Ball Blue Book Review

Find even more canning recipes with the new Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

ball blue book canning recipes

Every few years Jarden Home Brands, the company that owns the Ball® canning name, publishes a new edition of its Guide to Preserving.

If you are just starting out with food preserving, the Ball® Blue Book, as it is called, is a great way to get all the info you need in one quick, affordable package.

I have owned a few copies over the years, but don’t buy every update. But I had to have this year’s copy – the 37th edition.

Sticking with the Tried and True

This edition is bigger and better than ever. It includes the usual sections on:

  • Dehydrating
  • Freezing
  • Canning Basics
  • Canning High-Acid Foods
  • Canning Tomatoes
  • Making Jams, Jellies, etc.
  • Pickles and such
  • Canning Low-Acid Foods (Pressure Canning)

There is also a section they call Something Extra that includes fancier recipes like Champagne Blush Jelly and Papaya-Pineapple Salsa.

Making Something Good Even Better

For the first time, the new edition also has a section titled Meal Creations. Meal Creations has many recipes that use the preserved foods you made in the previous sections. For example, there is a Banana Nut Bread recipe that calls includes dried banana chips from the Dehydrating section. There is a burger recipe that uses Red Cabbage Slaw from the Something Extra section, and a PB&J Cookie Bar recipe to use your homemade grape jelly.

This section is a good addition for:

  • People who are interested in home food preservation but who don’t have a lot of home meal creation experience.
  • People who are always seeking out new recipes (like me!).
The Basics

The Ball® Blue Book Guide to Preserving 37th edition remains true to its roots but changes with the times. It includes lots of useful updates:

  • Recipe suggestions for home canned items
  • Tips for where you can be creative with the recipe, and how
  • More full-color instructional photos and step-by-step directions
  • Lots of charts; pH, food safety temperature, pectin package sizes, storage times, etc.
Where to Find Your Copy

This is my only complaint about the Ball®Blue Book; it is difficult to find your own copy. Bookstores don’t seem to carry it, online bookstores don’t seem to carry it, ditto most grocery stores or magazine counters. I couldn’t even find a copy at our local “canning central” store. In fact, it is even difficult to find on the Ball® Preserving site!

I did eventually track down a copy at one of the local hardware stores (Ace). And it is on the Ball® site, just difficult to find.

Despite the search, I highly recommend the new Guide to Preserving. At only $11.95 it includes everything you need to know to get started preserving today.

by Renee Pottle

Renee Pottle, a freelance writer and Home Economist, is fanatic about all things food. She blogs about canning and food preservation at SeedToPantry.com. Find her professional food writing info at PenandProvisions.com.

August 22, 2015

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