# Learning to Pressure Can



## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Hi All, Got a pressure canner for Christmas so wanting to learn how to use it. Problem is we don't currently have anything that needs pressure canning. Would you consider Ppessure canning something (like apple butter) that only requires WB solely to learn how to pressure can? if so what kind of guidelines for pressure or time would you use?

WWW


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## tlrnnp67 (Nov 5, 2006)

Just grab a bag of beans and start from there.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

go on you tube if you wanna do beans to make sure you get it right ,pretty good videos on there , meat or soup are really easy . just use the longest processing time for the ingreedients . thiers nothing to fear if you follow the instructions ( do you have the ball blue book ) . but jut to give it a test run I would can some water , just fill 2-3 jars with water leaveing about a inch of headspace ,with about 3 inches of water in your canner put the lid on and turn on the fire when you see steam comeing out of the stem for a few Mins put the weight on , watch the gauge and weight when it reaches 5- 10-15 pounds(depending on how you' set the weight ) the jiggler will start jiggling and releaseing steam . if your lids on correctly there should be no steam leaking any where else . now turn the heat down to keep the jiggler going slowly and the pressure gauge at a steady number . or just use water without any jars . just so you give it a test run to see how easy it works and how long it takes to return to 0 pressure . what ever brand you have the lids ect. go on a lil differently but they mostly work the same if you want detailed instruction for any type of food let me know I can walk you through it .meat , soup are all pretty easy . your going to love your canner and everything that can be canned ,no longer limited to high acid fruits .


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## captain belly (Feb 7, 2018)

I would definitely can a bunch of soups. You could also do some chicken broth..... good to have on hand through the winter for sure.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Refried beans or ham bean soup. Easy first attempts. Try just a couple of pint jars before going further.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Practicing canning now on stuff you either don't need or don't care if you mess up. Make those mistakes now so you can do it right on the good stuff.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I agree practice makes perfect . but learning the rules and methods, and meanings of the terms used in canning recipies and directions . you only have to tighten the rings on the jars slightly / don't tighten them real tight ,don't over fill you jars / leave the proper head space , don't rush takeing the lid off your canner or setting the hot jars out give every thing an extra 15 min.s / after the pressure has returned to zero give it a while before removeing the lid, the same wait before removeing the jars . after you learn /gain experience you can move along faster .


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I canned some suckers last summer. I just contacted our Extension office and they gave me the instruction. It went very smoothly.


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Many County Extension offices hold canning classes through the year. I attended a couple here and learned a lot. They were free, too! One of the few uses of my tax money of which I thoroughly approve.


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