I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Get Started: Preserving by Susannah Steel
Published by Penguin on January 17, 2013
Genres: Cooking / Methods / Canning & Preserving, Cooking / Reference, Cooking / Specific Ingredients / Fruit
Pages: 60
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley
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Start making your own jellies and jams with Get Started: Preserving, part of a new series of learning guides from DK where nothing is assumed and everything is explained. Each course follows the same structure: start simple and learn the basics, build on what you've learned, and then show off your new skills!

Get Started: Preserving teaches the complete beginner the skills needed to make 70 delicious recipes. Start simple with freezer jams and easy chutneys, build on your skills with cordials and fruit cheeses, and then show off with marmalades, fruit curds, and cured meats.

With step-by-step pictures and practice projects to keep you on the right track, Get Started: Preserving will help you learn your new skill in no time.

More than any other series on the market, DK's Get Started aims to provide the reader with carefully structured learning and a classroom approach to teaching that allows you to build your own course from practical lessons and themed projects.

Each book begins by answering fundamental questions, identifying an essential starter kit of tools and equipment, and explaining how to build a course. The book then divides into subject areas, with key techniques for each area demonstrated through visual glossaries and step-by-steps, followed by graded projects with annotated instructions and an assessment of how to build on achievements.

Let DK be the perfect one-on-one tutor you never had: patient, illuminating, inspiring - always at hand to point you in the right direction so you can achieve your potential.

⭐ Get Started: Preserving by Susannah Steel (4★)

This guide exceeded my expectations as a beginner. The tiered approach—Start Simple, Build On It, and Take It Further—makes the learning curve feel manageable while still offering a challenge for when you’re ready. I appreciated the emphasis on safety and technique, with step-by-step photos that walk you through the process. It’s more than just a recipe book—it’s a crash course in kitchen confidence for would-be preservers like me.