Bloomsbury, 2025

ISBN: 978-1-3994-1657-3

 

Reviewed by Ian Mowll.

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Ever since I watched The Good Life, a TV comedy series in the 1970s, I have been fascinated by self-sufficiency and how healthy, home-grown food can be produced. As this book explains, storing your produce is an essential part of benefiting from your crops as the seasons often create ‘feast or famine’. I have occasionally experienced this when I have received surpluses from people’s gardens – apples being common.

This book is in two parts. The first, shorter part, gives an overview of the methods of storage such as freezing, drying, bottling, pickling and making things such as chutneys, jams, jellies and more. I learnt a lot through reading this section and it’s interesting to know that our ancestors did many of these things as part of their yearly cycle of keeping fed and nourished.

The second, longer part, goes through each crop in alphabetical order: apples, artichokes, asparagus and so on. There are so many different fruits and vegetables described, there are all I can think of and a few I have never heard of. With each of these crops, the different storage methods are described and there are recipes to create the stored items such as chutneys or pickles. A wide range of alternatives are also included such as soups, ketchups and wines. Also, the different varieties of each crop are explained and recommended as this can have a significant impact on how well they can be stored. The recipes look delicious, and I am sure they can provide many happy hours in the kitchen and make wonderful homemade presents to family and friends.

The book is beautifully illustrated with clear, step-by-step instructions. This is a revised reprint from a previous edition which was very popular. So, I am not surprised that this new updated edition is being released as it is an essential read for anyone who is serious about consuming home grown produce. I can heartily recommend it.