Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

The definitive reference for home canning, backed by the company that has been making canning jars since 1884. Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine edited this comprehensive guide with input from food scientists and professional home economists, producing a book that nearly 1.5 million home canners now treat as their kitchen bible.

Why Start Here

Most canning books either overwhelm you with hundreds of untested recipes or bore you with pages of safety warnings before you ever touch a jar. The Ball Complete Book manages to be both thorough and inviting. It opens with clear, step-by-step instructions for water bath and pressure canning, explains why each step matters for food safety, and then moves into 400 tested recipes organized by type: jams, jellies, fruit spreads, pickles, salsas, relishes, chutneys, sauces, and more.

Every recipe in this book has been tested by the Jarden Home Brands test kitchen, which means you can trust that the proportions, processing times, and acidity levels are safe. That matters more in canning than in almost any other form of cooking, because incorrect canning can create conditions for botulism. Knowing that someone has verified the science behind each recipe gives you the confidence to just start.

The organization is practical. If you have a bushel of tomatoes from the garden and want to know what to do with them, you can flip to the tomato section and find a dozen options. The same goes for peaches, peppers, berries, and cucumbers. The book works as both a learning guide for your first batch and a reference you will return to for years.

What to Expect

A large, spiral-bound cookbook at 448 pages that lies flat on your kitchen counter, which is exactly what you want when your hands are sticky with peach juice. The first section covers equipment, safety, and technique. The rest is organized by preserve type. Recipes range from classic strawberry jam to more adventurous options like green tomato chutney and jalapeño pepper jelly.

The tone is straightforward and instructional rather than personal. This is not a book full of stories and essays. It is a working reference that delivers exactly the information you need, when you need it.