You don’t need to look any further than the aisles of Bed, Bath & Beyond to realize that there is no lack of ingenuity when it comes to kitchen gadgetry. Our modern kitchen cabinets and drawers are full of all shapes and sizes of pots, pans, and utensils, all designed and marketed to help us achieve our own version of culinary greatness, whatever that may be. I enjoy a nifty gadget as much as the next person, but there are certain implements of cookery that stand out as timeless. Wooden spoons, sharp knives, cast iron skillets, and dutch ovens come to mind. Recently in our home, a pressure cooker/canner has become indispensable. Honestly, until last year I had never used one or seen one used in my entire life.
Wait, I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t you worried it might blow up?! For some reason the only thing my generation seems to know about pressure canners is some tragic tale of a distant aunt’s cousin’s mother-in-law blowing up her kitchen with a pressure canner.
Fortunately, there are layers of safety features built in to pressure cooker/canners manufactured since the mid 1970’s that greatly reduce the risk that something explosive will happen in your modern kitchen. Follow the manufacturer’s directions, read some blogs, employ some common sense and all should be well!
When my husband and I became interested in home canning we dusted off grandmother’s old Deluxe Model Mirro Matic. Turns out that sitting in storage for a few decades will cause a seal to go bad, but a quick search on Amazon remedied that problem. We had the old girl up and running in no time.
We jumped in head first with canning meat. Honestly, at first I thought this sounded like a terrible idea, but I must admit my husband was right and this has turned out to be a terrific idea! We have found this is a great way to preserve venison. My husband cubes up the meat, packs it in pint or quart jars, adds a little salt and into the pressure canner it goes! Nothing beats ready to use, tender and tasty protein for a quick soup, stew or stroganoff. We also tried our hand at canning chicken. Before we started raising our own meat chickens we would catch leg and thigh quarters on sale in 10 lb bags. Pre-cooking and de-boning the meat takes a little extra time, but the result is definitely worth it. My favorite thing about canning meat is that it is already ready to use. No thawing required!
Once we began raising meat chickens, I started cooking down the leftover carcasses after a meal to make my own chicken stock or bone broth. Home canning is a great way to preserve and store your homemade chicken stock. Many of the recipes I make at home call for chicken broth so now I am able to use my own stock which is far superior to what is available at the local grocery store, both in taste and nutritional value.
When we started our home-canning journey we consulted with relatives, friends and of course the internet for instructions and advice. If you’re interested, all the information you need to do safe home canning is available to you. The USDA has several guides available through the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Grandmother’s Deluxe Model pressure cooker/canner came complete with a helpful guide book that we reference often while canning.
What would have been even better, though, was if we had become interested in home canning while our grandparents still could have showed us how firsthand. If you want to give home canning a try and you still have someone in your life who can do it with you, don’t miss out on the wealth of know-how that person possesses.
So, I’m curious. Are any of you home canners? Share your favorite canning stories or recipes in the comments.
Author: Rebekah Napier