Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Book Stall Review: Canning, Pickling, and Freezing with Irma Harding

Created by farm equipment manufacturer International Harvester (IH) to peddle home appliances to rural women, Irma Harding was an iconic figure of the 1950s - much like Betty Crocker - who taught women how to can, pickle, and store foodstuffs in newly available freezers and refrigerators.

From their base in Evasnville, Illinois, a sales force of young educated women armed with pamphlets and recipes traveled throughout the Midwest as Irma Harding (IH) deputies, educating rural housewives on the advantages of freezing and refrigerating.

This book republishes some of those Irma Harding recipes, along wth several IH advertisements and period photographs, but the bulk of the volume's how-to information has been updated and complemented by fresh and time-saving approaches to retro cooking techniques.

Recipes to Preserve Food, Family and the American Way
by Marilyn McCray and Michael Perry
Octane Press, 2014
continued in The Book Stall
Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
Guidebooks and How-to Titles
Here's How To...