The Purple Guide to Learning Canning and Preserving in 10 Days
A no-nonsense 10-day starter plan to make your first jars of jam, pickles, and tomatoes — and decide if this skill is for you.
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Ten days. Two jars. A real decision point. The honest beginner's path to canning and preserving.
About this book
You've seen the shelves of mason jars and the beautiful rows of home-canned tomatoes on social media. You've thought, "I could do that." But then you hit the wall: which pot? What's a headspace? Do I really need a pressure canner on day one? The internet is full of confident advice that contradicts itself, and every course wants your credit card before you've even boiled water.
This guide is the opposite. It's a ten-day plan designed for the genuinely curious person who wants to try this skill without buying a whole new kitchen. Day one is just about looking and touching. Day four is your first real technique. Day eight is your first full batch. Every day has a concrete task, a realistic expectation of what you'll feel and encounter, and a clear stopping point. You'll learn water-bath canning for high-acid foods like jam and pickles — the safest, most approachable entry point — and you'll end the ten days with two real jars you made yourself.
You won't become an expert in ten days. No one does. But you'll know exactly what canning actually involves, whether you enjoyed it, and what your next step should be — all without spending a fortune or drowning in conflicting advice.
Reader Reviews
Daniel Campbell
★★★★★As a total novice who's terrified of giving someone botulism, I appreciated how the guide handled safety without fear-mongering. It explicitly tells you what NOT to attempt (low-acid canning in a water bath) and explains why. The day-by-day structure kept me from quitting when I got frustrated. My pickles came out crunchy and delicious. I'm hooked.
Kevin Green
★★★★★I've been looking at my grandmother's canning supplies with total confusion for years. This guide's first day just had me take jars out and hold them — it felt silly but I actually started to understand what I was dealing with. By day ten I had two jars of strawberry jam that sealed perfectly and I finally know if I want to keep going. The honesty about what ten days can't teach you was refreshing.
Lisa Campbell
★★★★★The thing I loved most was that day one wasn't a lecture. It was just a simple orientation — look at the jars, feel the lids, boil water in a pot. I wasn't overwhelmed. The author writes like a friend who's done this before and wants you to succeed, not like a gatekeeper. I made my first jam on day five and it worked. That's all I wanted.
Edward Baker
★★★★★It's a solid plan, but I found the pacing a little slow at the start. Day one and day two felt like mostly reading, and I was eager to actually can something. That said, when I did get to the water bath on day four, I was glad I'd prepared. Just don't expect to be making dinner with your preserves by the end of the week — it's a ten-day intro, not a boot camp.
Carol Wilson
★★★★★I'm a senior, living alone, and I didn't want to invest in a bunch of gear. The guide's honest discussion of budgets on day three was exactly what I needed — I borrowed a big pot from a neighbor and bought only jars. The first day being a simple 'look and touch' orientation was gentle and practical. I ended up making three jars of peach jam and I'm genuinely proud.
William White
★★★★★The water-bath test run on day four is a stroke of genius — you learn to use the equipment without risking a batch of food. I made one stupid mistake (forgot to check for air bubbles) and the troubleshooting section on day six saved my second batch. I'm docking one star only because I wanted even more recipes to try afterward. Still, a very good starter.
Jonathan Hernandez
★★★★★It's honest about what you can't learn in ten days — you won't be pickling garlic scapes or pressure canning soups by the end. But you'll have a real foundation. I loved the day-by-day format; it kept me accountable. The author didn't promise magic, which is why I trusted their advice. I'll be moving on to the resources they mention in day nine.