A question about veggie/fruit canning

OK, I don't have my big pressure canner anymore. I am wondering, because I have never done it, but can i just use a giant pot for a water bath for my jars? I will be making Blackberry and muscadine jelly soon, and it's been a while....

Yes, that's what I always used. The water just needs to cover the jars by an inch of water.

Thats what I was thinking, been a loooong time since I used a regular canner, and never used a pot. My grandma used to just turn them upside down till they popped.

My mom used to pour melted wax on top of the jelly and call it good.

Yep! You can!

It would help if you could put a round cake rack in the bottom so the jars aren't sitting directly on the pot... Water bath is the only way I've done james/jelies

definatly put a rack in the bottom, the boiling will bust ajar if it hits the sides too much. I like to put a towell in there sometimes.

IF youwant to do the 'tip' method, you HAVE to make sure your jam/jelly is BOILING hot. pour it in, turn them upside down for a few minutes, then back upright. and you have to make sure they sealed in the next few hours.
sometimes they seal as they are turned upside down.

I used a pressure cooker for the first time in my life last year. I screwed up a few batches. NOT bad-- just overboiled them. or actually, I let the steam off too quick, because I am VERY impatiant. VERY. so the water in my taters evaporated some, they are still good, just ... emptylooking. LOL

something killed EVERY damn muscidine we had on our vines. and I am talking thousands of berries tens of thousands. they are ALL gone. not even a trace, NOT a green one, not a black, red, dried, half eaten, NOTHING. just the leaves- like its not season yet. Its like the vines slothed off all the berries... VERY weird, since these vines are proven producers for decades.

I am even talking at the TOP of the 60 ft tree.. NOTHING.. ?? oh well... I really didnt want to screw with it this year anyway.

My friend has Purple and Gold muscadines, and she HATES them. I am gonna pick them before she sprays the Round up on them....she thinks that will kill them....I am not telling her nothing short of digging up every root kills them