Here's the story - a few years ago I decided I wanted to start canning. I had always been afraid I would leave out a step and the food would spoil, I would die - that was my excuse and I was sticking to it. On a trip to Montana I watched my friend, Doreene, can via the water bath method. Looked pretty easy so I bought a water bath canner, and was on my way. Well that method just wasn't good enough because I wanted to can EVERYTHING. Having gift cards from Amazon that were burning a hole in my pocket I decided to purchase a pressure canner through Amazon.
When UPS delivered a huge box it never occurred to me the canner was in a box THAT big, but there it was in all it's glory when I opened the box. The canner sat on the floor in the box for a few days, then on the kitchen counter for a few more days before I found the courage to give it a try. When Doreene pressure cans she asks her husband take the pressure canner outside and watch it because she's afraid it will EXPLODE!!!!!!!! I kept reminding myself I grew up with meals prepared in a pressure cooker and I had been using one for the past 40 years so I knew the canner wouldn't explode it was just 3 times bigger so I gave it a try.
The first recipe tried (the only one so far) was vegetable broth since I had the ingredients on hand. Easy, easy easy! It may have taken some time to chop the vegetables but the outcome has been well worth it.
Call me "old fashioned" but I think there is something comforting about "putting up" food I've prepared for my family.
