Ball Blue Book Published In 1974 Was A Real Find!

1974 Ball Blue Book

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went shopping at a local thrift store that sells a lot of books. I always look for the old homesteading type of books. I am addicted to old canning or pressure canner or pressure cooker manuals. They are packed full of good recipes. Most of the recipes in the old ones are not in the newer ones. They think we cannot can so many types of food just because they decided they didn't come out good enough. I like to make my own choices. As long as I follow the modern safe practices of today, I will be okay.

New Lid Design - Red Sealing Ring!

I really did buy this book thinking I could sell it on eBay. Once I started looking at it on the ride home, I knew I could not part with it. I love the old Ball books and I use them constantly. Actually, it is a bit of history, as you can see the changes they made in the way we can our foods now. That is why so many old time canners are so stubborn about changing over to the new ways. They say, "I did that for years and no one ever died from my home canned foods." Hard to argue with that.

The Table Of Contents

I feel that the older canning books were more personable. The newer books have an industrial feel to them. Like someone was paid to write it and they don't care about what they are writing. Just following an outline or something. This particular canning book from 1974 had feeling. They were excited about the new design of the lids and the new quilted jelly jars. Maybe that is why my favorite jars are the older styles. That is why I am never one to share my canned food, besides the fact that when I can food, I am following our plan, and I need so many jars of each item for the following year. But I hate to give my jars away with the food. I have thought about buying the cheap jars at Walmart to use for that purpose. So many people hint at or come right out and ask for my home canned food. Can't do that though. It will throw us off for the year.

How To Preserve A Husband! On back cover of book.

I plan on keeping my eyes open for more of these old Ball books. I already have some of the old Presto and Mirro pressure canner and cooker manual or cookbooks that came with their products. I am keeping them too. Maybe I'll be sharing some of those recipes here soon! 

Copyright © 2013 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2013  Kathleen G. Lupole