"BLUE RIBBON CANNING: Jams, Preserves, Pickles, Sauces and More" by Linda J. Amendt, Taunton Press, $21.95, 272 pages
For hundreds of years, the practice of canning and storing food for future use has been utilized by families and communities for the preservation of life. But as mass production of most foods improved, many have abandoned the annual ritual of harvesting, cleaning, preparing and processing essential foods. In modern times, canning food, while still useful as a means for keeping foods available year-round, has become a competitive adventure at fairs all over the nation.
Linda J. Amendt, an award-winning author and avid canner, has produced a book filled with more than 140 recipes guaranteed to increase the chance of winning the blue ribbon in any local, county or state fair. In “Blue Ribbon Canning,” Amendt shares recipes for jams, preserves, pickles, sauces and many more tasty treats that will help even the newest canner find success.
Along with recipes, the author also includes helpful suggestions on how to prepare foods for processing, which preservatives have the best success and how to enter the finished product in a local competition. In addition to the regular jams, fruit preserves and vegetable recipes, Amendt also includes a good variety of sauces, salsas and specialty items. There is something for everyone in this well-documented and beautifully photographed book.
Shirley Rosenburg of Enoch, Utah, and teenager Arianna Edwards of Holladay, Utah, give this handy resource a local flavor with their contributions. Edwards has been competing and winning for more than five years. Rosenburg’s entries in various fairs have garnered more than 400 blue ribbons.
“Blue Ribbon Canning” is an essential companion for the home canner and will serve as a valuable guide for all — novice to professional — in the pursuit of the elusive blue ribbon. Amendt lives in California, serves as a judge in many state and county fairs, and has won more than 1,000 awards for her canning and baking efforts.
Mike Whitmer lives in West Valley City and blogs at mtwhitmer.blogspot.com. His email is grundelwalken@gmail.com.