Where you intimidated by canning when you first started?

[CountryKat]

I am more of a self taught type of person. I love to read up or view on you tube or dvd to learn. I am however sort of intimidated by starting to learn canning. I am going to get over that I just dont want to make anyone sick in the process . I have ordered some dvds from homestead blessings on how to can.

Please feel free to share what it was like when you first started and also if you have any tips.

Thanks,
CK

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't really have any tips....I was intimidated also. You've just gotta jump in with both feet. I started with water-bath and progressed to the pressure canner. All your doubts will vanish when you hear that "ping"!

 

[Denim Deb]

I was intimidated by pressure canning, and still am to a point. I haven't done enough of it to feel really comfortable w/it.

 

[moolie]

I grew up with it so starting to can with a water bath was almost second nature. But when I my Mom first gave me her pressure canner, I was very definitely intimidated. I remembered most of what she did, but did a huge amount of research before launching into it. Ordered new gaskets, did a lot of reading, did my first run with simple old plain beans. The first couple of times I did it I sat at the kitchen table just waiting for the processing time to be up, but now (couple of years later) I'm very comfy with it all--I think it's because I found so many things to can once I got started that I've been using the canner at least every month, if not every week some months.

Like any new skill it just takes some understanding and practice, I know you'll be hooked as soon as you get comfy with it all

 

[SSDreamin]

I grew up doing it too, so it was no big deal once I began doing it myself. Sorry I'm not more help.

 

[BarredBuff]

No big deal for me, I have more accidents with a boiling water bath than the pressure canner.

 

[Emerald]

My Great Gran and Gran both canned.. With pressure canners and water bath. My mother did it every year and when I started I was a tad intimidated but only as I was doing by myself as my mother was working still. I did all the reading and checking out of books from the library just to get myself more familar with it and plunged into water canning and then right back into pressure canning. The Pinging of cans is like sweet music!
I still have my Great Gran's pressure canner and I can still find rubber gaskets for that canner. I have a bigger one now but still get GG's out for a turn or two every few years.
On a funny note.. I asked GG what they did before pressure canners and her reply was most small animals were butchered out and cooked in a day or so and big animals were salted and smoked or pickled .. or as she said.. Sauer. While she was not that fond of sauerbraten she did make it every so often so that we would not forget our beginnings. As much as she didn't care that much for pickled beef she made and loved sauerkraut. I got to help a couple times. But I got to sample much more often.. I love cold fresh from the barrel kraut.. Crunchy and sour..

 

[FarmerJamie]

I'm a guy who, growing up, watched the women in the family do all the canning. My wife did most of it when we were first married, but now with her career, I do most of it.

My advice, just relax. If you can follow directions, stay focused for an hour or so, you should be fine.

Think about all the dangers around you that doesn't involve a canner, dirty counter tops with improperly handled foods, sharp knives, outdated food in the 'fridge, etc. Do you drive a car? That's pretty intimidating to someone just starting out. If you think about it, it's sometimes a wonder we all aren't dead.

Other key point is PATIENCE. Start with something easy, like canning potatoes or green beans, something that doesn't involve a lot of prep effort/time. Learn how long your system takes to get up to pressure, how long to cool down. Some folks have practiced by canning water. Before long, you'll be canning stews, soups, all kinds of good stuff.

And yes, that *ping* is a glorious sound!

 

[donrae]

I was terrified of the pressure canner at first. I was never worried about making anyone sick, I was worried about exploding steaming water with glass in it!

I've now been pressure canning for six-ish years and never had a problem. Start with water bath, get the Ball Blue Book, or even better their big Complete Book of Home Preserving and follow the recipes. Have everything ready and start with something easy like salsa, peaches or an easy jam. Work your way up to more difficult things and then the pressure canner.

My honey looks over at me and grins each time we hear that "ping"! while eating or whatever. It's the greatest feeling!

 

[Corn Woman]

I had saved my money to buy a pressure canner and got the big Presto canner took it home and put it on the stove and was terrified of the giant thing so I took it back and got the next size down ( big mistake). Now it's second nature. My mom didn't can she had a huge chest freezer so that was how she stocked up. I was 15 when a friend said " I'm doing pears do you want to help?" I laughed and asked what are you doing with them? She put a knife in my hand and told me to start peeling. That was my only canning lesson and I was hooked , bought my first book on canning for $1 published by Kerr and it is still my favorite. I have many others that I like and use as well.