Agree - crucial difference between a pressure cooker and a pressure canner so make certain you are clear on that point. ;) Must be PC: meats seafood poultry dairy products all vegetables Tomatoes (being a fruit) can be BWB if acid is added as Ken said. But recipes using tomatoes in combination with other vegetables require pressure canning. Get yourself a copy of the Ball Blue Book ($7.95) whereever canning supplies are sold and explore the National Center for Home Food Preservation website linked below for all sorts of info on safety, how-tos, and recipes that are approved. Enjoy home canning, safely. ;) Dave Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP - Using a Pressure Canner

found this....hummmm it's close... Spaghetti Sauce Without Meat 30 pounds tomatoes 1 cup chopped onions 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped celery or green pepper 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional) 4 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 Tablespoons oregano 4 Tablespoons minced parsley 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil Yields 9 pints Do not increase the proportion of onions, celery, peppers, or mushrooms. Wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water and slip off skins. Remove cores and quarter tomatoes. Boil 20 minutes, uncovered, in large saucepan. Put through food mill or sieve. If desired, saute onions, garlic, celery, pepper, and mushrooms in vegetable oil until tender. Combine sauteed vegetables and tomatoes and add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until thick enough for serving. At this time, the initial volume will have been reduced by nearly one-half. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process jars as described in Table 1. this is a pressure can method... got it from here: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5337.html I have canned on and off through the years...and alto this is not quite my sauce it's closer than what I have come across...its the Ohio state University page...so I am gonna give this one a try...Thanks guys for your input...I am sure I will have many more questions as APPLE season gets here...*thinks about apples and canning....and starts day dreaming* ;)

Hello Lissa, Welcome to the forum. I think you'll like it here. I hope your family's pressure canner is usable. Most pressure canners have long, long lives. It's just a matter of checking and sometimes replacing an inexpensive part or two, as long as it's a common brand. I included a link to Bejay's earlier post. She was asking about citrus pectin, but I provided a comparison to apple pectin, which is more common. Certainly you can make your own. Apples are easily available and make excellent pectin stock. Some people make a strong stock; some make apple jelly, which can then be used as regular jelly or can be used with other fruits to help them jell. If you look around the forum you'll find lots of interesting threads. When you have a question, just ask away. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Using and Preserving Natural Pectin

Lou, Yup, that's it. On spaghetti sauce cooking day grandma's menu was: BREAKFAST=eggs poached in sauce LUNCH=when all the guys came home for lunch, DGM scooped out enough sauce to make a pot of pasta e fagioli DINNER=spaghetti with sauce and various meats baked in sauce SUNDAY=lasagna made with leftover sauce I never knew it to vary from this routine and I pretty much use the same schedule--except the eggs (I don't do eggs!). The sauce was an all day production.