Pickles and Preserves

February 15, 2014
Canning is alive and well and living in the South, according to newspaper food editor Weigl. In fact, this technique, a child of the Depression but invented by a Frenchman in the early 1800s, has not only grown up but also expanded its reachincreasing equipment sales, grabbing attention through social media, and now returning to the limelight via a new collection of cookbooks. This addition to the seven-volume Savor the South series more than matches its predecessors; it's filled with useful information and tips, charming anecdotes, and 50 recipes, at least a few of which are destined to appeal. Although the author doesn't indicate which preserves and pickles are more amenable to beginning canners, a quick scan points to the almost foolproof items, like peach butter and pear honey. What will prompt readers' appetites? Brandied peaches, sweet-potato butter, and a chow chow that's been called a Southern kimchi. Delectable dills, indeed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)