Make sure you read the directions. And it’s also helpful to have someone you can call who knows what they’re doing if you can. The first time I used a pressure cooker, it was borrowed from my in-laws and I was doing pumpkin cubes (you can’t safely do puree). I read the directions four or five times and followed what it said exactly, but they left out the step where you turn the heat down once it gets to the correct pressure. It sounded like a freight train was running right through my kitchen for an hour and a half. I’m lucky the thing didn’t explode. (The moral of the story is… if it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.) Also, make sure you adjust your processing time for the altitude you live in. Good luck!