Preserving with Pomona's Pectin: The Revolutionary Low-Sugar, High-Flavor Method for Crafting and Canning Jams, Jellies, Conserves, and More

I've been canning half my life--some 30 years. Once I switched to Pomona's Universal Pectin, I never looked back at the corn-syrup-laden Sure Jell or Ball pectins out there. Pomona's, which is made from citrus is the only kind I use now. I have never once had a jam fail to gel. My jam has come out perfect every single time. So it was with some excitement and enthusiasm that I looked forward to this new book using my favorite pectin. Strawberry-pineapple jam with honey was my first recipe to try from this book and it came out lovely and delicious, just as I would expect. The real surprise was using honey and discovering the subtle taste it gave to the jam. I've strictly been a sugar gal when it comes to jam, and usually just made the traditional strawberry, blueberry, or peach jams. This book opens ups new taste possibilities and explains how to use honey or maple syrup or another sweetener of your choice. You could even use agave or stevia. You see, it's not the sugar that makes the jam gel. It's the calcium which is provided in a little packet in the Pomona's package. For this reason, you don't have to boil the daylights out of your jam. You do have to bring it to a boil and boil for a few minutes when the pectin and sugar is added, but you don't have to boil it for long periods. For this reason, the recipes are quick to do, and simple. And, for this reason, you can make low-sugar jams that highlight the flavor of the fruit rather than being so heavy with sugar they taste too sweet. Pomona's let you decide how much and what kind of sweetener you want to use. Big thumbs up for this. I gave the book five stars because some of the recipes are surprising combinations, ones I wouldn't have imagined. Pear ginger jam, Honeyed Apricot Jalepeno Jam, Blubarb (blueberry and rhubarb)and lavender jelly are just a few that look intriguing. This book goes beyond the basic jams described in the instructions of every Pomona's pectin box. It includes preserves, conserves, jellies and marmalades. The book has about 150 recipes in it. I didn't count them, but estimated based on the fact that there is one recipe per page, and allowed for the 45 pages of canning descriptions and introductions and also for the index in the back. I also rated this book highly because I didn't think I would find something new and interesting in it because I've been canning so long--but I was wrong. (quite happily wrong, I might add.) With illustrated directions, this book will help a beginner make perfect jam immediately. More experienced folks might like to know more about developing their own recipes using Pomona's pectin--and the book directs you to the Pomona's website and their instructions that come with the box. I have used Pomona's in recipes I have created without a hitch or glitch. I have also found a good recipe calling for other pectin and substituted Pomona's successfully. This no-fail pectin now has a recipe book worthy of it. This is a perfect book for anyone who makes jams regularly--or who wants to learn how. Flavorful jams without all the sugar is reason enough to give this book a chance!

After an intensive weekend of canning using recipes from several different sources, this is my new favorite in terms of ease, precision, and flavor. This is a full-color recipe book with one recipe per page. It offers substitution options for several of the recipes, making them quite versatile. All recipes are tested for safety and deliciousness. Quantities of fruit are given in weights, with a conversion chart for people who don't like using weight. There's also a secondary measuring step for pulp after preparing the fruit (at least in all the recipes I tried), which means you always end up with the right acidity, sweetness, and volume. Speaking of volume, most of Duffy's recipes make 4-5 half pint jars. In the recipes I tested, I ended up with 4 half-pint jars plus a bit more than half a jar to put in the fridge. This is a small batch, granted, but 4 half-pint jars will fit in the canning discovery kit, allowing you to use a smaller pot and boil less water. I believe that 8 4oz jars will also fit in a single rack in most canners. The recipes include intriguing and unusual flavors such as "cherry-port" and "ginger-vanilla-rhubarb" jams, as well as some more savory-sounding offerings like "basil-mint-plum jam" and "rosemary-wine jelly." There are also plenty of classics like "sweet cherry jam" and "apple jelly." Most recipes require 1-1.5 cups of sugar, but there are two all-fruit recipes near the front that offer vast substitution options to be used alone or in combination, allowing one to make nearly any kind of all-fruit jam. I made these recipes: Sweet cherry jam, chocolate-cherry preserves, all-fruit cherry-peach jam, cherry-lemon marmalade, cherry-port preserves. The sweet cherry jam was slightly too sweet for my taste; it was full of classic cherry flavor, but I prefer tart jams. I believe it will appeal to many people who want a milder, sweet flavored cherry jam. The all-fruit jam was tarter and more to my taste. I may end up eating it out of the jar by the spoonful. The cherry-lemon marmalade was also delightfully tart - a bit on the sweet side for marmalade, with just enough bitterness to be interesting. It's a gateway marmalade, not for those who prefer intense bitter flavor. The chocolate-cherry preserves have just the right amount of cinnamon and cayenne. I love their complex, slightly spicy flavor. The cherry-port preserves are even better. They belong on vanilla ice cream. Make an extra batch because when you give them as gifts the recipients will stage a raid on your house at night to get more. I'm looking forward to making a lot more jam, because I want to try pretty much everything in this book. Obviously I was focused on cherry recipes this weekend, but I have every reason to assume that the non-cherry recipes are just as good.

I am a novice canner and did one successful canning before purchasing this book. I used the Blue Book for my first recipe and there was so much sugar it candied my pears. I wasn't compelled to keep using the book and found Pamona's as a potential alternative. I live near Whole Foods and was able to get Pamona's Pectin for $4.99 which is needed for these recipes. Pamona's book is very well done. It helped review what I learned once before with colorful illustration. Also provided tips and what to do if things go wrong. Plus the sugar level is way more manageable and the fruit really does get a chance to shine. I did 2 canning recipes. The first one failed because of mistakes I made. The book did a good job pointing out what I did wrong when I reviewed and I saved the recipe by reading the suggestions for freezing the cans. The second time was a huge success. I do like the variety of recipes, but be mindful that there is variety for the same fruit. Pamona did provide basic recipes as well as complicated ones for more adventerous canners. One of the basic recipes I tried had an expensive ingredient (vanilla bean for $13). I substituted for a teaspoon of vanilla extract and it worked just fine for my taste (and was cheaper). This book is a good one for a canner's library and the fruit is really showcased without sugar covering up the natural flavor.

I have been canning for about 5 years and own several canning books, and this one is my absolute favorite for sweet preserves. I've made a number of recipes from the book, including Apricot Jam, Maple Vanilla Peach Jam, Blubarb Jam, Ginger Vanilla Rhubarb Jam, Cherry Port Preserves, Chocolate Cherry Preserves, Plum Ginger Orange Conserve, Holiday Spiced Plum Jam, Pear Cranberry Conserve with Almonds and Crystallized Ginger, Pear Ginger Jam, and Spiced Pear Cranberry Jam. Everything I've made has been delicious! The set is very firm, but if you (like me) prefer a slightly softer set, just reduce the Pomona's Pectin and calcium water to 1/2 to 2/3 what is called for in the recipe. The recipes are low in sugar - this is great for those watching their sugar intake, and I also prefer the flavor of lower sugar jams. I find the flavor of the fruit shines through better. Recipes are generally for 4-5 half-pint jars. I've found the yields to be pretty spot on - sometimes I get a little extra to put in the fridge. I like this recipe size. I can make a lot of different recipes instead of just one huge recipe, particularly if it's something new that I'm not sure I'll love. I use a 12 qt stockpot as my canner, and 6 half-pints is one canner load in this setup so it works out perfectly for me. Since the recipes use pectin, they are relatively fast to prepare - prep the fruit, bring it to a boil, add the sugar-pectin mixture, return to a boil, and you're ready to can. For many recipes, I can prep and cook the recipe in less time than it takes to bring the canner to a boil. No standing in front of a pot of hot fruit for an hour waiting for it to achieve gel stage while being spattered with molten jam, and no need to plate test. Hallelujah! The short cooking time also helps the fruit flavor to shine through. Pomona's Pectin is easy to find at Whole Foods or natural food co-op stores, and keeps forever - no need to buy fresh every year. I highly recommend this book for sweet preserves!

This is a great book with which to begin water bath canning of anything. Of course it is jam-packed with recipes, but it is also a course in safe canning! It covers all the whys and wherefores in very easy to understand language. It covers all the equipment needed for successful canning, not only jams, jellies, preserves, conserves and marmalades, but there are veggies in there, too! It’s all about some of life’s most pleasurable moments enjoying good, healthy, well-prepared food. The illustrations are worthy of framing! Before you buy anything else to beginning you adventures in water-bath canning, get this beautiful book to guide you through it all. It is a MUST HAVE.

The recipes are specific to Pomona pectin so I think it would not be a good general reference book but if you use their style of pectin I could strongly recommend the book. Pomona Pectin is an interesting twist on preserving food that uses pectin. This was my first time using it. Because the pectin uses calcium (a tiny amount) to set rather than sugar you can adjust your sugar to effectively zero and have it jell. I made more than 50 jars of jam in 10 batches and had trouble with one batch and did not like the texture of another. I contacted the company and they were immediately responsive with helping me track down the problems. I was not mixing the pectin well enough with the small amount of sugar I was using. Once I learned that we had perfect jam. It sets fast and well. The cookbook is very good but pretty general. If you are new to jam and relish making I could strongly recommend it. One thing I particularly like about the Pomona pectin, and their recipe book is that in addition to specific recipes, both in the book and the package insert, is that they give you guidelines for various fruits and leave you to your own to make things as you like.

I first learned to make jams and pickles as a young girl, helping my own grandmother to fill her pantry shelves for the winter. It is a tradition that I've continued and while I don't make anywhere near as much jam as I once did, a few jars "hid up" never go amiss. I started using Pomonas Universal Pectin after a batch of rare Wild Grape failed 6 or 7 years ago. One of the best things about Pomonas Universal Pectin is that while you can use a fairly standard jam recipe if you want to, you can also substitute virtually any sweetener for the sugar called for in a recipe or even make jam with no sugar at all. I've never had a problem since. Like many others, I try to keep a handle on my sugar intake these days, so I was happy to find Preserving with Pomona's Pectin: The Revolutionary Low-Sugar, High-Flavor Method for Crafting and Canning Jams, Jellies, Conserves, and More on my Recommended For You list. Following the single best "Jam Making How To" I have ever seen in any canning book (If you buy this book for nothing else, buy it for the How To section!) you'll find about 75 recipes for various jams, jellies, marmalades and preserves. Recipes are well laid out with extremely clear and easy to follow instructions. Many include notes for personalizing the jam to suit your own tastes. While some recipes call for no sugar at all, most call for but a single cup of sugar to produce 4-5 8 ounce jars of jam. Since strawberries are in season here in Vermont, let me use the basic Strawberry Jam recipe for purposes of comparison - The Ball canning website give the following ingredients for Strawberry Jam using a traditional commercial pectin - 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 5 lbs) 1/4 cup lemon juice 6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit® Classic Pectin 7 cups granulated sugar 8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands The Strawberry Jam recipe over at AllRecipes does not use any pectin and makes about 5 8 ounce jars of jam. It calls for 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled 4 cups white sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice The recipe for Strawberry Jam in Preserving with Pomona's Pectin (page 50), which makes 4-5 8 ounce jars, calls for 2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) strawberries 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons calcium water 2 teaspoons Pomona Pectin powder As you can see, the drastic reduction in sugar does not drastically reduce the yield. Author Allison Carroll Duffy has included all of the "traditional" flavors and dozens of new ones. Some that really caught my eye - Tropical Conserve (mango, pineapple, orange, coconut, raisins and cashews), Kiwi-Lime Jam and a Jalapeño Confetti Jelly. Grandma's $0.02 - Great way to stretch your food budget while watching your sugar intake. Two Thumbs Up! Highly recommended

I purchased this along with three boxes of Pomona's pectin and have loved it so far. I've already been experimenting with jams and jellies with little to no sugar thanks to some of the recipes in this book. I'm a huge fan of how they have a recipes box that uses a wide range of sweeteners like monk fruit, honey, can sugar, and agave. The pictures of their recipes in the book are beautiful and make me want to try all of them lol if I can keep my jas in stock long enough I just might try them all over the summer. If you like to can and need lower sugar or no sugar recipes for jams and etc then this book is a good one to have on hand in my opinion. I'm glad I ordered it.

This is not available locally so i have bought their pectin in the large size so i can put up my apples, grapes, feijoa, lemons, etc. in a much more healthy way by using this product, and less sugar!

Now that we've switched to Pomona's we find canning ever so much easier. This book makes understanding the method of using Pomona's much easier. It's a learning curve but after you get the basic lay of the land, so to speak, it becomes much easier to understand how to tweak a recipe successfully. We have had no failed recipes and even better, everything set and tastes awesome .We love the ease and health benefits of being able to go low or no sugar. I won't use any other pectin again. This cookbook, if you're switching to Pomona's, is essential. The pictures are vibrant and the information is invaluable. Best cookbook on canning with Pomona's we have.

Makes jams/jellies with or without sugar.

In today's world of mass-produced food, with extreme amounts of sugar in just about anything you can buy, this book is a Godsend. I use it all the time and don't know what I would do without it.

I am the Preserves Table convener for our church and just recently added a sugar-free or low-sugar line at the request of a parishioner. This pectin is superior to others as it has no sugar (made of citrus) vs other kinds made with apple pectin (and sugar). It has revolutionized my jam/marmalade-making hobby. I suggest buying the pectin in bulk too from this site, it keeps forever and one only uses a little at a time. A game-changer for me!