Book Review AND GIVEAWAY - The Berry Bible, By Janie Hibler

I recently received a copy of The Berry Bible, By Janie Hibler.
The contents are:

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Good Health and Berries
The A-to-Z Berry Encyclopedia
Berry Basics
Coolers, Cocktails, Smoothies and Other Drinks
Breads
Soups and Salads
Main Courses
Sauces
Putting Berries By
Ice Creams, Sorbets, and Other Frozen Treats
Pies, Tarts, Cobblers and Such
Cakes
Pastries, Puddings and other Sweet Treats
Websites
Selected Bibliography
Index

You must know me by now...I headed straight for the "Putting Berries By" chapter to see if I could find some new canning recipes. The 2 recipes that caught my eye were Bumbleberry Jam and Aunt Jeanie's Blackberry Syrup. I can't wait to try the Blackberry Syrup. Blackberries are just about my favorite berry.

Aunt Jeanie's Blackberry Syrup
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 to 2 1/2 Pints (4 to 5 Cups) Fresh Blackberries rinsed and drained, or Frozen Blackberries, thawed with juice, pureed and seeded to make 3 cups of seedless puree.
One 1.75 Ounce box Powdered Pectin
4 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Tsp Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Have washed and hot five 8 ounce canning jars. Prepare the lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Pour the Lemon Juice and Blackberry Puree into a large, nonreactive pan. Add the Pectin and mix thoroughly. Put the pan over high heat and bring to a full roiling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the Sugar, mix well, and bring once again to a full roiling boil. Add the Butter and Baking Soda, stirring constantly. Immediately fill the jars using a wide-mouth funnel and attach the lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

The book has 175 berry recipes, along with detailed descriptions of every type of berry on earth. The only fault I find with the book is the lack of photographs. I'm one cook who loves to see what the finished product looks like and I'd definitely like to have seen photographs of each type of berry.

About the Author:

Janie Hibler, author and food writer, grew up in Arcata, California, a small coastal town 90 miles south of the Oregon border in the heart of the redwoods. In this lovely rural region in northern California, picking berries, hunting, fishing, clamming, and raising your own livestock are a way of life. She grew up in a family of good cooks who always sought out the freshest ingredients for their table.

While educated in the sciences she eventually hung up her lab coat and began a career in the culinary field.

She is a founding member and past president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (4,000 members in 39 countries) and the Portland Culinary Alliance (100 members in Oregon and southern Washington). She happily lives in Portland, Oregon and divides her time between the city and her log cabin nestled in the foothills of the Washington Cascades.

The Berry Bible, By Janie Hibler is currently available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Borders.com and your local bookstore.

I'll be giving away 1 free copy of The Berry Bible to one of my commenters!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment letting me know your favorite berry. (This is required.) Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I have a way of contacting you if you won so I can get your mailing address to give to the publisher.

2. For an extra entry, become a Follower of Lola's Diner, and leave me a comment letting me know you became a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.

That's it! Winners will be announced August 15th.

Good luck!

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given this book to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

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