Comments: We have whole books on freezing, fermenting, drying, salting, smoking, root cellaring, canning fruits, canning vegetables, canning meats, making jams, jellies, pickles and relishes, etc., etc. Is it possible to find meaningful information on all of these topics in one book?

More or less, it is.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Preserving Food seems to cover the topic pretty thoroughly. There is obviously more information in our 50 books on preserving food, but what idiots want to buy 50 books, especially when they only want to know about canning or only want to know about freezing (the two topics this book covers in most detail). There is limited information on smoking and salting, more on fermenting, and still more on dehydrating. There are a few dozen recipes, and they come from a variety of sources (mostly various extension services, but also the maker of Equal), and so are somewhat inconsistent. There is a recipe for beef stock, but then the Vegetable Beef Soup is made with beef bouillon cubes.

In addition to chapters on freezing; canning; pickles, relishes, and fermented foods; fruit spreads; and drying, salting, smoking, and root cellaring, there is in the back a glossary, a chart of abbreviations and equivalencies, a chart on syrup making, charts on processing times for various foods, a freezer storage chart, and a grid on the best preserving methods for various foods.

If you are thinking of taking the plunge into canning, dehydrating, or otherwise preserving foods, this is a great place to start.