Comments: There are some cookbooks that just inspire confidence. This is one. It is authoritative and thorough, without being bossy or fussy. It is comprehensive without going overboard. And it includes new recipes (and old standards) without being weird, or worse, trendy.

This book tackles one segment of the canning universe – fruits canned in a boiling water bath – which many people consider the simplest segment. It allows you to avoid the pressure canning required of most vegetables and every other low-acid food. But it is a great way to get started, and frankly, you could spend all of your time making jams and jellies and never feel the need to go on to the world of pressure canning and vegetables.

The book starts with a thorough but easy-to-digest preserver's primer, then launches into recipes, divided by fruit. It starts with apple, ends with zucchini, and includes just about everything in between, including berries, melons, pineapple guava, ginger, mango, medlar, pepper, pomegranate, quince, tomatillo, and every mainstream fruit (and fruit masquerading as vegetable) you can name. Each fruit is introduced with a fascinating little essay that provides just the right amount of background information, before heading into the recipes. None of the recipes uses commercial pectin or any artificial ingredient.

People who are already preserving pros will appreciate the innovation and simplicity in many of the new recipes – or new approaches to standard recipes. Beginners will appreciate the clear guidance, the organization of the book, and the newfound ability to succeed in an area they had quite possibly been avoiding….