulas for fast preparation.

Lushly illustrated with color photographs, The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving is a classic in the making for a new generation of home cooks.