Letter Re: Do It Yourself Meat Preservation Methods

Jim:
For years, "Abigail" and I have been canning vegetables from the garden along with beef, fish, venison and bear. Friends or ours were wanting to learn how to can themselves. Last week Kathy and Jeff came over and we processed a bushel of Roma tomatoes into spaghetti sauce. The next evening we canned up the sauce. Since then Kathy on her own has canned up 10 lbs (dry weight) of navy beans and is getting ready to do some hamburger noodle soup. She told me that she had no idea how easy it is to use a pressure cooker to preserve food.
In my opinion this is the way to learn, find someone to show you how! Kathy and Jeff had many questions and we answered them through the course of the two evenings. Like handling a gun you have to respect your equipment when you are home canning. However with the proper instruction you can have a safe and enjoyable time as you are putting away stores for the future.
One last thing, look for canning jars at home auctions. You can reuse the jars indefinitely and can often time pick them up for dimes on the dollar at the sales. Stock up on lids too, if the fertilizer strikes the veneration system those lids will come in very handy indeed. They will also be a great barter item. - John & Abigail Adams