The books below are, reasonably enough, focussed on general preserving of foods in the home or some aspect of it or technique. However, quite a number of the general “self sufficiency” or sustainable living type books along with fruit and veggies growing etc also have a section on food preserving, so if you have any of these more general books in your library already, check them out too.
Preserving the Italian Way – Pietro Demaio – Self Published (AUS) 2008 ISBN 978 0 646 49008 3 – I love this book! Written by a Melbourne based GP it really gives the low down on how to preserve foods the way the Italians do, and you have to love that. The book covers preserving in oil and vinegar as well as preserving olives, mushrooms, fish, salami and salted meats. There are also wonderful sections on cheese, wine and bread making. A great book for anyone’s library. 
Home Preserving Made Easy – Vera Gewanter and Dorothy Parker – The Viking Press (US) 1975 ISBN 0 670 00591 6 – For many years this was my only book devoted specifically to food preserving and if you can find it, it is well worth getting. There are sections on natural storage, pickling, drying, canning (bottling in Aus), freezing, jams etc, wine, cheese, butters and sauces. A really good book.
A Year in a Bottle – Sally Wise – ABC Books (AUS) 2008 ISBN 978 0 7333 2334 8 – A good Aussie book with lots of recipes that won’t make you gag (some preserving books do....), that is to say the recipes are really good. The book covers Jams and jellies, chutneys, relishes and pickles, food drying, freezing fruit and vegetables and bottling fruit. Worthwhile!
Preserving - Oded Schwatz - Dorling Kindersly Ltd (UK) 1996 ISBN 0 7513 0345 3 – The book is broken up into three sections; a gallery of preserves; preserving equipment and techniques and the recipes. The book gives very clear instructions and has good photos covering preserving in vinegar, oil, making sauces and chutneys, drying fruit and vegetables, smoking, salt curing meat and fish, making fruit cheese and curd, preserving in alcohol and candying. This is a good book if you can get it.
Home Preserving – Renny Harrop (Ed.) – Cavendish House (UK) 1981 ISBN 0 85685 961 3 – A coffee table book short on range and short on recipes it covers jams, jellies and marmalades; chutneys, pickles, sauces and drying herbs. Not worth looking for really.....
Keeping the Harvest – Nancy Chioffi & Gretchen Mead – Storey Publishing (US) 1991 ISBN 0 88266 650 9 – No photos but lots of great information. The book covers planning, freezing, canning, jams and jellies, pickles and relishes, curing with brine, drying and storage. A good book.
The Preserving Book – Lynda Brown - Dorling Kindersly Ltd (UK) 2010 ISBN 978 1 4053 5628 2 – I have to give this one a good rap up, my old mate Andy Hamilton (Self Sufficientish) is a contributor! It is a good book though, with lots of information and good photos and printed on high quality paper. The book covers natural storage, drying, freezing, sweet preserves, savoury preserves, bottling, preserving in oil, salting and curing, smoking, brewing and winemaking. A comprehensive and worthwhile book.
Stocking Up – Carol Hupping Stoner (Ed.) – Rodale Press (US) 1977 ISBN 0 87857 167 1 – A huge book broken up into sections for fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat and fish, and nuts seeds and grains. A whole stack of information on freezing canning and drying, relishes, chutneys and Jams as well as curing and smoking meat, making cheese, butter, yoghurt and ice cream. The book has a few B&W photos and some very good line drawings.
The Complete Book of Preserving – Marye Cameron-Smith – Marshall Cavendish (UK) 1982 ISBN 0 85685 174 4 – Regardless of the title the main thrust of this book is the bottling of jams, jellies chutneys and the like with some discussion curing, smoking and salting and a small amount on drying and freezing. Lots of colour photos!
Pickled, Potted and Canned – Sue Shephard – Headline Book Publishing (UK) 2000 ISBN 0 7472 2334 3 – This is not a “How to...” book like the rest of the books on this list, but is more a history of food preservation and as such is utterly fascinating, well researched and well written it is a delight to read. If you want to know how a lot of the food preservation techniques we take for granted today came about get hold of this book, it is a great read.
Preserved – Nick Sandler and Johnny Acton – Kyle Cathie Ltd (UK) 2004 ISBN 1 85626 532 3 – The book covers a broad range of techniques with a few recipes using each of the products. The large format and colour pictures give it a coffee table feel but there is also a lot of good information here. The book covers drying, salting, smoking, sausages, pickles, infused oils and vinegars, fermenting, preserving with sugar, alcohol, bottling and canning, air exclusion and freezing.
How to Store Your Garden Produce – Piers Warren – Green Books (UK) 2008 ISBN 978 1 900322 17 1 – This first part of this book discusses the techniques of preserving fruit and vegetables including clamping, freezing, drying, vacuum packing, salting, bottling, jams etc., fruit butters and cheeses and fermenting. The second part of the book covers each type of produce and how the basic techniques apply to it. A small book with some colour photos in the middle, and lots of good info.
