Why not buy one of the great canning books at places like WalMart? They have the Ball book which has all the SAFE times and pressures. There are also places online to get that information.
The only thing we waterbathe is pickles and tomatoes with acid added, as recommended for safety. Everything else goers in the pressure canner. What isn't used is tossed out after 18 months.
This is an excellent site for asking questions on safe methods of canning:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/harvest/[/quote] As long as the seal stays on your jar it's still good. We don't throw anything away unless it's bad. I have some stuff in my storage that I canned in 1988 and they are still good. I ate some canned meat last week that was done 5yrs. ago and it was perfectly good. Kitty, you must be a millionaire if you can afford to throw away all your stuff after 18 months. I'm storing my food for long term not just 18 months. We have at least 1200 qts. canned. of all kinds of stuff. There is no way I will throw away that much food unless it becomes bad. When my grandfather died he had a lot of canned goods that were over 20yrs. old and they were still good. If everything goes to sh!t for 5, 10 or even 15 yrs. you will be up sh!t creek if you throw away all your stuff after 18 months. If you check with the old timers, they will tell you the same thing I just did, food properly packed in jars are good as long as the vacuum is still intact and the lid didn't pop up. I'm 65yrs, old and have been canning with my grandparents and parents since I was about 8yrs old. As Cajuns we have really been prepping all of our lives. It's just a part of life for us. We are a rough people but that is our heritage and we are PROUD of it.
