canning

i really stepped into the world of food processing/canning last summer. i enjoyed it immensely. i got such a sense of accomplishment from all the tomatoes & salsa i put up. i also froze some peas & lima beans. this year i want to do peaches & apples. I also am going to try to make some blackberry jam considering i missed out on the strawberries. but i have been reading up on it to refresh my memory & everything i am reading suggest using a pressure canner/cooker. it scares me to try new things like that. what if i spend all that money & just fail. not that a pressure canner/cooker is greatly expensive - it's roughly $100. i can swing that. i just dont want to fail or buy it & not use it. but i did some research & it seems that Presto makes a good one that is just like the "one Grandma used". it has an excellent consumer rating. & I got it at Wal-mart.
it seems the best way to put up lima beans & peas is to use a pressure cooker. Also the pressure cooker processes them faster. oh & corn! i want to do a lot of corn this year. we will see. i tried pickles & they just sucked big time. it also does okra....it does everything. & i can use it for cooking ribs & roast quicker also which is a plus. wish me luck!