WHAT ARE YOU CANNING TODAY?

[Britesea]

they're pretty tough and stringy, but if you pressure cook them they get a lot more tender. Nothing beats the taste though-- their fat is truly flavorful compared to the young ones.

 

[PatriciaPNW]

they're pretty tough and stringy, but if you pressure cook them they get a lot more tender.

So ... I have never pressure cooked and only pressure canned for first time 2 months ago - the receipt says I bought the American canner in (drum roll) 2012. I did live in a studio apt in Alaska for another 3 years so no opportunity but still ... 5 years of lack of self- confidence. There’s a theme here and at my age I think I need to PICK UP THE PACE! Lol

 

[Hinotori]

Well the All American canners make you feel really secure with all the lock downs. I love mine.

I have an Instant Pot. Decided it was the better option for me instead of a stove top pressure cooker. Meant I could get rid of the rice cooker and crock pot as well. I actually use mine a lot. Makes stew go much quicker instead of the hours boiling that tough meat.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

@PatriciaPNW , The way to get comfortable with your pressure canner: Put some water in it, no jars. Just water. Then follow the instructions just as if you were canning something. After you are comfortable keeping it at the recommended pressure, go through the steps of turning off the heat, waiting for the pressure to go back to zero, waiting for the safety valve to drop, then open it up. easy peazy! If you're not familiar with doing any canning, try one or two HWB batches of anything. You can even HWB a few jars in your soup or stock pot with a rack in the pot. You can even use canning rings to "make a rack". Now that you're familiar with packing jars and the HWB process and also familiar with the steps involved in your pressure canner, you're ready to go! Get that pantry filled up, girl! Don't wait till you're forced to learn. Do so now, before the pressure is on. (Pun intended.)

 

[Lazy Gardener]

But, after re-reading, I see that you've already used the pressure canner. So, you've got this!

 

[Britesea]

If you can afford the Instant Pot- it's a wonderful way to go; I love mine and use it A LOT. The kettle part is stainless, which I prefer for cooking food. But you can use your canner to cook food also and save some money. The directions should be in your manual.

 

[Hinotori]

Yes.

Pressure canner-
Cook
Can

Pressure cooker-
Cook only

 

[Lazy Gardener]

The bounty continues. A friend gave me a HUGE bag of BEAUTIFUL apples today. Since I've made plenty of apple sauce, I think Hubby and I will sit down for an evening of apple prep, and make bags of pre-seasoned apple pie filling for the freezer.

God is blessing my socks off this season!

 

[PatriciaPNW]

Yes.

Pressure canner-
Cook
Can

Thank you both for the information and encouragement! I saw the cooking directions. Since I just got a ¼ cow - raised on pasture, not finished - I’m thinking it’s time to try pints of stew. I will look it up “the next time I have a minute.” That’s where some projects die a natural death. But if my mind returns to it I am going to follow up!

 

[baymule]

How do old hens taste? Texture? I’ve never processed on my own - I’m okay with slaughtering but the rest seems like too much to remember, much less to do correctly. I tell
myself that as soon as there’s a food shortage I will just reinvent chicken butchering from instinct (as if! - add emoji of me with my head in my hands)

Old hens and mean roosters taste marvelous after 1 1/2 hours in a jar at 10 pounds pressure. I have an All American too-love it! I will part out and freeze young roosters, they are barely chewy and have way more taste than Cornish Cross.

Got 7 quarts of broth cooling off in The Beast. That’s what I named my canner. It is big and heavy. After it pressures down, I take off the weight, then wait 10 more minutes before I take the top off. I have 6 more quarts waiting to go in The Beast. Then I’ll be done with this batch of chickens. 7 more to slaughter and process.