Put a Lid on It!: Small-Batch Preserving for Every Season

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

Many of us did not learn preserving techniques from our mothers, and
trying to follow old recipes may leave us floundering. Put a Lid on It!
is a guide for all seasons and all cooks, no matter how inexperienced.

The authors (Ellie Topp is a professional home economist who has
written or co-authored three cookbooks; Margaret Howard is a registered
dietician and food consultant who has co-authored eight cookbooks)
believe that their small-batch approach and creative recipes fill a
long-overdue gap in the field of Canadian cookbooks. Most recipes can be
made year round and do not require large storage areas. The introduction
covers basic methods of preserving food, step by step.

Recipes are divided into sweet spreads (jams, jellies, marmalades, and
conserves) and condiments (pickles, chutneys, savory sauces, and
salsas). The final section, “All Those Extras,” gives serving
suggestions, and ways to use flavored vinegars, dessert syrups, and
liqueurs.

Topp and Howard are both practical and imaginative. Their directions
are as clear as a bell. Colored photographs add to the attractiveness of
the book.