Pressure Canning

Trouble Shooting Pressure Canner Problems <~~~click

yeah. I always feel pressure when I can...

What would you say to someone, yes me, that has a fear of canning? Specifically, botulism? Love the idea of messing around with the jars and preserving but.... fear of accidental death by my own hand stops me from trying. I am limited to freezing and dehydrating. I'd liketo be more versatile. Wish I had paid attention to the old relatives canning when I was a kid.

Your old relatives may not have done it safely.

The USDA sponsored research several years back where various things were actively inoculated with botulism and then canned various ways to determine what would kill it. The newer recipes (since the 80s or so) are all absolutely known to be safe.

There's many other recipes that may or may not be safe, but modern recipes for noth water-bath and pressure canning are KNOWN to be safe.

Acid-based canning, like jams and jellies, pickles, etc. - do not need pressure canning because botulism cannot grow in an acid environment. These are easily and safely water-bath canned.

Tomatoes are borderline, so if not pressure canning, recipes will call for addition of citric acid or ascorbic acid to make them a bit more acid. If you want to use a recipe without adding acid, you need to pressure can.

Pressure canning is more time-consuming because you have to let the canner heat and cool between batches. Water canning is easier cause you can just keep it going.

Pressure canning gets things hot enough to kill botulism even if it's not acidic, so most veggies, soups, meats, beans, stews get pressure-canned.

My experience was... actually, the pressure canner itself intimidated me. Over time that went away. However, I mostly don't like canned veggies. IMO, they are not better than canned veggies from the store, sort of water-logged and soggy.

I use my pressure canner primarily for real meals. For example, I make a pot of chili in a stockpot instead of a Dutch oven, then can the excess so we have yummy home-canned meals available when we don't feel like cooking. Also, when my husband was an over-the-road trucker, he had real food all the time.

I also very much like making pickles and relishes, as they turn out yummier than anything I can buy. Those are water-bath canned recipes cause they use lots of vinegar.

Much info about canning here: ornery-geeks.org/text/cooking/ (scroll down to section on food preservation) - plus my favorite recipes are linked off that page.

I primarily dehydrate or freeze veggies. Frozen veggies taste most like fresh to me. Dehydrated work well to save space and they cook up well anywhere they're going to be heavily cooked like soups, stews and braises.

Thank you for that great wealth of info
Looks like we'll both be sticking with freezing and drying.

I canned for years, but just using the water bath method.

I just bought a pressure canner two years ago and use it mostly for meats. Home canned tuna is marvelous. I do intend to can other meats and soups.

I use water bath canning like jpatti, just for acid type items.

I was able to give home canned tuna, dilled veggies and apple butter for Christmas Gifts.

There is an online canning course that might make you feel more secure in your canning adventures. I did this about 18 months ago and it made me more confident in my canning skills. It also made me aware of some of my practices that now, are not considered so safe. It is based on current USDA guidlines, and funded by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA)

They have recipes for freezing too.

At the bottom of the opening page is the registration for the on-line course.

ONLINE CANNING COURSE

Online canning course! Bookmarked and thanks!!!

llama momma - You are not the only one.... The closest I've come is refrigerator pickles. Thanks for asking the question and thank you to all who gave info!

Many of the threads in this sub forum of Canning and Preserving are very informative. There are a lot of hidden links in there. Canning can seem quite intimidating but I encourage everyone to stick their toes in the water and give canning a try, at least once. There really is nothing like popping open a jar of tomatoes in January that you put up in August or September and you can smell Summer. Manna from Heaven!

UnderTheBlackWalnut wrote:llama momma - You are not the only one.... The closest I've come is refrigerator pickles. Thanks for asking the question and thank you to all who gave info!

Walnut -- your welcome. I felt so creative doing my first refrigerator pickles a couple months back. And I'm down to the last 2 bags in the freezer.

I developed a fear of pressure cooking/canning when a older friend was cooking something with chicken in the pressure cooker. She did not 'watch the pot' and it blew it's lid(there was a doorway to lr). There was not 1 sq inch of that kitchen, including ceiling, that did not have chicken/sauce on it. It's been 40 yrs. I guess it's time to get over it!

I do the boiling water bath canning, but I've decided that using a pressure canner is something I need to learn to do. Thanks for the link to the online course.

I don't know anyone down here that owns one. Any recomendations on type or brand that should be good for a beginner?

Jo

A couple years ago, my wife and I taught ourselves how to use a pressure cooker by reading directions. (no help from a live person) I confess to putting on welding leathers, gloves, and full face shield! I realized how stupid I was being when my son pointed out that a pressure cooker has less pressure in it than a car's radiator and cooling system. I've had radiators blow anti-freeze in my face many a time! No more fear about pressure cookers!

just make sure the pressure relief valve and the vent to the regulator are not clogged

boffer wrote:A couple years ago, my wife and I taught ourselves how to use a pressure cooker by reading directions. (no help from a live person) I confess to putting on welding leathers, gloves, and full face shield! I realized how stupid I was being when my son pointed out that a pressure cooker has less pressure in it than a car's radiator and cooling system. I've had radiators blow anti-freeze in my face many a time! No more fear about pressure cookers!

But a healthy fear of radiators, I hope.

Pressure isn't just for canning it's good for cooking too. Pressure Cooking

This is not an endorsement of any particular product.

Going along the thoughts of , " What you think of most you end up getting " & " Strong belief triggers the mind to find the way " .. I'm picturing , " A 40 quart All American canner and a Ball Blue centenery edition canning book ".

I can even visualize sending someone the money for it & the undamaged big box arriving here via UPS .

Moral of my story is ... Dream whilst your awake & dream big , the skys not the limit.

plantoid wrote:Going along the thoughts of , " What you think of most you end up getting " & " Strong belief triggers the mind to find the way " .. I'm picturing , " A 40 quart All American canner and a Ball Blue centenery edition canning book ".

I can even visualize sending someone the money for it & the undamaged big box arriving here via UPS .

Moral of my story is ... Dream whilst your awake & dream big , the skys not the limit.

LOL Plantoid... you know.... sometimes those awake dreams really do come true...

Pressure Canning for Dummies <~~~Click

Thanks Camprn, it's great being a dummy because all the smart people post links !

Cheers, Im all set for reading that today.

I've been canning for years and we've never gotten sick. We have canned everything from spaghetti sauce and chili (with meat) to very basic fruits and veg. I follow the guidelines from The National Center for Home Food Preservation at Georgia Tech:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/

They won't steer you wrong.

@Furbalsmom - thanks for posting that online course link.

I did freezer jam two years ago and refrigerator pickles last summer. Each summer, I add one new 'skill,' so maybe this year is the canning year.

I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to the canning process. DH did give me the book "Putting Food By" last year b/c he knows how interested in all of this I am.

I am going to give canning a try this year, pickles and salsa are my fav! Yum, now I want a pickle... Thanks for all the great info!

cheyannarach wrote:I am going to give canning a try this year, pickles and salsa are my fav! Yum, now I want a pickle... Thanks for all the great info!

You won't even need a pressure canner for those
They are high acid foods so excellent for water bath canning.

Turan wrote:

cheyannarach wrote:I am going to give canning a try this year, pickles and salsa are my fav! Yum, now I want a pickle... Thanks for all the great info!

You won't even need a pressure canner for those
They are high acid foods so excellent for water bath canning.

Good! It will make it a wee bit more simple for me to learn then! I forgot about pickled beets too, yum!