Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles — it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

• The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
• Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
• Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

• This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
• Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.