A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity Our Favorite Recipes Hot Water Bath Canning vs. Pressure Canning

So. . .I am thinking about learning to can some of the goodies that come out of my garden this year. I would like to start with salsa and apple butter. I know I would need a pressure canner for veggies and meat and such but could I stick with a HWB canner for my salsa and apple butter?

I do the HWB...my grandparents always done meat and some veggies in a HWB outside with a large tub, they'd do it over a rolling wood fire for hours...You just brought up a nice memory for me, thanks

I do alot of canning in the fall..fruit, pickles, pean pods and such.

Sounds great! I'm so excited to try it. The HWB seems much less intimidating for my first time anyway!

I've never canned meat so take it for what it's worth but knowing what we know today I'd think using a pressure canner for meat would be the best route. I'm just not convinced that the temperature will get hot enough in a water bath.

I freeze all meat.
Never did the pressure cannin on anything.

Dont like the challenge.

I use hot water canning but do not do meat.

Canned chicken is SO tender and yummy!

I used to can everything...had 2 huge gardens and canned green beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, corn (frozen corn is better), etc...and I'd catch chicken on sale and can it so it would be ready for a quick meal...just heat and eat.

The only thing I have canned is Applebutter and jellies/jams. I usually just freeze my produce.
as an example: I clean out a 15 oz can to use as a measure-----peel & cut up tomatoes, squish them in to the top of the can, & then dump it into a plastic freezer conainer & freeze. and oh I have freezer lables so I know what is the oldest.

Pressure canning is easy - I make our soup stock. I hate to think what they use at the factory for veggies and meat

I have never pressure canned meat - it just does not appeal to me

I have pressure canned some chicken soup, as an experiment, and it was fresh a year later.

Hot water bath is my bag.
Pressure is good but I arent..LOL

I'm scared to use a pressure canner.

I am also Tamara.
my cousin did , put her dinner in the pressure cooker, lived close to the church , when she came home from church , Her dinner was on the ceiling the kitchen.
Exploded.

b

My Mom was making dinner in a pressure cooker and the valve blew off - it was like a bullet in the house (I was 7 at the time)

It is easy to pressure can - but I do the bath if I am not canning soup

I rather be safe than sorry.
Bath

Yup, and what would really need to be pressure done, just gets froze instead

yes here too.
The only things I have ever put into jars is jelly and icebox pickled beets.

All else I put up gets done in freezer containers or in a seal-a-meal packages, or sometimes I just use freezer bags. I need a new S-A-M though, back at the farm, a mouse chewed thru the cord on mine.
Last time we put up our own deer we borrowed my DD's S-A-M.

S-A-M???????

"Seal-A-Meal"

I got tired of typing it again & again--sorry

Thanks..here we call them Vac-pacs.