I have decided to try and learn how to can and am wondering what you think the best book would be for a beginner? I plan on using a pressure canner and will be canning fruits, veggies and meats like venison. Any ideas would be appreciated ~ thanks ladies ;-)

or do you think a water canner would be better?

I always used the Ball canning book and I used pressure canner. Been canning all my life but with just 2 of us now, not so much. Makes you feel so good when you sit back and see all you accomplished! Good luck!!

We've canned just about everything at one time or another. Be sure your jars don't have any nicks around the top to hamper sealing. The older glass mayo jars, if you have any, are fine for fruits and veggies. But because meats takes a longer time and more pressure, always use jars specifically for canning when you do meat.

Good Luck!

I recommend that you go to your county extension service. It should be in Reed City on West Upton Avenue. They should have publications that they can give you on canning. They might also know someone that might be willing to be a mentor. Don't forget that your tax dollars pays for the MSU Extension Service. It's just like libraries...we need to use these services. The extension services are not utilized near enough and are staff with great people.

I've never canned anything more complicated than jam, but my understanding is with meat you HAVE to use a pressure canner.

Sorry I don't have any recommendations for books - I always used the chart that came with the pectin.

I use the waterbath method and have had good success. Mostly I make whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and jams. Got the first batch of blackberries freezing. One more batch and I'll have enough to make jam.

We can a lot with just a waterbath. The venison however we freeze. I think canning the venison would not be worth it. If you use a Food Saver or any vaccum sealer system and freezer it keeps well. A couple of years ago we found some vension in the freezer that was 3 years old. We cooked it and it was fine thanks to the vaccumn sealer.
Good luck!

I agree. They have a wealth of information, recipes, directions, cautions, everything for the asking! Here in Georgia, they will also check your pressure gauges each year to make sure they are registering correctly.

Go get the Ball canning book.. it is cheap and very good.. and yes you can only can meat with a pressure canner.. have done it for years... The chicken in jars is the best.

Good advice.

[quote=Peckish]I've never canned anything more complicated than jam, but my understanding is with meat you HAVE to use a pressure canner.
---------------------------------------
I don't know about that, seems to me I remember having to sit with a wind up clock to watch for an hour, or maybe far longer for the water to boil over the jars, then go get Grandma when time was up. She fried the meat first, not cooked but browned it so it would taste good after being opened.

Looking around on the Internet, I've found folks who say to water bath boil it for from...get this...from 3 hours to 5 hours!!!

I do believe that pressure cookers is the way to go, except that I'm scared of them.

[quote=Peckish]I've never canned anything more complicated than jam, but my understanding is with meat you HAVE to use a pressure canner.
---------------------------------------
I don't know about that, seems to me I remember having to sit with a wind up clock to watch for an hour, or maybe far longer for the water to boil over the jars, then go get Grandma when time was up. She fried the meat first, not cooked but browned it so it would taste good after being opened.

Looking around on the Internet, I've found folks who say to water bath boil it for from...get this...from 3 hours to 5 hours!!!

I do believe that pressure cookers is the way to go, except that I'm scared of them.

You should get the
Ball Blue Book. You will need both a hot water canner and pressure cooker, depending on what you want to can. Foods with a low acid content such as corn and beans require the pressure cooker. Those with high acid content such as tomatoes can use the hot water bath. Just follow the directions in the book, and you will be fine. have fun!

Definitely get the Ball Canning book. And if you google Home Canning you will get more info than you ever wanted. There is nothing difficult about a pressure canner, especially the newer ones with gauges, etc. You can boil meat in a hot water bath for as many hours a you want and the meat will never get hot enough to kill the botulism. Our mothers and grandmothers were lucky with their canning. And they did have things spoil. I remember as a kid dumping many jars of stinky spoiled vegies. Canning meat is not a necessity but it tastes better than anything out of a freezer.

I use both the water bath method and a 22 quart pressure
canner. Pressure cookers work great and shouldn't be scary, just follow the directions and keep an eye on your pressure gauge.
I've been canning since 1997 and have put up carrots,beets
,green beans,tomatoes and salsa. My Dh grows a big garden every year and its so nice to have fresh produce.

I'd really like to can my beef stew, but I want a pressure canner to ensure it's done properly. I DO NOT want my family getting sick!

#1 My mom.
#2 Ball canning book

I always use a water canner

I can everything I make my own apple pie mix tomatoe soup and even the small potatoes but you will need both a water canner and a pressure cooker as you use the water canner for peaches, pears etc. if you have questions you may pm me

the Ball canning book is exceptional. note too that many of the better pressure canners come with cookbooks which including canning recipes. I have an All American pressure cooker which I am thrilled with and have used for both pressure canning and water bath. last year I put up: concord & peach jams, three kinds of pickles, gallons of tomato sauce, sliced fruits, apple/green tomato chutneys, sweet corn relish, and lots of succotash.

just a note about canning deer meat: if you are canning it, you may want to also pickle it. it will soften some of the gameyness that becomes pronouced over time as well as tenderize it. (this is what the local Amish ladies do) otherwise if you are able, vaccum pack and freeze what you can.

The Ball canning book is one of the best I've seen! I use it and do a lot of water bath canning. Everything I've tried has come out great.

There is a "Blue Book" that one of the canning jar companies puts out. I think it is Ball jars --for pressure canning, be sure to read the directions and DO NOT let too much pressure build. If you have a canner with a guage, watch that closely, if one with the rocker, be sure it just rocks gently. It will take a while for the pressure to build, and then turn the heat down so it just rocks gently. Water bath canning is OK for things that are acidic. Things with vinegar like dill beans. It takes pressure canning for meats and things like green beans and non acidic items.
If you can find a neighbor or someone who has pressure canned and ask them to walk you through it the first time, it helps. Just taught a DS how to pressure can. After the first time he is doing great. has a fairly large garden and yesterday, canned a soup mix of carrots, green beans, and onions. That with his canned stew meat and some tomatos later on, he will have ingredients to put in crock pot.
You can dehydrate fruits and veggies too. With the moisture removed things do not spoil. I dehydrate onions, and fruits.

Definitely pick up the Ball Canning book. Invaluable. You will want to have both a pressure canner and bwb on hand. The first is for low acid foods and the second for jellies, jams, tomato sauce, pickles.
There is a great yahoo group called preserving-food. This board won't allow me to post the url, but do a search and you'll find it. Lots of old timers there and tons of recipes in the files.

I was going to say the same thing - and, if it turns out good, enter it in your local county or state fair. Have done that and what a terrific feeling one gets for getting a blue ribbon at the State Fair. Also, I use the water bath. Never had a pressure cooker. I love to listen to the "ping". Then you know you did a job well done - it pinged!!!!! Edie

I've been canning for 60 years. Started first with the water bath canner, green beans for 3 hours. Did it this way for years, and my folks finally bought me a pressure canner. So much quicker, and nothing to be afraid of. Now I use it for everything except tomatoes and fruits, jellies, pickles, and jams. These still need the water bath canner. My first pressure canner got warped and I couldn't use it last year so bought a new one. This year when I got out my water bath, there were small holes in the bottom, so I bought a new one of them. I can for myself and a lot of other people. I have won prizes at my local county fair as well as the Indiana State Fair. Those State Fair Rosettes are nice to receive.

be careful -green beans have to be done in a pressure canner-they are low acid and can cause botulism if done in water bath-

I do a lot of canning. I would suggest you get a Ball canning book and a pressure cooker. Your water baths are mainly for jams, pickles, fuits and tomatoes. If you've planning on canning any types of eat, you'll need the pressure. Please be sure and read you manual before beginning. Once you turn out that first batch, you'll be wanting to can everything. Good luck!

s

Above are the best suggestions on this thread. DO CHECK OUT THE EXTENSION OFFICE. I am a volunteer food preserver with the Ext. Office locally. I teach jam/jelly making, canning, drying, freezing classes for the Ext. Office. PRESSURE CAN ALL MEATS, SEA FOODS, FISH, GAME, BEANS, LOW ACID FOODS AND VEGGIES ALWAYS! We had a family almost die of botulism from eating canned asparagus done in a water bath canner so make sure you follow the BALL Canning book directions. Make sure your Ball canning book is up-to-date. This book can be purchased at any store carrying canning supplies...Walmart, Bi-Mart, Kmart, etc. It costs about $7.99. They put out a new book on occasion because veggy seeds are hybids to get bigger, better, faster growing, etc. produce. Tomatoes USED to be high acid but now they've been hybrid to the point where you must use extra acid in each jar and process the tomatoes longer than you use to have to do. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS WHEN CANNING and you will have wonderful, safe food for your family.

Contact your county extension agent. We got a copy of the canning book that they use. Free. I don't know how they can give it away. But they did. (The 'book' was in a 2 inch folder). The Ball Canning book is what I use.

I try to "can", but I don't use a pressure canner. I water bath anything that needs it. I have bought lots of books, but the best way I have ,learned is to talk to seasoned canners and gardeners. You know, the little older ladies just down the street. Now, I attempt anything...except the pressure canner.

Congratulations on your new endeavor - it was always rewarding to me to see the jars all lined up knowing that I could eat the "fruits of my labor" all winter long. My advice is to get the Ball Canning Book, which I believe is still readily available. Also consult your pressure canner instructions, and their recommendations. Some vegetables only need a water bath, and others the pressure canner, so get the Ball book and you will be successful. I don't have a garden now, but when I did I enjoyed the process, as it brought back memories of home and my Mom canning for us. Good luck.

definately a pressure canner - esp with meat!

Would advise that you take into account the size
of your stove top "burner". I find the smaller pressure
canner is not too heavy for my stove and when canning
I can still lift the full canner. Also use the canner for
cooking everyday foods, ie: navy beans.etc. Others
here may be able to give you some considerations as
to size. I have a electric water bath canner I use a lot.

Happy canning :thumbup:

www.ball.com I believe is the Ball canning internet address. I swear by the Ball Blue Book, we used Ball canning jars for tomatoes. You can use any jar that has Ball on the bottom of it for jellie/jams. Dearest Grandmother in law when she was alive god rest her soul and the kids & I would can every summer. Make jams & jellies, senfgerken, tomatoes, relishes and lots of others but we always used the Ball Blue Book. Check to see if you can get one at the local library on loan then maybe copy the recipes you like. All I can say is time & patience, as it takes oodles of time to make things, but come this winter you will be so glad you took the time to do that !

Also a lot of veggies too. Tomatoes and pickels have a lot of acid so your can can them with a water bath. When I decided to learn to can I bought a canning kit came with everything you needed to water bath can and the book "Ball Blue Book of Preserving" Really good book. Tells you everything you need to know, has some good recipes and is not too complicated.

The ball canning book is the best. I have been canning for years. It is the best easiest to follow book. I use a water bath for some things and pressure canner for others. I don't like meat that has been canned it gets a weird texture. I do can vegetable soup with meat. When I had the 4 kids at home I canned about 400 jars a year. Yard sales are a good source for jars. Check for nicks on the top edge before buying. I got nearly all of my jars at yard sales.

I just read the book that came with my pressure cooker. Learned as I went along. Kerr and Ball books are good.

I agree. Our county extension office is the repository for all the latest information about safe canning. There's lots of information on the web, just make sure it comes from a reliable source.

Nothing to be afraid of with a pressure canner- just follow the directions. Also, I use it as my water bath canner too, just don't seal the top on. Love to can all kinds of things, but have never done meat. I'd like to try chicken this year, my Mom said it was her favorite thing that her Mom canned. So convenient too, for soup or chicken pie- enchiladas, what ever.