A couple of things I want to say about some recipes in the Ball blue book...their pickel and relish recipes are frequently off with regard to liquids. It’s hard to complete the jar filling because there’s not enough liquid. Secondly, their instructions for pickles is confusing. For example, it’s impossible to tell if a pickle recipe is for a brined pickel or fresh unbrined. Salt content becomes an issue. Pickles are notoriously limp..not enough vinegar.
Finally, foods end up over processed.
I follow a recipe exactly the first time I make it. Then if I need to improvise, I do after making notes about the needed corrections.
I’ve used other recipes that work out better than ball blue book.
That’s interesting. I have never had any issues with the recipes that I have tried from the Ball Book. They have all turned out fine, but then I studied them and only picked out a few main ones to try.
I did have trouble with the manual that came with the cooker, wherein it said to just can the meat with no added water. The next time I added some broth about a quarter of the way in the jar for raw pack meat, and it worked out just right.
Could be a difference in editions or maybe I was just lucky in my picks?