# Canning Anxiety..



## therunbunch (Oct 5, 2009)

My husband bought me a Presto 23 qt. canner .. my first ever canner.. as an early valentines day present. Now that I have it, I want to can everything under the sun!!! 

...........Only.. I'm terrified. I have been reading about botulism and death and stuff. I'm petrified that I'm going to stock a pantry full of beautiful jars of homemade soups, sauces, veggies and such.. only to take out our entire family because I did something wrong in the canning process, preparation process, etc etc. 

I swear I am petrified. Is this normal? I ordered the Ball Blue Book and I know that that is the information to follow, but I haven't received it yet and I haven't unpacked my canner from the packaging. Am I crazy?


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## tinknocker66 (Jul 15, 2009)

its normal to be nervous at first I think. start small and work your way up and ENJOY


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

therunbunch said:


> My husband bought me a Presto 23 qt. canner .. my first ever canner.. as an early valentines day present. Now that I have it, I want to can everything under the sun!!!
> 
> ...........Only.. I'm terrified. I have been reading about botulism and death and stuff. I'm petrified that I'm going to stock a pantry full of beautiful jars of homemade soups, sauces, veggies and such.. only to take out our entire family because I did something wrong in the canning process, preparation process, etc etc.
> 
> I swear I am petrified. Is this normal? I ordered the Ball Blue Book and I know that that is the information to follow, but I haven't received it yet and I haven't unpacked my canner from the packaging. Am I crazy?


This is a normal reaction for those starting out reading about canning on HT Preserving the Harvest before starting. 

You should start out canning water....nothng else is safe for your first 3 years! After that you must add a bit of vineger to every jar for 2 years. You may now be ready to do something really risky like..... tomato juice. Be very careful. If you mess that up, your hair will turn green, you feet will smell like old French cheese, and people will call you bad names! 

It's ok to be a bit nervous. Mistakes can cost time, money and can be confidence busters. There is a great deal of information out there and people with a lot of experience. Stick with the basics from the Ball books for now. When you get more experience you will be able to do much more. 
There are those that enjoy striking fear into beginers. i guess it makes them feel better. Many people have canned for many years. It's not rocket science as some would have you believe. This is probably one reason many have failed to learn how to can their own food. irrational fears from irrational people. 
Are there dangers? Yup! But there are dangers in our everyday lives far greater then those in canning. 
I come from a family of canners from many many years back. They have canned in every different type of container and canner there has been. We have never had an illness or death.
It is a great skill to have. There is great satisfaction in being able to provide for yourself and your family.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

Congratulations!!

Just follow the recommendations in the Ball Book and keep all impliments and jars very clean. You will do just fine. We are here if ya need us!
It will be second nature.... just like breathing, very soon. Don't worry, it's easier than it sounds!!

Cliff, You are hysterical!! I could just imagine the look on her face when she started reading your response!! ROFL!!


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

AS long as you follow the instructions and the jars seal and are sealed when opened, you have no problems. Have canned thousands of jars and ate my greenbeans that were 6 years old. I use a presto and a national that my mom bought in 1938!

As a kid my mom canned a zillion jars, never a problem..

judylou will come along and help you


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

Until your Ball Blue Book comes there is lots of helpful info you can start with tight online at NCHFP. It is what the Ball Blue Book is based on. 

Here are some links to check out for starters:

Using a Pressure Canner - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

Ensuring Safe Canned Foods - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/ensuring_safe_canned_foods.html

Causes and Possible Solutions for Problems with Canned Foods - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/cannedfoodproblems.html

Recipes/Instructions for Canning Vegetables - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can4_vegetable.html

Just Cliff was joking about the canning water but doing practice runs with jars of food dyed water really is the best place to start. It not only acquaints you with how your canner works but gets you used to how to control it on your specific stove, how to avoid siphoning of liquid out of the jars (your water in the canner should still be clear when finished), etc.

Then there are some foods that are easier to begin with than others. So what foods are you interested in canning right now? You mention "soups, sauces, veggies". Soups have a couple of special rules and sauces do to when it comes to ingredients. But canning plain basic vegetables like carrots or green beans is pretty straight forward so consider starting with those.

Keep us posted on your progress. In 3 months you'll be a pro.


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## therunbunch (Oct 5, 2009)

I nearly balled up in the fetal position! LOL I'm pretty naive.. Thanks for the encouragement and the links. I'm still petrified, but plan to see me around.. asking all kinds of questions that make you say... "Ah... newbie!"


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

You can do it. 

I had no one to teach me, was as nervous as could be, but followed the directions on the uga site and have not stopped since. 

Wish I was close enough to go through your first canning with you. Do you have a friend that cans that lives close by?


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

You'll like this one! I did the same thing. read and read on HT & got interested in canning. No experience in any capacity with canning. Got my Presto and my very very very first thing I ever canned was the broiler chickens that were butchered that day! Of course I was soooo paranoid, and followed the rules sooo closely. And the meat looks sooo "unfamiliar", in those bubbling hot jars! I didn't even do the canned water test first! Trial by fire!

My very next thing was a bazillion potatos, and by the time I opened my first jar of potatos, I'd already decided that they were safe and nobody was likely to die... Onward & upward!

Remember, fear of the unknown is alleviated by making the unknown..known. (in otherwords, read your canner manual and read your blue book! Those links will be great too..)

You're gonna LOVE canning, btw..


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## jd2pa (Jan 23, 2011)

I'm right there with you! This winter I've been getting things I need for the spring fruit. I have a water bath canner & some jars so far. Don't have the $$ for a pressure canner yet. Little bits @ a time.

The one thing I have done is made grape juice with my steamer/juicer. The jars sealed great. I did not use the water bath because the video said you didn't have to ([ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=170VH0JdyzQ[/ame]). However, I later read that you should... not opened the two jars yet. But, since they did seal well, I'm 'assuming' they'll be okay. Anyone here that thinks otherwise, feel free to let me know before I drink it :yuck:

Check your area for classes! A few months ago I found a girl that gives canning classes & I plan on taking at least one. She charges $45 a class, no more than 6 or 7 people and you go home with a jar of whatever she did. I've also been searching youtube for videos on canning; Canning for dummies (that would be me ;0) http://www.dummies.com/Section/Canning-Preserving.id-323459.html; and, been printing out some things making up a printed binder (I don't have the Ball Blue Book yet) so I have it in front of me when I do do it AND if at some point there is no internet access - for whatever reason. I've also done a search for blogs/web sites on canning & subscribed to their mailing list for updates. Most refer you back to university sites & the ball blue book anyway, but many are very informative. Be picky though to who you subscribe to! You'll know. My advise to you and myself scaredy-cats, focus on how-to and not on the 'what-ifs'. Like many have already said, the unknown becomes second nature in no time! WE CAN DO THIS!


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## therunbunch (Oct 5, 2009)

Our Little Farm said:


> You can do it.
> 
> I had no one to teach me, was as nervous as could be, but followed the directions on the uga site and have not stopped since.
> 
> Wish I was close enough to go through your first canning with you. Do you have a friend that cans that lives close by?



No, sadly I don't  We moved from TX to MA this year and we're about to move from the interim apt to the house we bought. I don't know anyone anywhere right now lol, except my friends back in TX.. and they aren't canners/preppers/planners.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Things written about "safe" canning are very stringent. Very, very, very stringent with the warning of imminent death if you don't follow every instruction to the "T". 
Personally, I just can everything, pray over it, and boil it when we open it. I even can the no-nos of butter and milk. And we live through it, always have. For many years I canned corn, beans, and everything else in a waterbath, and we lived through it. Never got sick. So...... I say enjoy your canner. Can with pressure for the amount of time stated and relax.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

Step One: Stop reading junk on the internet. Seriously. It's like WebMD. They're going to give you the worst case scenario because if they don't and it -- one in a million -- happens then you will sue them. Just stop reading it. People have been canning for a long, LONG time. Until relatively recently they didn't follow today's guidelines.... because they weren't the guidelines then! Most people have lived long, happy, healthy lives despite it. You'll be fine, too.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

I strongly reiterate what olivehill said - Stop reading junk on the internet. Youtube and personal canning blogs are NOT trustworthy sources of canning information.


> I did not use the water bath because the video said you didn't have to


 is but one example of the poor quality of information out there.

jd2pa - while it is too late now to do, yes, your juice should have been processed. While highly acid juice such as that is relatively safe it can still grow molds because of the weak vacuum on your jars. Processing would have prevented that potential problem. Please get yourself a copy of a reliable source - the Ball Blue Book or use NCHFP online.

And while mekasmom certainly has a right to her personal opinion, she is most definitely in the minority. Reading here or on most any other canning forum will make that very clear.



> Things written about "safe" canning are very stringent. Very, very, very stringent with the warning of imminent death if you don't follow every instruction to the "T".


Simply put, is a personal opinion but it isn't an accurate statement.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm with judylou on this one. I've seen some things on the internet that are just PLAIN WRONG but the person has a following out there and thinks they're great. Heaven help anyone that tries to point out the "misinformation" to them.


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## Marilyn (Aug 2, 2006)

When I first started, I BLEACHED my entire kitchen down before I started! I'm a bit more sensible now, but still don't like to be interrupted for meal prep, etc., just don't want anything dirtying up my kitchen while I'm trying to can. That's probably why I am usually canning late at night 

After you work your way through the Ball Blue Book, they also publish a much larger hardcover book to keep you busy for a very long time.

You'll be a pro in no time - and anxious to try more and more items!


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## breestephens (Oct 29, 2008)

Stick with this forum and they will keep you safe and happily canning every thing in sight. There are several places on the net that will scare you to death and beat you over the head with the ball blue book screaming IF YOU ADD ONE MORE BEAN TO THAT JAR THEN YOUR CANNER WILL BLOW UP AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL DIE OF BOUTULISM IN TO THE NEXT TEN GENERATIONS. Canning is fun and addicting.


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## GardenNut (Sep 7, 2010)

You might check your local ag extension for classes. Ours doesn't offer them, but there's a company in town that does.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

you could call your local extension office and ask if they have a master food preserver's program. They are a good resource.


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## judylou (Jun 19, 2009)

NCHFP offers an online course in all the basics. Just go to http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/ and scroll down to the Self-Study registration info.


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## wanda1950 (Jan 18, 2009)

Just follow the instructions carefully & remember to boil all low acid stuff for 10 minutes before eating. The BBB will tell you which are low acid--basically anything that has to be pressured. You & your family will enjoy your canned stuff so much--you cannot buy products with that kind of flavor & you will know what's in your food!


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## lexiemom (Jan 9, 2011)

Like everything you try that is new- you'll be a bit nervous. The biggest thing to always remember is to keep everything super clean. I run my jars and lids thru the dishwasher so they are hot when I pull them out and ready to fill. I find that jams and jellies are the easiest things to do and a quick way to build up your confidence. Like everyone else has said on here- you will LOVE it and in no time you'll be showing someone else how to do it! Good luck and have fun- the best part is eatting the things you have put up- what a wonderful feeling!!


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## jd2pa (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks, Judylou! I'm throwing the two jars away! I didn't remember where I read to water bath them but it was probably NCHFP. Before reading your reply, I have to take my vitamins with juice & had just this morning opened one of them & used it :sob: They are only about 1 - 1 1/2 months old so hopefully, I'll be here tomorrow to read more posts hahaha.


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## Phantomfyre (Jul 1, 2004)

I'd say that not only is it normal to be scared/nervous at first - it's GOOD! Overly-confident folks are often the ones who get into trouble, "Oh, I don't have to follow all those instructions!" Or, "Grandma never did that; I don't have to." Read the BBB. Several times. Read your canner manual. Several times. Follow all the instructions, and you'll be fine.

I was nervous at first, too, and to make matters worse, I have a bit of a phobia of Things That Can Explode. Which included jars in a BWB (at first... I've gotten over that) and pressure canners. The first time I used my pressure canner, I literally wore safety goggles and long pants and a long-sleeved shirt and HID behind my kitchen counter and cried just a little bit. Really. I did.  But now I wouldn't be without my pressure canner for anything. I'm still very respectful of the thing, but don't hide anymore when using it.

You can do it!! :bouncy:


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## Just Little Me (Aug 9, 2007)

LOL! You all crack me up. I was afraid of my pressure canner the first time I used it. Now hubby will see me get it out and holler for the family to run, He says I will can anything that stands still for over 5 mins in the kitchen. LOL!


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

OK, you've gotten lots of great advice, so now I'll post my first thought when I read this title a few days back...

I NEVER ever will do that...I have enough anxiety already, I don't need to can any up for later. Somethings, even though I use daily, I refuse to stockpile.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Jen, that was my reaction too. I'll can chicken and beans and the occasional pickled eggplant, but I have a renewable source for anxiety, so I won't be wasting the lids.


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## AnnieinBC (Mar 23, 2007)

I think some parnanoia is a good thing when it comes to canning, of course I am speaking just for myself here.

I am soooo anal about the canning process. I do NOT want to look at all those jars on my shelf and "wonder" if they are OK.

I'd rather be overcautious during the process....it's worked. Good luck to you!


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## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

One very important thing to remember is that pressure canning is not at all the same as pressure cooking. You must never do anything to quickly cool your canner after processing a batch of jars or to lower the pressure inside (which is pretty much the same as quickly cooling I guess). The extra time involved in allowing the canner to come down in temperature and pressure is a part of the process that is calculated for safe food preservation. When a recipe says to process for 30 mins (just as an example, this is not a general process time for most foods) it means that once the pressure gauge reaches the indicated pressure required for your food and area, that you start timing for 30 minuted and make sure the pressure indicator stays in that required pressure for the entire time of 30 minutes. Then you may turn off the heat, and let the canner come to a normal pressure *without doing anything to hasten the cooling/lowering of pressure *before you open it. Carefully lift the jars using a jar lifter, as this will help greatly to prevent burns. Place the hot jars on a heat safe surface you placed a towel on. Setting the jars on a towel will help to prevent shock breakage of the jars due to temperature differentials. And remember to remove the rings once the jars are completely cooled and the lids have sealed. Rusted on rings are a pain to remove!

Of all the rules for safe canning, that one is probably the most important. Another one is only use canning jars rather than any glass jar the rings will fit. Most ordinary glass jars aren't made to withstand the canning process, and can break and waste all that food you took the time and money to preserve.


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## Lucy (May 15, 2006)

Could you find someone to can along with you a few times ? Most folks are afraid at first. It is normal. Just relax, do what the current books say, and have fun.
I think the Ball Blue Book to be about the best you can buy, especially since they cost about $7. 
I often suggest newbies put 2 or 3 inches of water in the bottom of the pressure canner and not can anything. Just practice with water in the canner.


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## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

Ohio dreamer said:


> OK, you've gotten lots of great advice, so now I'll post my first thought when I read this title a few days back...
> 
> I NEVER ever will do that...I have enough anxiety already, I don't need to can any up for later. Somethings, even though I use daily, I refuse to stockpile.


LOL, that was funny!!! 

I was scared of my canner too... in fact so scared that the poor thing sat in its box for a year before I actually got up the guts to use it. If you've never done water bath canning before, then maybe start there? I love my canner now, but I'll always respect it!


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