Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World
Worth buying if: You enjoy food history that connects technology to daily life.
Skip it if: You want a technical textbook or step-by-step lab manual.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780743216333. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Sue Shephard traces the global history and practical innovations of food preservation, blending cultural anecdotes, scientific developments, and culinary practice across centuries in an engaging, well-researched narrative.
Why this book now
With renewed interest in home foodways, sustainability, and culinary history, this historical look at preservation feels timely and practical.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy food history that connects technology to daily life.
- You appreciate well-researched cultural narratives with recipes and practical detail.
- You want a technical textbook or step-by-step lab manual.
- You prefer short, fast reads under 200 pages.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780743216333
Worth buying if: You enjoy food history that connects technology to daily life.
Skip it if: You want a technical textbook or step-by-step lab manual.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Balanced Moderate time
At about 366 pages, expect a moderate commitment: readable chapters that suit evenings or weekend deep-dives rather than quick skims.
What stands out here
This Simon & Schuster edition emphasizes Shephard’s narrative synthesis of social history, practical food lore, and the science behind preservation techniques.
Best way to approach it
Approach as a leisurely, context-rich history—dip between chapters for recipes and anecdotes or read straight through to follow chronological and thematic threads.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780743216333
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.