Recently, I joined two friends to host an online canning class called Preserving the Pantry. This was a wonderful opportunity to guide our audience through the art of pressure canning pot roast.

When I arrived, everything was beautifully set up. The pressure canner eagerly awaited on the stove, with jars ready to warm inside, and the lid was set firmly on top. A pot of water for lids and seals was prepped, and the broth was in a pan, just waiting to heat up. The table was arranged with fresh carrots, potatoes, celery, and cubes of roast. All we needed to do was get the tech set up.

We were just five minutes away from going live when Katrina, our Master Food Preserver, turned on the stove to warm everything up. The countdown started, and we were LIVE!

Everything went smoothly until it was time to remove the warmed jars. When Katrina tried to turn the lid, it wouldn’t budge! The warmth from the burner had created a vacuum seal, and the canner lid was stuck. The three of us shared looks over the camera and monitors. A quiet panic set in. We were live, and our audience had taken time out of their busy days to can along with us. But Katrina stayed calm and didn’t miss a beat. Before the class started, she had set a second pressure canner under the table. Katrina planned to use it for what she called “TV magic.” Inside was a

ready-to-go batch of processed pot roast that she could reveal at the end. That way, the audience wouldn’t have to wait the full 90 minutes to see a finished product. She pulled it out with a smile and reassured our audience that we were starting over.

While she prepped the second canner, I dashed to the basement to grab new jars. The canner was ready, and the lid was left askew this time. We were determined not to let history repeat itself!

Despite that little hiccup, the class was a fantastic success! Our audience remained engaged, and Katrina answered plenty of wonderful questions. Everyone walked away knowing how to pressure can pot roast.

This experience was a lovely reminder that things don’t always go according to plan, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s important to be flexible and to keep going, whether you’re canning, homesteading, or tackling any other challenge. Learning something new (or even revisiting something you’ve done often) will often come with challenges. The secret is adapting, finding a new solution, and moving forward!