Food preservation is always a problem in the home. The traditional methods are boiling water canning, freezing: and storing in a cool place like the refrigerator or a cold room. All these methods have shortcomings.

Boiling water canning usually involves salt or sugar.

Freezing is fine for meat, but does a poor job on vegetables and fruit.

A cold room at best is a compromise, since temperature and humidity varies from the ideal.

Another method , which I am now practicing is Pressure Canning, which is not new, but seldom used in the typical home. With a relatively cheap canner , Presto 23 quart, food preservation can be made easy. Suppose one has made a large pot of say spaghetti, which is usually stored in the refrigerator until it spoils or used up before this occurs. With a pressure canner the spaghetti can be stored in jars and kept at room temperature for about as year. This frees up the refrigerator for food items, which can be consumed in the short term.

I have a large garden, and am flooded with fresh, pristine produce during the month of August. This year I am processing much food, mostly in the form of juice with no sugar or salt. Simply cooking and then pressure sterilizing. The method of Pressure sterilizing. 17 August 2010 Pressure Canner 17 August 2010 Pressure Canner.