Pressure Canning

[delladea]

My husband scored a rather large All-American pressure sterilizer at an estate sale for cheap and we ordered the parts to convert it into a pressure canner (the difference is the steam-release valve, the sterilizer has a switch and the canner has a weighted gauge). After it sat in our garage for nearly three years I finally got the guts to give it a shot.

With the Ball Blue Book as my guide, I've successfully canned chicken stock, sweet corn, tomato sauce, chicken soup, and chili. I have to say I'm addicted to the notion of homemade, healthy convenience food! I can't wait until I have something from the garden again to try out.

Does anyone else here can low-acid foods?

Comments

[katarik]

Yes, we can meat stock in the pressure cooker as well -- usually chicken, also beef. And sometimes tomato sauce.

[delladea]

I was disappointed when we used the last jar of homemade tomato sauce. Store-bought is just so very "meh" after that to me.

[katarik]

I always wind up spiking the storebought anyway, because I grew up buying plain sauce+diced+paste, so to me there's not a whole lot of difference.

(I also just plain hate the taste of actual tomatoes, much though I like marinara and KC-style BBQ, so having a tomato sauce that doesn't taste like tomatoes is not a bug to me.)

[biting_moopie]

I don't can food, but I just want to say that I love this post because it's so inspiring to read. Thank you for sharing this with us!

[delladea]

You should try it sometime! I started with canning cranberry sauce for my family each year at the holidays when fresh cranberries can be found at the store. You probably already have most of the equipment to can high-acid foods in your kitchen already. :)