Perfectly Preserved Podcast Ep 9 - Pressure canning for beginners
As I teach classes online and in person, I hear over and over, "Pressure canning is SO SCARY! Won't the lid blow off?!"
It is always a pleasure when these same people text me later and excitedly tell me that they DID IT and it wasn't so bad. Success!
In this episode we discuss pressure canning and once you listen, you'll see it is THE skill you need to learn to round out your canning tool box. We explore the best two kinds of pressure canners we recommend: The All American and the Presto.
We explain that by simply following the directions provided, the several steps required to pressure can is really simple, and not difficult at all. Any trouble you may hear of in regards to difficulty pressure canning can almost always be attributed to failing to follow the provided directions.
In this episode all about pressure canning we also explain in detail what kinds of recipes are appropriate for pressure canning (LOW ACID RECIPES) and the fact that many things you may see online being pressure canned are actually not recommended. We aren't party poopers, we just are here to share what's safe based on science. That means that canning milk, dairy, butter, etc is NOT recommended in any home canning set up because of the fats and proteins present. The very things we love about dairy make them not safe for home canning, even in a pressure canner. This also includes pasta, rice, baked goods, cured meats, and many thickening agents (see our Pectin episode for a canning safe thickener suggestion!). To learn more about the different types of canning-safe recipes, refer to our Acid and Canning episode.