[BelleZora]

Thanks for this! I've been putting up jams, jelllies, and marmalades for decades. What makes this book so appealing is that the author knows her subject, the quantities are small, and pectin is avoided, therefore reducing the amount of sugar needed and increasing the flavor. I needed new ideas for a birthday basket of homemade jams, and this definitely works. It was first printed by McGraw-Hill in 1984.

Edit: I read most of this last night and I am impressed. The book has been completely updated since its initial 1984 printing. The basics of putting up preserves are explained and include helpful illustrations. Time honored combinations found in vintage cookbooks (such as strawberry-rhubarb jam) are all here, but in small batches that can be put up quickly without added commercial pectin. She also tells you how to rescue a batch that fails to set with precise amounts of pectin. Of course, for me the 'failures' become fruit syrup for pancakes and ice cream.

I enthusiastically recommend this book for those who would like to successfully preserve some of summer's bounty with as little effort as possible. If you have never made your own jams and preserves, you will be amazed at how quickly and easily you can put up 3 or 4 small jars. The taste is always fresher and brighter than commercial products.

There are also recipes for breads particularly suited to each jam, jelly, or preserve.