Would Can if I Could Can

[colliemommie]

Does anyone have any experience canning with a pressure cooker? I've canned jams and spaghetti sauce (separately, of course) in a hot water bath, but now I want to try canning some homemade soup and other sauces. I have a nice old pressure cooker (it's autumn gold, which should date it pretty accurately, but it works and cost $3), but am not quite sure how one goes about it.

I have the old Readers' Digest Back to Basics book, which has some information on pressure canning, but it tends to assume that you have at least a bowing acquaintance with a pressure cooker. If anyone can share some basic procedures, or helpful hints, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Also, where in hell can you buy canning tongs?!? Mine are held together with a piece of wire and aren't as stable as I would like. But I can't find new ones anywhere (supermarkets, BJs, Kmart), and the garage sale gods haven't listened on this one yet. Maybe a mom and pop hardware store?

Comments

[affreca.livejournal.com]

Try out Putting Food By for info on pressure canning. Your library might have a copy. As for tongs, I've seen them at my local Ace hardware store.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

It's always difficult to know which books to try first.

We don't have an Ace around here, but Taylor's is similar (smallish chain, tends to carry surprising and somewhat random things). I'll give them a try.