find a manual and read it carefully...they can blow up.
My daughter wanted to can after she got married and while talking to her one day she told me about it and thru the conversation she mentioned the water level and then I asked her if she was doing water bath or pressure and she informed me she was pressure and I told her she put in way too much water she had filled it like water bath I informed her she was lucky it didn't "blow" for her. So really read your manual

The Blue Ball Book of Canning and Preserving.

Ball Blue Book of Canning

I use a pressure canner and the Ball canning book. Try the extension office if you have one in your area, they always have information for just about anything pertaining to canning or freezing. As other said be sure your jars have no nicks in them as they will not seal.

my grandmother taught me canning. i did not use the pressure cooker because i was scared of it. it boiled water in a pot and put the jars in there to seal them. The Ball cannng book is what I used. good luck and have fun...

You have to use the pressure cooker with certain foods, but a water bath cooker works with high acid foods. So you would probably use both. I know I do. :-D

I have a Ball canning book but I also another "Home Preserving" book by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine. It depends on what you are canning but if it is venison you need pressure canner. I use water for the jams/jellies. Word of warning, when you pressure can tomatoes, they will come out like a lot of water and smooched tomatoes at the top. You didn't do anything wrong, they will "settle" back down, you don't have to re-open, dump the liquid and re-can. That year I had real thick tomatoes.

I still can beef. Boy, does that taste great and it's a blessing when you need something in a hurry. Used to use the big pressure canner but sold that. Now use a pressure pan. Only 3 pts. at a time, but that is plenty for just one person. I always enjoyed canning and freezing. Felt as though I had really accomplished a great deal.

I would buy a Bernardin canning book or check the Bernardin.ca website. I always use the hot water bath canner with good results and I am buy no means an expert.

Canning can be so much fun. Too bad it happens primarily in the summer heat. But, you don't really need a book. All the information you need is right here on line. Just google in the information you're looking for. That will bring up a lot of sites from schools and agracultural sites. They are very simple. I had used a sunset book for years (before internet). I found that an easy book to follow. They have their subjects in catagories and charted ie. frozen foods, canning fruits, canning vegetables, meat, etc. very easy to follow and also has recipes. Ball didn't have their's grouped as easily to follow. But these days with internet . . . . . :thumbup:

I agree with the others. Ball canning books are the best. Pressure canners scare me, I've always done water canning.

Either Kerr or Ball Canning Book. If you purchase a pressure cooker, it usually comes with a manual with very good instructions. My bil listened to Glenn Beck and he suggested stocking food and he did. Went out and bought a pressure canner, stores were have a sale on pork. Sam's he bought a case of hamburg and canned that too. Canned beef for stew. His closet is so full of canned food, it'll take him a couple of years to use. But his food bill will be reasonable.

I have never used a pressure canner, only used the water bath method, but the Ball canning book is also my favorite. It has a lot of good recipes.

Janice----Was in your city a couple of wks. ago for the Cherry festival and in ???? for the Polka Fest.

I found that Fanie Farmer's Boston Cooking School Cook Book was very valuable in teaching mehow to can. I used a water bath for the fruit (like peaches and tomatoes) and a pressure canner for the the non-acid stuff. Pickles can do a water bath. The cook book also has good sections on jams, jellies, and pickles.

Call the Extension Agent of your county and ask for canning and preserving books. I have had excellent results with their publications.
I always used a water bath, and canned tomatoes, pickles, peaches, jams, jellies. I know a pressure cooker is good for meats, green beans. I never did invest in a pressure cooker, but my Mom had one, and it scared me to death when it went to whistling, ect!!
good luck. You will enjoy.
Mariah

Call the Extension Agent of your county and ask for canning and preserving books. I have had excellent results with their publications.
I always used a water bath, and canned tomatoes, pickles, peaches, jams, jellies. I know a pressure cooker is good for meats, green beans. I never did invest in a pressure cooker, but my Mom had one, and it scared me to death when it went to whistling, ect!!
good luck. You will enjoy.
Mariah

check out your local extension office they should have alot of info for you on canning.

You need a pressure canner to can meats and veggies, jams and fruits will be fine done in a water bath canner.

Maybe1day

Be careful of "little old ladies" telling you it is ok to water bath everything. I used to do it that way and didn't have any problems, but would never do it nowadays. Pressure is so easy, safe, and a lot quicker. The Ball Blue Book is my Bible when it comes to canning.

The Ball Canning book is great. I use a water bath, but a pressure canner is faster. I have a glass top stove, so I cannot use a pressure canner on it, they will break. Also, if you have a glass top stove, you cannot use a canner that goes more than 1 inch beyond the burner area, again it can break.

I just started canning this year too. Haven't done any water bath canning yet, but plenty of pinto beans and chicken. Meat does taste different tho and I was warned. Chicken tastes like tuna fish. Not something you'd want to use on a salad but hidden in a casserole would be fine.

Haven't read thru all the other posts but be sure to use the "newer" recipes vs something your grandmother used. They've changed the timing, to be sure foods are correctly cooked.

Good luck, relax, and enjoy !!!

Canning Venison, makes it nice and tender, and in chunks like stew meat, can't tell the difference from canned beef.

Not sure if you can use canners and pressure canners on a glass top cook stove.

Amen ! there is a wealth of info out there and they are always
so helpful. Ball & Kerr companies have great books and customer service. use them !

Ditto to the Ball Canning Guide and pressure canner. Canned meats and low acid vegetables MUST be pressure canned and boiled after opening. The flavor of home canned meats is great. Chunks of venison, yummy. When we worked up a beef I canned stew meat, chuck roast and even burger. Lean, grass fed beef is better canned. My grandmother even (my father said) rolled up round steak and packed it in jars.

Freeze the corn. :thumbup:

I use the Ball Canning Book You can go their web site

Living in Indiana, how do you know about Reed City? I lived in Big Rapids for 9 years.

There is an old book called "Putting Food By" that gives you all the details of canning any and everything. A must have for someone who cans a lot.

When my DH was still alive, we lived in Oregon and deer hunted each fall. I canned a lot of venison. Excellent for strogonoff, spaghetti sauce, stews. But definitely you must use a pressure canner for any meat or fish. (I also canned salmon as we fished each summer at Brookings, OR.)

I can a lot every year and we have lived in this house since June of 1997 and have a glass stove top and I use both the water bath canner and a pressure cooker with no problems at all.

Sorry it posted twice.

I would say get the Ball book and then talk to your county extension service. You can't get too much information when starting out. I would also recommend freezing the venison, if possible. If not, you definitely need to ask the county extension people about that.

Exactly! Some time ago the recommendations for canning tomatoes was even changed due to the fact that tomatoes have been bred to be less acidic for modern taste. We need current information to safely can.

A Ball canning book, info from your extention office is good too. A Pressur canner will do almost everything you would need it for. Although a water bath canner comes in handy for Jams and Jellys.

Have fun canning. Order a Ball Blue Book for canning. Get a pressure canner. You can use your pressure canner for water bath canning also, but you cannot pressure can in the water bath canner. Do not use a ceramic top stove for pressure canner as the heat cycles on and off and does not keep the canner at the prescribed canner (according to my stove maker's directions.) I go over to my son's and use his electric stove with the rings; they give a consistent heat. Also go to your agriculture center and get every pamphlet they offer on canning, etc. You might even find out about a Homemaker's Club run by the Home Demonstration Agent. The help there is great. We need to utilize these people more as funding is being cut in any areas. Let's don't let this free service go away.

University has a wonderful site on preservong food. Link below!


http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

I have always foung Ball to have the best tasting and easy to read and understand recipes.

There's this thing called the internet. I just googled and get the city, county and info for extension service.

Pressure canners are great and they usually com with a canning recipe book. If not Look for canning on Ball or Kerr canning jar sites.