Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:

> Personally I don't understand what the fuss is all about. Pressure canners
> are cheap and easy to operate, I have 2 of them both of which cost
> less than $10 from Goodwill. (granted, I kept an eye out for them and
> it took a while before they showed up) If you pressure can your Salsa
> you can use whatever recipie you like, acid or no acid, just as long as
> you pressure can it for the time called for, for the longest time ingredient
> in it.

Not everywhere. Outside of the U.S. they are hard to find and expensive
to import. Replacment parts are impossible to get except if ordered
from the U.S. which often costs 2 to 3 times the price.

If you happen to be in the U.S. and have the time, money and space, I suggest
that you follow Ted's advice and keep an eye out for pressure canners and
jars at thrift shops. While you are at it, stock on replacement parts if
needed (rings, weights, etc) and single use items such as lids and bands.

While almost all single use jars such as mayo or peanut butter sold here
have gone to plastic bottles, the lids still fit the narrow mouth Mason
type jars. If you remove the paper liners they make great covers. They fit
nicely over the sealed jars protecting the lids from prying fingers
and accidents. If you ask around, you probably can get them for free. :-)

While you are at it, look for Sunbeam mixmasters. They are IMHO still good
mixers and are so cheap that if they break you can throw them out if you
can't get them fixed. The trick is to find bowls, which are often seperated
from the mixers at thrift stores and yard sales.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM