Home preserving was once regarded as the only way of ensuring an adequate food supply for the family from harvest through to the winter and the following year. Today, however, with our busy work schedules taking up much of our precious time, and the availability and variety of supermarket products conveniently at hand, home canning isn't quite the necessity it was 100 years ago. But there has lately been a shift towards growing our own food, reducing waste and becoming more self-sufficient, and home preserving would seem to go hand-in- hand with these not-so-new ideas, while the health conscious among us, and those with food allergies or special dietary requirements, will find they can control or eliminate the sometimes unnecessary additives found in commercially prepared foods.

There are many ways of preserving food, with freezing probably the newest and simplest of these methods. But there are older and possibly more satisfying techniques which are also touched upon in Home Preserving for those who love to stick to homemade, from jam and jelly-making and pickling, ice cream and sorbet-making to soups, stews and filling creating. These things are all relatively simple to do, but the results will gladden the heart and save money as well.