I learned to pressure can.
I was terrified of this thing called pressure canning. I had visions of large metal pots exploding and causing dire harm. I just knew I would do it wrong and kill my family with spoiled food. On top of that, the food would taste bad, and we wouldn’t use it.
Despite all this, I bought a pressure canner last spring. It sat on the shelf in a closet for much of the summer. My brain began to hurt just thinking of learning this new and very foreign thing.
I lurked for months in a pressure canning Facebook page. Seeing beautiful jars of food. Reading rave reviews of recipes. Following the latest food bandwagon.
Finally, I gave it a try. I summoned my courage. Set aside an afternoon and evening. Read the instructions step-by-step. Gathered my equipment. Gave it a try.
You know what?
No explosions. We didn’t die. The food is delicious.
After canning several different recipes, I no longer need to reread the step-by-step instructions. I understand the process. I can do this thing.
Is there something new you want to learn? Summon your courage. Take a deep breath. Give yourself some time and give it a try.
If I can do it, so can you.
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Why pressure can?
It is a way of preserving the harvest, whether that be veggies or meat. The food is shelf stable and ready to heat and eat. This fits well with our goal of growing as much of our own food as possible. Pressure canning adds another level of resilience to our farm.
Fiat Farm 
Water bath canning is a great skill too! Jam, salsa, pickles, yum!
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So glad you did pressure canning. I bought a pressure canner (it’s huge), but haven’t used it yet. It is a goal for this year. I might be yelling for help from you!
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Give me a call. I’ll walk you through it.
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I’ve canned since I was ten. One year my grandmother, mother, aunts & girl cousins were all at Aunt Louise’s who had the big Transparent apple tree to can applesauce. We had a production line and 4 or 5 pressure canners going in the big kitchen plus a couple water bath canners on the enclosed porch stove. At one point one of the younger kids (too little to help) playing outside screamed. We all ran outside to investigate, and just as we all cleared the house there was a loud WHOOMPH! When we went back inside, there was applesauce dripping from the ceiling, running down the walls, on the floor all mixed with broken glass. One of the canners had exploded! What a mess to clean up. It was the oldest canner, and probably the seals and safety valve had given way. Didn’t deter anyone from pressure canning…I still do it regularly, but I do check the seals to make sure they aren’t dry or cracked.
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Great story! That is exactly the fear. But we can’t let fear stop us from living.
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