Yesterday I remembered it was winter, the time I’d said I wanted to jar stock for the summer, when I apparently drink it as a mixer. I can’t explain that. Anyway, the doorway to this better future was the pressure canner Pete bought me a year ago and which I had not developed the nerve to try. I washed out some jars, heated some lids and road tested the pressure canner. It was a test of courage. I removed cats from the kitchen. I hunkered down with both chicken and mushroom stocks, jars, lids, rings and a Sharpie for labeling. Liquids came to their various temperatures, moved to proper locations and eventually to one large pot with a rattling pressure regulator. Pete hovered nearby, advising on procedural matters and wielding tongs. Finally, a timer rang and we turned off the heat to let everything cool. We fled the kitchen to celebrate our success from a safe distance. Huzzah!

The canning instructions at Doris And Jilly Cook were straight forward and invaluable. While unnerving, the process wasn’t difficult. We’ll wait a week or two, then open a jar to test it. I feel braver already.