Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is my first year getting into canning, so I purchased the Ball Canning Back to Basics book to provide "how to" guidance and some recipes. I give the look and layout of the book a solid 5 stars. It's easy to read and has nice pictures (I'm visual, so that helps a lot). The general info at the beginning of the book, and at the start of each section is also good. I give the selection of recipes in the book (there are 100 to pick from) 4 stars. There's variety in each section, but many are a bit exotic for my beginning tastes (plus, the pantry is only so big!). So far I've only made 2 of the book recipes - apple butter and peach jam - but have canned many other items using recipes from the Ball Fresh Preserving site or other sources. Interestingly, for the same item, recipes in this book and recipes on the Ball site aren't always exactly the same. I guess there's just variation and ongoing updates. My biggest con about the book is not enough specificity in the ingredient lists. As a beginner (and this is advertised as a "foolproof guide"), when I see a recipe calls for "X" pounds of an item, I need to know if that's "X" pounds of the raw item, or "X" pounds after the item has been peeled, cored, seeded, etc. I have found that makes a lot of difference in quantity, yet recipes here and elsewhere don't provide that specific info, so I'm learning as I go. Likewise, if a recipe calls for "X" many of an item, that can also vary, depending on size of the item. I'd prefer weights and clear direction about whether those weights are pre or post peeling, etc. In section 4 of this book - fruit butters - page 124 shows a chart of various liquids, sweeteners, and seasonings you can use in the various recipes in that secion. Then many of the individual recipes refer you to the chart. I like knowing you can use various liquids, sweeteners, and seasonings; but am less comfortable with seasoning "to taste" when I'm not sure how much of a seasoning to begin with. I know, sounds more than a little whiny, but as a beginner I need specific directions with no assumptions; and as I get more competent, then I can experiment. This book is going on my shelf and will likely be revisited after I've gotten my canning legs more solidly underneath me.