From The Word! / Preserving

My Plunge Into Pressure Canning

Canning.  I’ve been canning for probably the last 9 years or so, but most of my experience up until lately has been with water bath canning high acid and/or sugary foods like tomatoes, pickles and jams.  I have wanted a pressure canner for years, but have never wanted to spend the money to buy one.
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This summer my husband happened across a field of sweet corn ready for picking in a small town not far from where we live.  There was a sign stating the corn was free for whoever wanted to pick it, which was pretty awesome.  Well, my husband just happened to be driving his truck.  That evening he showed up home with a truck bed pretty full of corn…awesome again!

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The next day I got all {little} hands on deck and they were troopers!  Somehow the older
kids were gone and got out of shucking the majority of the corn, much to their chagrin, I am sure.  My niece and the neighbor’s granddaughter even got in on the fun.  Fun. That’s what we’ll call it.

Notice the smiles on their faces.  This was obviously the very beginning of the ‘fun’ shucking process…

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My point in recounting this story is that we started to process and freeze quarts of corn that I had cut off the cobs, but soon realized we were somewhat limited in our freezer space.

My sister lives in the same area as me {yay for family being close!} and was nice enough to lend me her pressure canner.  With the use of that,  I was able to pressure can the remaining corn instead of freezing it. Thanks sis!

 

I was so excited to use her pressure canner, which is kind of funny to think about now actually how excited I was! After putting up the rest of the corn in jars, I suddenly had all of these ideas for what I wanted to can next: other veggies, various soups and meats for shelf-stable and quick meals.  In fact, I was so excited in my newfound adventure that I even checked out a number of canning cookbooks from the library for new ideas!  I knew that I couldn’t keep my sister’s canner indefinitely and that I would have to give it back and so I started praying that I would get a good deal on one.

Fast forward to just a few days after my prayer when we spotted a garage sale and decided to stop.  I am so glad that we did, because that day is the day I scored my pressure canner!  It was the exact same one as my sister’s and, get this…still in the box!  God is so cool.  He really does care about what we care about.

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Presto 23-quart Aluminum Pressure Canner – Model 01781

Luke 11:9-13  {NLT}

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Psalm 37:4 {NLT}

Take delight in the Lordand he will give you your heart’s desires.

Thanks Jesus for providing, You are so faithful.  Thanks for giving me desires, may I use them to please You. Thanks for listening to me when I ask for things, directing my steps, and providing the answers to what I’ve been talking to You about.  I think You are pretty cool.  

Your girl,

Shelley.

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One thought on “My Plunge Into Pressure Canning

  1. God is good like that. isn’t He? He just shows up and surprises us.
    I have been thinking about canning, too. I have never done it before, so I have been reading up on it. I look forward to reading more of your posts and stealing some of your ideas.
    P.S. Good kids to help you with all that corn 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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