Alice Woodhull

My Ball Blue Book is my Bible when it comes to canning. Just cooking your meat in a pressure cooker is not enough. It needs to be canned in a pressure canner. The Ball book will tell you the correct times and pressure to use. It all needs to be cooked before it is canned. Your Cooperative Extension Service will also be able to help you and they can test your canner to see if the pressure gauge is working correctly.

riutzelj

whenever you can low acid foods, you have to use a pressure canner. That translates to meats, fish, most vegetables unless you are using vinegar to increase acidity.
you can can the vegies, add a bit of vinegar and she can have sour soups that she adds browned ground meat too when she is ready to warm it up, canning the vegies in broth would mean you need to pressure can from the start though.
the important lesson to keep in mind here is this: it is the acid in fermented, pickled products that keeps the botulism away. some tomatoes that are low acid also need to be pressure cooked.

Joset

If you are doing meat you definetly need a pressure cooker. and i do all my tomatoes
pressure cooking. the acid in them needs a higher heat. i guess i just trust
my pressure cooker over my water bath.

Kat Sews

Another thing that I haven't seen mentioned, even with a pressure canner don't add thickening agents like flour of cornstarch. Even though you can buy it in stores that way, it is not safe at home.

joyce blint

Meat needs processed at higher pressure/temp for a longer period of time. That's why it needs pressure cooked. Different meats require diff times and pressure. Use a Kerr or Ball guide for them.

haylillan

i've had that happen with tomatoes that i pressure canned

Halo

You do need a pressure CANNER for your soups, meats & veggies. That is a must. I only can fruits in my water bath canner. A pressure cooker is different than a pressure canner so make sure you get the canner for this.

MattieMae

QuilterMomma, sorry to learn your work was in vain, but you inspired me. I pulled out the manual from my "Mirro-Matic Pressure Cooker." We used to buy the cheap cuts of beef and they always came out fork tender, like with slow cookers, but a lot faster. I checked the lid and seals, and am going to start using it again.

I never used it for canning before, but the instructions given for canning soup stock seem pretty straightforward. Cook it, skim fat, remove bones, pour hot into prepared jars, etc. and process. The news reports of the chemicals used to line soup cans these days is worrying.

I don't know if the new pressure cookers are capable of canning. Just like with sewing machines, always read the manual. ~

QuilterMomma

I am going to have to find the manual. I do have the Ball canning book that I received from my DH's grandmother so will be checking that out. It does seem like it was all done in vain, but got to get back on that horse and ride the canning world again. I still have more tomatoes and pears to do so will try a batch or two with the Pressure Canner, and be sure to put the rubber stop in and use the knob for the pressure to be sure is at the right pounds of pressure. Thank you ladies so much for the assist. Going to keep these kids fed during the winter. less cooking during winter for me so I can quilt more.

Peckish

Anybody ever put up homemade stew? I really want to try this. Hubby would love to take my stew on hunting trips, and I'd love the convenience of simply warming up a jar on those cold winter nights when I'd rather be quilting than cooking.