Hands-on help on home preserving for the beginner.

Preserving is a hot topic in bookstores everywhere, and Well Preserved is an ideal how-to manual for the novice. With a minimum of equipment, a little time and a little know-how, anyone can transform some beautiful fresh produce into delicious homemade jams, pickles, relishes and chutneys for year-round enjoyment. Homemade preserves have a lower salt and sugar content than those found at the grocery store, and the home cook will have the comfort of knowing precisely which ingredients went into those jars.

Mary Anne Dragan gives expert advice on equipment, selecting and preparing produce, food safety and storage. Her easy-to-follow recipes range from sweet preserves (jams, jellies, marmalades, conserves and fruit sauces) and savory condiments (pickles, relishes, chutneys and ketchups) to main dishes and desserts that use preserves as an ingredient.

Some of the 150 recipes are:

• Gingered pear jam
• Pickled asparagus
• Carrot and coconut chutney
• Lovely lavender vinegar
• Lamb chops with mint vinaigrette
• Raspberry vinegar sorbet.

Home preserving is easy using this book, and the results are tasty.

Mary Anne Dragan is a hospitality industry professional who works at the Shore Club, one of Vancouver's finest restaurants.

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