Canning

[Mom2twoboyz]

DH just told me he is bring home a giant pressure cooker Any great ideas on things I can can? may can? Any recipes?

[SuzyQ]

If your pressure cooker is new it should come with a few recipes in the instruction manual. I reccommend buying Ball's Blue Book, or another canning how to book. It will be worth the investment. The possibilites are endless- really!

If your cooker isn't new, I would reccommend trying to get ahold of the manual for it (possibly from the manufacturer) They usually indicate replacement part numbers, it can be figured out what you need without - but it is easier!

[Amanda]

There's are 2 awesome articles here:

Cooking Under Pressure: The Basics
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/famil...e_cooker.shtml

and

Cooking Under Pressure: Recipes to Get You Started
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/famil...e_cooker.shtml

[Mom2twoboyz]

Thankyou both!! I'll definitely look at the links, Amanda. BTW...it isn't new. It was dh's grandmothers'. Thanks for all the great advice.

[Jole Blond]

I have been canning for more years than I want to remember. If your canner is not new, I recommend that you contact your local County Extension Office and see if they will check it for you. Ours will check your canner out and tell you if the gasket needs replaced or if any of the pressure gauges or plugs need replacing. They will also tell you if your pressure canner is a safe model.
A web site that has a lot of canning info and links to canning forums, etc., http://www.topica.com/lists/justjeanne49/read. This will take you to the newsletter archives where you can get a good idea of what Just Jeanne is all about. She has some really good information on choosing your jars and how to can safely
I hope this helps.
God Bless and Happy Canning

[P Sue]

I've only been canning for four years now, but I agree that the Ball Blue Book is indespensible. It's a great resource for basics and recipes.

I also started out by contacting our local county extension office. They even had a six week series of correspondence courses that only costed $3.00. It covered everything from jam and jelly to vegies to meat. (BTW canned beef is great! So tender and tasty and makes for a quick dinner when you're rushed.)

Our local library also has numerous books about canning; recipes included.

[Mom2twoboyz]

Thanks a bunch to everyone for all your help.

[ronsan]

If you ever needed a reason for going to garage sales and auctions, especially in rural areas, now you have one! Start looking for canning jars ~ they are very expensive to buy new, especially when you don't have any. The rings are reuseable and the lids need to be purchased every season but the jars last forever. Just check to make sure there are no nicks in the neck rims of the jars or cracks in the body.

I have been canning for years and years, and the jars are getting harder and harder to find at sales. I don't use as many quarts now that there are just dh and myself at home and would love to find more pints and jelly jars, but to no avail yet. Will keep looking. Hope you enjoy your new canner!

Sandie

[Grandma Annie]

Put the word out to all your family and friends, you might be surprised how many jars you might get given to you. My daughter who lives a days drive from me told her friends that I canned, when they knew she was comming to visit they sent aver 100 jars with her for me! I sent them some homemade jam and corn relish as a thank you and then got those jars back again the next year!
Also you'll find a few recipies that always sturn out good for you, and they make wonderful gifts.

[Mom2twoboyz]

DH bought a bunch of jars at a yard sale last year, so we're good to go there...although I seem to be able to find tons of uses for them so I'll have to round them up again. Canned gifts are so great. My dex and I used to make apple butter with his family and then give his secretaries each a jar for Christmas (all wrapped up with a Christmas bow, of course). I would also bake biscuits and send in so they could enjoy it right there on the spot. It was a big hit.