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.