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I have purchased from Extension Service or downloaded off the Internet from Extension Service web sites all canning information and made my own canning book. I slide the printed sheets into plastic page protectors. And use a 4" 3-ring binder. I also have older canning recipes that I've taken to the Extension Service to find out if they were safe in my binder. All canning information was updated around 1989 after exhaustive re-testing by the Extension Service so any instructions or recipes you use should be from after that date. I also have Extension Service information on freezing, dehydrating and storing foods in the same notebook. I have the Ball Blue Book for quick reference. For information on something so vital it really is better to go directly to the source. Google for your state's Extension Service and if you can't find the informtion you want, try another state. You can also visit your local Extension Office and ask for bulletins which are usually around 50¢ to $1 which is why I try to get them online for free!

We bought a Rubbermaid storage unit and put it in the backyard in the shade of a hedge/trees and store gas/kerosene/coleman fuel in that. We keep it paddlelocked. I think it is too dangerous to store in an attached garage.

If you go to various state's extension service web sites you can down load in .pdf format tons of canning directions, recipes, etc. I have made myself a large 3-ring binder containing all my canning/freezing/drying/storing bulletins from the extension service. I also have the Ball Blue Book but there are often other ways of doing things that I prefer that I learned in extension bulletins. If you have any questions on canning procedures the extenstion service should be able to help you. Iowa State University has a hotline number so I imagine most other states do too. I usually just call the local number or drop in with my questions.

If you take your canner to the extension office they will check it for you. If you are having the pressure gauge tested you only need to take the lid. However, you cannot just walk in and get it tested most places. It has to be scheduled. In my area of Iowa they put notices in the newspaper of testing dates. They usually test at each county's extension office in late May/early June. On occasion they have fall testing dates. I get a card each year with the dates so I suppose they must send a card to everyone who had their canner tested the previous year. I have two canners purchased at estate auctions for $5 and $10. Both in like new condition.

Have you checked with some of the older ladies in your church or neighborhood who still live in their own homes? They often have one stuck away somewhere they will loan or give or sell for a reasonable price. Before you buy be sure you can still get seals and other parts.

Leaving the rings on after canning is not recommended. Leave on for 24 hours then remove, wash, dry and store so they remain dry and they will last for years. I store my rings in 5 quart ice cream buckets. If you leave them on the jars they are prone to rust which can make them almost impossible to remove. Estate auctions are a good source of canning equipment. I got a fair condition Squeezo last week for $1. In the past I've bought enough canning jars to fill my station wagon for $1. I also purchased 2 like new pressure canners at auction for $5 and $10. My price limit on canning jars is $1 a dozen but usually a box at an auction will have more than 12 jars in it. I also watch garage sales and bought a jar lifter for 25¢ a couple weeks ago. One of the best ways to acquire canning jars is to ask older ladies in your church or neighborhood because they will often give you jars just to get rid of them. I always repay their kindness with a jar or two of jelly.

This points out why its important to store cooking oil, olive oil, shortening, etc. Personally I don't care for the tuna in oil, but I have plenty of other sources stored. Look at nutrition lists to be sure you have everything covered. Don't forget seeds to grow fresh stuff.

Any time your canner starts "spewing" under pressure, turn off the heat and get the heck out of the kitchen. Canner should never go dry if its working right and you followed instructions. Dry canner = BOOM!!!!!! Be careful. I like to use my older dried beans for canning. The ones you can cook all day and they are still hard. After canning they are no longer hard but they don't turn to mush either. Its a way of rotating old stock.

The Extension Service says NO to using pressure pans for canning period. If you are a novice and planning to can food, you really must take time to learn the proper equipment and procedures or you are risking your family's lives. I've been around canning all my life, but when I married and planned my first garden I spent hours over the winter reading, studying, asking questions, etc. to learn how to properly can. Then you need to keep up-to-date. Any recipes and/or publications prior to 1989 are outdated and should not be used. I've been canning since 1961 without any problems because I've always followed the rules and kept up-to-date. Extension Service bulletins are available on-line in pdf format. Sometimes you have to visit several states sites to find all of them in pdf. Utah and Indiana have two of the more thorough sites. Canners are often available used. I bought my two for $5 and $10 at auctions. I have the gauges checked each year by the Extension Service. While I'm at the Extension office I ask if there are any changes I should be aware of. Also, I've taken old recipes to the Extension office and asked if they were safe to use. Sometimes they are and sometimes they're not. If not, the Extension specialist often can suggest changes to the recipe to make it safe.