I've been googling pressure canners lately, because you know what? If I had one, I could ALSO preserve meat. Apparently my grandmother used to put whole chickens into jars... I'm not quite that crazy, (she did it before she had a freezer... back in the olden days) but the idea of canning my spaghetti sauce or stocks and soups seems like a pretty good idea. Typically I make those things in giant batches already and store them in cheap gladware in the freezer. As cheap as gladware is, it's about the same as buying jars, and really, jars last a heck of a lot longer. I feel like I'm constantly throwing gladware away after only a few uses. Yes, I know, I could buy Tupperware, or other stuff like that, but that's even MORE expensive and I'm not sure it would survive the frozen plummet from my freezer any better. Plus, I'd need to spend a small fortune to get started considering just today I used 14 containers for spaghetti sauce.
The other benefit to canning over freezing, is that I wouldn't have to thaw anything. I could drag a jar of spaghetti sauce out of the cupboard, dump it in a pot, and as soon as it was warm and the noodles were cooked, I'd be done. Plus, if someday Husband DOES decide to create a big vegetable garden, I'd be able to preserve our corn and beans without pickling them.
I think I'm going to do it. Husband was concerned about storing another big pot, but I assured him I could use the pressure canner as a hot water bath canner too, and get rid of the one I already have. I'm really thoughtful like that.
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