What's Old is New Again

Ever had pickled watermelon rind?
Or pickled red cabbage?
What about something really unusual - blackberry chutney?
The method for making all of these delicious, out-of-the-square preserves are in a fabulous new book, What's Old is New Again, from Fowlers Vacola.
The book celebrates 100 years of Australian food preserving with recipes from top Australian chefs presented in a commemorative, hardcover kitchen bench book.
The gorgeous photos look good enough to eat and will inspire you to give preserving a go if you have never tried it before.
The book also reveals the best kept secrets of Fowlers Vacola founder, Englishman Joseph Fowler, who went to great lengths to protect his recipes and methods from people who had not bought one of his patented preserving kits.
There are also favourites from the Country Women's Association and from the skilled cooks who take home the trophies for their works of edible art at agricultural shows.
While the book is a bit of a nostalgia trip for seniors, it would also make a great present for young people as Fowlers Vacola's 25% growth in sales is largely coming from generations X and Y.
n What's Old is New Again, $39.95, www.fowlersvacola.com.au