Get what you can afford. We could afford the AA and my hubby figured it would do me best in the long run. I probably won't be getting a second pressure canner so it's all good here.
Yes, she knows how thrilled I am. I hope to bless her with a few home canned jars of something yummy soon.
She said the canner was her mother's before it was hers. She has children so I was surprised she gave it to me instead of her daughter. People often don't can these days though or maybe she thought it was too old. I saw someone on YouTube using a canner exactly like the one she gave me but it looked like it had a new gauge too.
I love soup base although it cost about twice what Bee pays for it. A little bit goes a long way for a little more flavor. I'm thinking of making chicken and noodles this week for supper. I have some chicken canned but I want to use what I have in the freezer. I gotta clear some space in the freezer before gardens start producing. I'm hoping for some good deals. I like to cold pack boneless chicken best of all. It does have a soft texture but is good in Mexican casserole which DH and the Wildbunch love so much. Saves time boiling down chicken if I'm in a hurry. I'm thinking about canning some ham and white beans soup for the winter this week.