My Grandma had very steep, winding stairs that led to her cool, damp basement.  She had wood shelves along one wall.  They bowed from the weight of glass mason jars full of homemade goodness.  I would grab what she needed and race up the stairs as fast as I could.  Her basement was the home of hairy wolf spiders as big as my hand.  

I have wanted a pressure canner for a very long time.  I cook in large quantities.   I had dreams of making huge batches of sauce, soups, applesauce and other goodies. 

I finally bought one.  

I went to the Farmer's Market to buy some supplies for spaghetti sauce.  

I don't like a sweet sauce.  And I never use bay leaf.  To me...that adds a bitter flavor.  I use oregano, garlic, flat leaf parsley, basil, salt, pepper and olive oil.  And tomatoes of course.  If it's to thick I add some beef broth to thin it down.

I bought a half a bushel of tomato's that were perfect for canning.  

After three days of being to busy to bother with them...I blanched them.

Skinned, seeded and crushed.  

My pressure canner had been sitting in it's box for days.  

 I was scared to use it.  I know that sounds ridiculous.  But it's true.  I was scared it would be to complicated.  I was scared that all my jars would explode.  I was scared that I wouldn't do it properly and I would poison my family.  

I read the instruction book cover to cover.  Instruction books always make everything sound more complicated then they really are.  

I thought about returning it.

I thought of all the worse case scenarios.  

I thought...this is insane. People do this.  No one dies from this (don't tell me if they do).  You can do this.  

I bit the bullet.  

It was scary.  But I did it.

  

And no one was harmed!  Even though...I haven't opened one yet...so it's still possible that I will poison my family the next time we eat pasta. 

Hopefully not.  

I can't wait to do it again.   I think I'll make a big batch of soup next.  And then applesauce in the fall.