Pickles to Relish

Specifically designed for ease of use, this informative manual presents a variety of delectibly homemade pickles, chutneys, sauces, and relishes. Recipes such as the mouth-watering Hot Indian Apple Chutney and Honey Sweet Eggplant Nuggets are amongst need-to-know instructions.
Valuable tips and tricks every preserver should know are also found throughout the book. Learning to use the pickling processes documented, the reader learns that food preservation has greatly impacted human survival by extending the shelf life of the foods we eat. This idea is explored through a wide array of subjects, such as chemistry, history, and horticulture.
Each chapter contains discussions of various methods of processing, including the popular rolling-water bath and low-temperature pasteurization. Also offered are easy-to-follow definitions and comparisons of various preservative techniques such as pickling, fermenting, and agro-processing. Information covering the all-important aspects of pH levels in foods and how to measure them is also incorporated into this well-written and researched encyclopedic guide.

[BACK FLAP]

Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker Alfeld is a scientist, chef, artist, and ethnobotanist who has completed the school of instruction in food processing prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration. She writes a regular column for Fruit and Gardener Magazine. Alfeld has more than two decades of experience in elementary, high-school, university, and junior-college classrooms. She is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the founder of the Donald L. Schoonmaker Scholarship Fund. She also works as an advocate for special-needs children. Alfeld is the author of The Jamlady Cookbook, also published by Pelican.

"I have been a lifelong connoisseur of fruits and vegetables that have become condiments, food that has evolved into another form of itself over time. Bev Alfeld shows her reader how to add pizazz to food, as pickling enhances the essence of an ingredient. This book offers a myriad of exciting concepts—food preservation, the history of self-survival through fermentation, the field of culinology, and of course, healthy food education. Bev Alfeld, also known as the "Jamlady," offers essential information for the gardener, professional chef, nutritionist, food historian, farmer, food scientist, and "pickler" in all of us. This book reveals an ancient culinary art and contemporary techniques. Everyone needs a copy of Pickles to Relish. "

—Charlie Trotter, owner, Charlie Trotter's Restaurant

Courtney Greene - Library Journal

Alfeld (The Jamlady Cookbook) provides the reader with extensive, detailed instructions on how to make numerous variations on pickles, relishes, and chutneys. She refers throughout the text to "Jamlady," the name under which she publishes a newsletter, and markets her own products at Chicago-area farmers' markets. A personal tone pervades the entire volume, with historical asides and opinions peppered throughout, and Alfeld encourages readers to research and experiment rather than simply use the text as a "copy book." Some may find this commentary extraneous; others are sure to be charmed. Either way, this thorough recipe collection provides the necessary foundation in processing and canning techniques, as well as information on pH levels, and for the novice or expert picklemaker, appendixes with more sources of information and a list of annual pickle festivals or events. Recommended for most public libraries.