As fresh foods
and farmers' markets gain influence, edging out the overprocessed
and supersized from our diets, everything old-and bursting with
flavor-is new again, and Americans are turning to time-honored skills
like pickling and preserving to wake up their palates. Here, in
a current guide that calls upon the newest safety and health information
while also updating recipes for modern tastes, Anne V. Nelson walks
readers through every step of the process. Nelson explains why preserving
foods at their freshest yields such great-tasting results, and how
the salt and vinegar that keep foods fresh also add distinctive
flavors. She discusses techniques, equipment-much of which readers
will already have in their kitchens-and makes a convincing case
for adding these techniques and recipes to a varied, modern diet.
Nelson gives hints on choosing produce, recycling jars, making crisper
pickles, saving soft jelly, and more. Included are recipes that
can be made in an afternoon and eaten that evening — refrigerator
pickles. marinated vegetables, homemade horseradish and more. Modern
cooks don't need to know how to pickle or make jams and jellies.
So the recipes here are designed for those who want to learn preserving
techniques, those who enjoy the play of bright acids and bold spices
in combination with the freshest ingredients. The New Preserves
is a definitive guide, taking an up-to-date, twenty-first-century
approach to an ancient art of the kitchen.
