I think I’ve just realised where my trust line is.
Recently I bought a book about canning. And while I already feel confident with water bath canning, pressure canning is a whole different level. It’s not something you casually experiment with—it’s about safety, not just taste.
And that’s exactly where my hesitation kicked in.
I started reading a new book from 2025, written by someone younger than me, confidently describing methods that felt off. There were ideas like fermenting meat and hanging it, but not in the traditional ways. It made me think. There are indeed old methods for preserving meat—salting, drying, curing—that have been used for generations. These methods follow specific rules, and you can’t just change them randomly.
And I realised: I don’t want my family to be the “experiment.” Especially not when it comes to something like pressure canning meat. That’s not a place for guessing or “creative interpretation.” If something goes wrong there, it’s not just a failed recipe.
So I did something that now feels very natural to me—I reached for an old book. Not on canning this time, but on a different subject… because I’m still on the lookout for a good, trustworthy pressure canning book.
And the feeling was immediate. Calm. Clear. Grounded. No fluff. No trendy language. No trying to reinvent something that already has a proven, safe way of being done. Just straightforward knowledge, written by someone who clearly understood the responsibility behind it.
That’s when it clicked.
Maybe this is my trust line:
When it comes to learning—especially things that affect health and safety—I trust knowledge that has stood the test of time, before AI, before the Internet.
That’s it!
So I’m curious— If any of you do pressure canning, I’d really love to hear your experience. How did you learn? What do you trust? What are your non-negotiables when it comes to safety?
Ilze
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
Growing up, we had a large garden and I remember my parents canning tomatoes, peaches, beans, pretty much everything. I have never canned, though. I freeze instead.
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For a family of five, the freezer isn’t really an option—it’s already packed to the brim (and we even have two!). Canned food, on the other hand, keeps just fine with or without a power outage. A freezer… not so much.
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I haven’t pressure canned in many years yet in the past is was a yearly treat I learned from my grandparents who canned so much. Everytime you pressure can it should make you a little nervous because if not done right it would be a very bad situation. My canner is very old which means it has knobs to tighten all around it. No over stuffing the jars, make sure jars are on tight and that our one knob at a time to make sure the seal is even. When time is up, I slowly release each knob slowly one at a time again. I let them sit until the water has coled down as an extra precaution. Pressure Canning can take canning to the next level. Buy the size that best for your family.
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Thank you! I might actually look into this. It sounds a bit crazy, but I’ll probably try it out in the garage or somewhere similar 🙂 I’m hoping to find one here in Latvia and get proper instructions as well. And I’ve heard that glass jars need to cool down slowly so they don’t crack—sounds a bit intense, but also fascinating!
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It’s intense and requires nearly constant attention. I would suggest buying the new type of pressure cooking that has a steam release vent and less knobs to deal with. I bet you can find some videos on Youtube. 🙂
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I need one good book as well… from 80s 90s? 🙂
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Why from them, people all over still can. Read about current pressure cooker types and pick on that’s best for you. Buying one more correct has technology and safety features. You can also find blogs that share their canning stories. You don’t really need a book until you’ve chosen the type you want.
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