Before I begin my new story, I want to tell you that I reread that original post, and all the comments that followed. At the time, I didn't know how to set up my posts to be able to reply. As I can now do that, I may take some time to go back and thank everyone who responded to it. I seemed to have touched a common theme with my friends back then, and I'd like to honor their messages to me. So, if you commented on that post, don't be surprised to finally receive a response to it.
So, back to the Committee. My mum had a pressure cooker when I was a child. Apparently, she wasn't as knowledgable as she needed to be, or perhaps she just made a mistake, but one day when she was using it, she blew the top off that cooker. From then on, I never heard anything except how dangerous they were.
As a result, even though I've owned two used pressure cookers, I never used them, and I've either sold or given them away out of fear. My Committee kept reminding me that a cooker would blow up and they were too dangerous to use.
But, here's the thing. When you have something you want to accomplish really badly, you can overcome a fear. You can overcome the Committee and those (sometimes unfounded) voices in your head. I'm afraid of heights. I don't know how that came about, but I know it to be true. When we first moved to the farmhouse, I purchased a beautiful, big metal compass. I really wanted to put the compass in the peak of the (now) Compass Barn. So, I asked Shelly to hold the ladder, and I climbed. I beat my acrophobia and hung my compass. I came down the ladder with shakey knees, but I'd done it. Why couldn't I do the same with a pressure cooker?
Actually, I want a pressure canner. I want to be able to preserve foods without having to sweeten or pickle them. I want to safely and stably preserve meats and things like squash or potatoes. If the freezer goes out again, or we lose power, we'll still have food that won't have to be refrigerated to be safe to eat.
I had a talk with Handsome, and I metaphorically climbed another ladder. I figured if I buy a brand new pressure canner, all the parts will be new, ready to use, and safe. What did he think? (Remember, he's watched me buy and sell two before.) He responded that if I were committed to following through this time, I should go ahead and purchase one.
I searched for the best price on a nice-sized pressure canner, and ordered it over the weekend. In addition, I also purchased this guide to pressure canning so I'll have good information and more than a few recipes to safely use my new purchase. The book will be here this week, and the canner will be here soon after.
I'll also be watching a few YouTube videos, and check to see if Presto has a site with more information and tutorials. I have to say I'm really excited about this. I'm going to turn my fear into butterflies, and really, who doesn't love butterflies? I can do this. Right? I'm sure going to find out - and I promise to let you know how it goes.
