Alfeld, Beverly Ellen Schoonmaker. Pickles to Relish. Pelican Publishing: Gretna, LO, USA 2008. 4to HC 208pp. Indent

'This cookbook puts a dazzling array of foods often thought of as mere condiments front & center, within reach of even those home cooks with basic skills, limited time, & access to simple ingredients.' --McHenry County Woman Newspaper

Specifically designed for ease of use, this informative manual presents a variety of delectibly homemade pickles, chutneys, sauces, and relishes. Recipes such as the mouth-watering Hot Indian Apple Chutney & Honey Sweet Eggplant Nuggets are amongst need-to-know instructions.

Valuable tips and tricks every preserver should know are also found throughout the book. Learning to use the pickling processes documented, the reader learns that food preservation has greatly impacted human survival by extending the shelf life of the foods we eat. This idea is explored through a wide array of subjects, such as chemistry, history, and horticulture.

Each chapter contains discussions of various methods of processing, including the popular rolling-water bath and low-temperature pasteurization. Also offered are easy-to-follow definitions and comparisons of various preservative techniques such as pickling, fermenting, and agro-processing. Information covering the all-important aspects of pH levels in foods and how to measure them is also incorporated into this well-written and researched encyclopedic guide.