Canning Suggestions

[Hinotori]

Start with waterbath canning high acid foods if you're too nervous. It's easy and safe.

My mom had me terrified of pressure canners. She told tales of great grandma's canner exploding several times. Talking to my great aunt, it was the pressure cooker going over pressure on the wood cook stove spraying a bit of food out of the pressure release. Great grandma was never very concerned about it. Nothing exploded.

After that I felt confident enough to try. Modern pressure canners have so many safety features they are pretty safe.

My first try was a tuna. Not one single issue. It was just boring keeping an eye on it to get to pressure then putting on the weight and starting the time. Processing times are long on meats and fish.

I have a weighted gauge canner so I just have to listen for any changes to the jiggling. I sit down with something to read near the stove.

My canner is an All American so there is no gasket to worry about. I'm not sure about other canner brands.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yes! My mother keeps telling me the same thing. She thinks I'm going to blow the house up. Sheesh thanks for the vote of confidence mom.

 

[lcertuche]

I once years ago boiled my pressure canner dry and blew a thingie out of the lid. There was a pop and that was it. I just got another thingie (not real name) from the hardware store and went on to do many more jars of stuff. No explosion!

 

[baymule]

I have an All American canner and I love it. It is the only pressure canner made in America. It is a machined, heavy piece of kitchen equipment.

You might want to start, as has been suggested, with water bath canning. Jelly is easy and a good place to start.

 

[baymule]

I have an old strainer that I adore and use it every year. They can be found on ebay.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/old-tomato-berry-strainer.13851/

Also get this (hope the link works) if not, do a search for granite ware canning set

https://www.walmart.com/ip/22076936...75035&wl11=online&wl12=22076936&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[waretrop]

Thank you @baymule . I have a very old strainer and never knew how it was placed in a pot or bowl...Have never used it and never thought about it....

I think I have 2 double stack presto pressure canner. Each one cans 7 quarts or 18 pints. So I can do 14 quarts or 36 pints at one time...and I have done that...

 

[Britesea]

Something I was unaware of that I learned recently about water bath canners. Try to get one that is no larger than 4" diameter to your largest burner. Apparently if it overhangs more than that, the heat can be uneven, which might cause problems with processing times. I don't know how important that really is, but it seems to me if you are going to buy a new canner for yourself, might as well make sure it's the right size.

 

[waretrop]

So in line with what @Britesea if you think about how sensitive and important it is to have even heat is than, think about what happens when people can outside in even a slight breeze they say it is not good...

Early on in my canning life, I had trouble keeping the boiling activity up. I kept having to turn up the heat and then back down. Maybe I used a pot that was just a little too short and the water kept boiling out so I turned the heat down and up again. Maybe the wind was blowing hard and cooled down the pot causing me to raise the heat on the pot. Anyway, when I took the jars out all the lids were rippled under the rings. Don't remember if they were sealed but you could see the ripples in the metal. When I called the extension office, that was in Illinois, they said that usually happens when the temperature fluctuates too much during the processing time.

The lesson here is nice and even temperatures during the canning processing time. Now when I put the jars in I close the window even if only during that process. I also water bath can in the greenhouse hot tub room sometimes but that's like a room not like being outside.

He who does not understand the rules should strictly stick to them.

 

[Hinotori]

I use a steam juicer to do grape juice that I then can. I wish to caution that steam will set off a smoke detector if you do a lot of it.

 

[waretrop]

LOL....HERE HERE....