Putting Food By

[doing it in NM]

I was at the library yesterday and as always I went thru the books for sale table. I found a neat book, Putting Food By, by Hertzberg &Vaughan. It was published in 1973. It has several ways of doing foods from the garden or meats. Canning, freezing, pickling, smoking, etc. Also has ways to make cheap smokers from 55 gal barrels to old fridges. I realy got my quarters worth on this. It will go with my other books on simple living or homesteading. It used a lot of info you can get for free from the USDA. Such as building the smokers and how to safely smoke and preserve meats. If you don't go to the library often you should try it also some just have book sales once a year, just ask. I got a copy of Alas Babylon for a quarter last year.

[Gianni]

My wife refers to that as the food "Bible".

[NCLee]

Congrats on your find! I have one and have found it to have a wealth of info.

Please be aware that the canning instructions have changed since that publication date. Cross reference the processing times and methods with a current canning guide. There were some material changes in the mid 90's, if memory serves.

Lee

[margoC]

Yeah, be careful of those old books. A coworker of mine told me last week of how much fun it was canning chili for presents. SHE DID NOT CAN UNDER PRESSURE!!! What makes it so bad is I talk about how I safely can meat under pressure, AND SHE IS A MEDICAL PROFESIONAL!!! SHE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOTULISM!!!


But she saw it in a book and thought it was "safe".

[Pouncer]

My copy of Putting Food By is earlier than that (um, 1989?), and I use it as my "bible" too. I trust it enough that I ordered two copies for friends who are just getting into canning.

No where does the book say that canning meats is safe by boiling water bath, trust me In fact, the introductory chapters are about enough to scare people away from doing it, lol I do NOT can using metal cans as I do not trust my skills for exhausting them partway through. Glass jars only for me!

Whenever I doubt a method, I do use the net to look up processing times, etc. For example, I could not find a "recipe" for canning cabbage a few years back. An online search lead me back to BackwoodsHome, and Jackie Clay. That is one source I trust

[tab]

I use my PFB book all the time except for the canning and blanching times. They advocate times that make the food taste like wallpaper paste. Lots of other good info and recipes.

[firegirl969]

Congrats on your find of the library book. That is a good one!

Originally Posted by margoC

Yeah, be careful of those old books. A coworker of mine told me last week of how much fun it was canning chili for presents. SHE DID NOT CAN UNDER PRESSURE!!! What makes it so bad is I talk about how I safely can meat under pressure, AND SHE IS A MEDICAL PROFESIONAL!!! SHE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOTULISM!!!


But she saw it in a book and thought it was "safe".

Putting Food By is getting some age on it, but it's not nearly so old as to recommend folks can meat using any but the steam pressure canning method.

PFB is my favorite canning book. It hasn't been updated in about twenty years though so it no longer has the most recent guidelines for times and pressures. I'd get a new copy of the Ball Blue Book for that. Used together the two books will give one a very complete resource for home food preservation.

.....Alan.

[NostalgicGranny]

Originally Posted by margoC

Yeah, be careful of those old books. A coworker of mine told me last week of how much fun it was canning chili for presents. SHE DID NOT CAN UNDER PRESSURE!!! What makes it so bad is I talk about how I safely can meat under pressure, AND SHE IS A MEDICAL PROFESIONAL!!! SHE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BOTULISM!!!


But she saw it in a book and thought it was "safe".

Putting Food By uses pressure canners.

Just goes to show though when you get a gift like that you really need to know the cook and if the process properly.

[Jerngen]

We inherited ours from my wifes grandmother. It's definitely a keeper!

[Ann-NWIowa]

I also love that book. However, I use the time/pressure recommended in a current issue of the Ball Blue Book or check with the local Extension Office if I want to use a recipe that I'm unsure meets current requirements. I firmly believe in using the latest data to keep everyone safe. I believe the date that official changes in canning rules was made is 1989.