I am going to buy a pressure canner very soon. Can anyone advice me as to which they prefer, Presto or All American? Especially if you have a gas stove.
Also, I’d appreciate any help in convincing my husband that this will actually SAVE money in the long run. Do you cook things for a shorter amount of time in a pressure cooker thus saving money on fuel? Any idea ow much fuel savings that would be?
Thanks!
I bought a pressure cooker by presto. I can also use it to pressure can in pint and half pint jars. I did not know that when I bought it. It is the 6 qrt pressure cooker and cost about $30. If I had known I could use it to can, I would have bought the biggest pressure cooker I could find. Oh well. I cooked a piece of ham bone the other day for 30 minutes after it started jiggling and it fell off the bone. good luck pam
OK, I just purchased a presto pressure/canner/cooker. It hold 7 qts. of food to process. So far everything I have processed has been 90 min. I have an electric stove, so I start on one burner, when it goes higher than 10 psi, switch to back burner to cool down, and then lower the temp by a couple of notches, and set back on original burner. I could not tell you that fuel savings, but I live in lower Alabama and have had to throw away stuff in my freezer 4 times previously in the last 29 yrs. So now I can my meat,first I deep freeze it (buy on sale, large quantities) then process 1 set of 7 qts every other day. I have not had any problem, just purchase a ball blue book and follow directions. The food tasted so good and so convient for dinner on basketball practice nights, etc. Oh, just read over my post, failed to mention the reason I had to throw away food, hurricanes and long term power outages all the way from Fredric to Katrina. I went to the preso site and actually got it cheaper than wal-mart on line. My wal-mart did not have any in the local stores, but 6 yrs. ago when I bought my first one, they had numerous ones for 85.00 each. Pressure cooker is very economical because you can get really cheap cuts of meat and cook for a short amount of time and it is very-very tender.
I got an All-American 921 and I highly reccomend it. What made the sale for me was that they are built to last. They seal metal to metal so they never need a gasket replaced — those are about $10, need to be replaced every couple years and can be hard to find. If you don’t have one and need one, your canner is useless. The second thing is that the pressure is maintained with a weight on the steam spout. Even if the gauge ever loses accuracy - and they will — the accurate pressure will be maintained with the weight. Other canners, if the gauge goes out, what pressure you’re canning at is anyone’s guess. In uncertain times these two fail-safe features made it worth paying a little more for the AA. I sent back the Presto I had gotten and reordered the AA and am so glad I did! That thing is solid! You won’t regret it. (I got great prices and service at The Pressure Cooker OUtlet through Red Hill General Store, online. Not affiliated.) I may yet get a small Presto for _cooking_ not canning, though.
If you are putting supplies by, the advantage of canning your own is in the cost and variety. Those canned stews and what have you are just not very good and they are pretty expensive. With a pressure canner, I can put up delicious home cooking — stir fry, sweet and sour, Tuscan chicken, pork roast and onions, etc. and it’s ready at the pop of a lid. If I’ve bought the meat on sale, it’s a real bargain compared to the pitiful quality of the canned stuff.
I have a Fagor 6-qt. pressure cooker. It has only 1 possible setting, 15 pounds. I bought the steamer basket, trivet, and an extra gasket too. I’ve been cooking a 3 or 4 pound chicken in 30 minutes, and some of it falls off the bones, so I’ll have to try 25 minutes next. It’s tasty though. Beef for stew cooks really fast, too. My gluten-free quick bread experiment didn’t work as well, though it was edible. It separated into layers, and the bottom layer was really chewy. The Italian Easter bread (basically a savory cheesecake without a crust) had to be nuked a lot, because it took a long time to get done in the middle and I checked it every 5 minutes to be sure it wasn’t getting overdone.
The cooker is easy to use. For canning, I think the pressure has to be varied, so I haven’t done any canning. Price was $60 or maybe $70, from Linens and Things (or Bed, Bath and Beyond).
Average Concerned Mom,
You started a thread (just as you said you would;-) before I could gather all the threads together.
Here are all the canning threads I could find on the fluwiki forum:
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.CanningAndFoodPreservationRecipes
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.CanningChickenAndTurkey
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.QuestionForPeopleThatCan
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.QuestionsAboutCanningAndPreservingFood
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.QuestionsAboutCanningAndPreservingFoodII
Okieman --- thank you!!!!!
and everyone else too, you are great!
Check old threads as well for canning information. Kathy in FL has a lot of ideas on cannint!
I purchased the AA 925 after reading the canning threads. Somebody recommended the AA canner, probably Northstar. I love it! It had been many years since I had canned, and knew I hated dealing with gasket replacement. Quality and quantity of foods canned at home are better and more economical for many items. I specifically needed to can meat that I didn’t want to loose in my freezer due to any power outages. I also know what my family will eat and what they like… I can those items. For example, we don’t like the store canned stew, but we love homemade stew. Store bought stew is so expensive, where homemade stew is very economical. Also, we like various types of stew. Basically, all the stores offer are one, maybe 2, types of stew.
I have both the AA 930 and the Presto 23 quart. I use a glass cooktop for both and sometimes use them both at the same time. I find the AA canner easier to maintain a consistent pressure on, than the Presto. I also have had most of my seal failures, come out of the Presto. Still, the Presto is a decent canner and it is small enough, that I can use it to pressure cook foods, also. The AA is too tall for me to pressure cook in, although it can be used for that purpose.
Good luck!
Ok ---question?? I have a presto pressure cooker, am I to understand that I can can in it, and that it is no different that the presto pressure canner? I am confused?
Love Texas, all pressure canners are also cookers, but not all pressure cookers are canners. (s)
I think you have to make certain your pressure cooker was made to pressure can in. I think there are some that are just for pressure cooking and not canning. Mine can do both, but it is brand new.
Northstar and Mom 11 --------thanks got it.
I have spent alot of time teaching friends to home can this year (the ones who never had time before the threat of flu came along). I have 2 presto pressure canners and 2 water bath canners that I use all season. I have had my 23 qt. for 25 years and it works just fine, I added the smaller canner this year to can more faster, each one will only do7 qts at a time the real difference is in the number of pints the smaller 9 the larger 18. The one who moves the canner to the back burner— try turning the heat down by 1/2 a setting just before the pressure goes over the reading you want. Canning for 10 in Michigan
bump
OK Northstar (and everyone else) thank you all! I put the family on half rations for two weeks just to be able to afford the purchase (only half kidding here) but I went with the more expensive AA 921 — decided to go for a little extra ease of use / safety factor since I am a little concerned about both.
Now, I am just itching to get it and to start cooking and canning, the one thing I’ve really been missing this summer is a whole bunch of extra heat in my kitchen, it’s just been too darn cool all summer long…. (-:
Yaay! You’re going to love it. I swear, I heard the theme to “2001, A Space Oddessy” when that thing came out of its box! And so far as the heat… it’s so different from water bath canning that makes the whole kitchen sweltering. Remember, all the heat stays inside the canner — and you actually keep the burner pretty low when it gets to pressure, so you won’t be poor ACM, mopping her brow over the stove. You just fill the jars, (that’s the hot part) bring ‘er to pressure, and sit nearby (at the computer (g)) half-listening for the correct number of sputters for an hour and a half. Much better!
While you wait, here are a couple great resources. Be sure to take the course!
I have been so busy canning i havent checked in in soo long, hope all my dear flu wikie friends are all o.k. I recently bought an all american canner, and since then have been canning every day. If i dont have something in the garden ready to can i go out and pick some fruit and hot water bath it. I plan on buying a side of beef and canning it too. Love canning….good luck to all who are starting out like me, once you get over the initial intimidation it really is quit simple and easy. Cheers DJOD!!!!
im not anonymous im Don Juans Other Daughter!
Hi there yourself, DJOD — you’ve been busy! You might want to pop over to the canning and preservation recipe thread — I just put up my Hawaiian pork recipe.
Hi there yourself, DJOD — you’ve been busy! You might want to pop over to the canning and preservation recipe thread — I just put up my Hawaiian pork recipe.
BTTT
OK DJOT and Northsatr--- I just also receieved my new pressure canner and am reading all the instructions and taking on-line courses!
It sounds like a lot of work, though, but I’m going to do it because my husband will can ME if this is yet another expensive kitchen implement that I end up not using. (-:
Question: you can use the pressure canner also as a hot water canner (I presume by not securing the lid tightly?) or do you need to use a separate hot water canner?
Also, can you make your recpie one day, keep it in the fridge over night, bring it to a boil for 20 minutes or whatever the next day and THEN can it? (Maybe I will learn this when I take the on-line course later this weekend.) That would make it a lot easier for me to be able to can — with young kids, I have a lot of trouble blcoking off 2 hours to make and can stuff.
Thanks!
Oh, that was me — I’m visiting my folks this weekend!
I have a small Presto canner /cooker that I can do 5 pints in,but that isnt cutting it for me.I definately cant afford the big canner so I have put out the word with some of the older ladies at my church that I am willing to help them can their produce from their apple and pear trees.I am surprised how many fruit trees I see just dropping their fruit to the ground and really dont want to let that happen this year.I am hoping that one of the gals may just decide they are willing to sell me their canner at a good deal.already some of the ladies have said just come get the fruit but I will be sure to share back the canned goods with them.I may be wrong on this point,but I think you can use any covered large pot to hot water bath.
ACM at 7:44: 1. Yes, though that’s a lot of canner to heat up (and you don’t need the lid) and 2. sure… I often end up with too much stuff to can at one go, so into the fridge it goes to do the next day. No problem.
Did you catch my little tip in an old thread about getting that tippy AA top seated evenly by using a wooden spatula as a spacer?
And keep a flat screwdriver handy. Even vaselined, I _always_ need to use a little gentle levering with the screwdriver to pop the top. Oh, that was a great first night with mine: 12:30 at night, hot and tired as #8 and then can’t get the lid off…
Malachi: Great idea! Maybe you could put up a little flyer at church asking for a canner or jars “cheap.” I bet some of those old gals would be happy to give it away. It seems like nooooooobody does this any more (except us fluwikians ;-) )
I have canned a lott over the years and had a All Amercan AA921 and love it and bought a presto and did not like it for the gasket would not seal so i went and bought me another All American AA941 and with the two I can put up all that we bring in to can in just one or two canners it’s such a joy to not have to stay up all night canning
I am in need of a new pressure canner. I haven’t canned in many years, but am ready to start again. It seems that most recommend the All American. My old pressure canner had a weighted gauge and it seems that would be less complicated than the dial gauges I’ve seen on most pressure cookers available today. The All American seems to have the dial gauge, as well; yet I read where Northstar mentioned “listening” for the sputters from the AA pressure canner. Does the AA have a dial gauge AND a weight?
Also, since I’ve never had a dial gauge, I’m wondering how getting it checked works. Do you have to get the dial checked on a brand new pressure canner? How often do you get it checked?
The only pressure cooker I’ve found now that has the weighted gauge seems to be the Mirro. Anyone had any experience with that?
Thanks.
Genoa
my new All American Pressure canner has both a dial gauge and a weight. The instructions say that you are supposed to go by the weight, but the dial is also there for convenience, esp. to know when pressure has returned to 0 (or 1?) and you can take the lid off.
To get the dial gauge checked you are supposed to take it in to a County Extension Office or something like that — something to do with land-grant universities programs in food safety? I found one at our local state college; can’t say it was hard nor was it super easy — in this metro area (Washington DC)I see very little evidence of canning going on!
Side note I just thought was funny: I’ve been mentioning to a few close friends that I am starting canning, and you should SEE the looks they are giving me. Bird flu looks are nothing compared to the lack of understanding they give me for this one! Pandemic planning, at least they have heard of that, there’s some mentin of it dimly in their awareness (they all work for various federal government departments) but home canning, now that is truly obscure! (-:
In the topic “Beyond 12 Weeks” Carrey in VA at 13:19 stated “You said you were canning up your beans with salt pork now. Ive thought of doing that too (we have some country ham in the freezer) Do you cook the beans first? I canned up 7qts of navybeans and ham hock after cooking it and after processing, the beans were mush. I wonder if you could soak them over night then can without cooking or if they would swell too much and burst the jars.”
The North Dakota State University Extension Service states here:
“Place dried beans or peas in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Drain water. To quickly hydrate beans, you may cover sorted and washed beans with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, soak 1 hour and drain. Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water and boil 30 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per pint or teaspoon per quart to the jar, if desired. Fill jars with beans or peas and cooking water, leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a pressure canner.”
How does that correspond to the experience of those here?
Thanks in advance.
Copied from “Beyond 12 weeks”
After some experimentation with chili, my plan is to soak the beans overnight and then cook them for about 30 minutes to make sure they are good and hot before packing them into jars. My canner only holds 7 quarts, so I will more than likely do a big pot of beans with a smoked ham hock and then drop a 1 or so square of salt pork in each jar before adding the beans. I hope to put aside 7 quarts each time we have a pot of beans this fall.
Thanks HBB; looks like a close match between that post and the recommendations of SDSU Ext. Cook 30 minutes then put the pressure to ‘em.
ACM --- Thanks for the information. So, if I understand correctly, I can monitor the canner by listening to it, rather than running over and checking the dial every few minutes? That sounds much better. I know what you mean about others’ reactions to canning. I canned for many years with toddlers and babies (my youngest I put in a soft backpack while I was canning---she loved it and I felt safer knowing she wasn’t underfoot when pouring hot liquids or moving a hot canner. Life has become hectic and I have gotten away from canning in recent years, but I decided that, in addition to its practical value, it would be something that would make me happy. True, it’s a lot of work---but it’s so satisfying, and I never lost that excitement of seeing (and hearing) a whole batch of glass jars seal.
Genoa, that’s correct, you can run around the house as usual and just keep an ear cocked for the AA’s spluttering. The weight is on a steam spout; the pressure builds up under the weight until it jumps or rattles. It should do it a certain number of times per minute at a particular pressure. That’s the sound you’re listening for.
As I understand it, with most (all?) other canners, the gauge controls the pressure; with the AA, the weight itself controls the pressure. The gauge is there for reference.
Have fun! I have long enjoyed putting up special blends of jam (my strawberry-black grape-lemon zest jam is beyond words) but there is no feeling like the sense of reassurance I get looking at my shelves of home-canned meals.
Oh, I am going to order the All American 921. This actually sounds like fun. Thank you all for all your info.
I actually want it to make stew meat that is decent. I have tons of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, but the meat is a mystery meat.
There is a thread on Canning and Food Preservation Recipes, at:
http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.CanningAndFoodPreservationRecipes
It appears that there is enough current interest to resurrect that thread (last post there was 8/19/06). I, too, want to learn more about canning meat.
I canned 7 quarts of ground meats this morning. HB, pork and chicken. The quart in the very middle is ground chicken. In the middle of the meat it is dark brown. It looks like a dark ring in the middle, surrounded by normal colored meat. It doesn’t run all the way through to the bottom. What’s with that? I have never seen this happen and it doesn’t say anything in my canning book about having a dark ring in the middle. IT looks like when you bake a cake using those tubes to get 2 different cake batters cooked together.
AND… my AA canner doesn’t always jiggle and sputter 2–3 times or whatever. It always hisses, and keeps constant temp on the guage. It rocks or rattles or whatever, but not loud enough I can hear it in another room. So… is that normal? Especially since I got this goofy dark ring in the middle. I go about my business, coming back to check the guage every 10–15 minutes. Rarely do I have to adjust anything.
Hi EnoughAlready, I always have to tap the weight to get it spluttering, and usually I make it splutter more like 6–8 times a minute (though that is not what they recommend). I am always for “a little more safer” than “a little less safer.” The gauge generally reads about 12 lbs at that point. I go by the splutter more than the gauge. I can hear it in adjoining rooms but my house has an open floor plan.
I can only guess about the dark ring. I would attribute it to convection patterns. Although lots of people do raw pack, it’s not recommended anymore, especially for ground meats because you don’t get the penetration of heat to the middle for the required amount of time. (This requires some amount of circulation.) I almost always use a dark broth, the glazing from my baked chicken, in my pack, so I wouldn’t be able to see a ring if it was there. I’ve mostly packed chunk meat, though, and just use a commercially canned broth if not my own. (I hear the color of meat canned in water or its own juices can be unattractive, but in the golden broth it’s downright pretty.)
Seacoast, you’re going to love your 921. It’s a beaut!
I hope everyone that is canning,or freezing food can use this. To help them as much as it has helped me http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod01/master01.html
Northstar at 20:14
well, ummmmm, sheeplishly I must say… the mystery is solved. I opened the jar, and… it was… dried parsley I added at the last minute. I just knew it was a hunk of burned meat. But, it (the parsley) was there, just as I had dropped it in there. So much for mixing as it cooks! ;)
All the ground meat I have done seems to be doing fine. I give it more head room than I normally would other meat, and don’t pack it as tightly. Also, I usually add diced tomatoes, celery, bell peppers and onions. I also have made meatballs and canned. And… I have browned it and then canned it. It isn’t my favorite meat to can, and hope what I have put up is fine. Too late now. I just had a lot I needed to clear out of my freezer and didn’t have time to brown it and stick in the dehydrater. Ugggh… now I am worried about that!
I’ve noticed the thing splutters more when I haven’t been canning as much. When I am canning frequently, it just didn’t seem to splutter. I just sorta thought it was “purring.” ;)
LOL Enough Already — though I thought “convection patterns” sounded pretty good! You gotta watch those spices, though — I’ve found the littlest particle of pepper or whatever will get up under the lid and cause a sealing failure.
Thanks for the laugh. I needed that one today!
Hey Everyone, I havent been that good at keeping in touch, but as for using my pressure canner for pressure cooking i wouldn’t do it, i have both and i think they are alot different. My canner is a huge heavy intimidating alumminum pot with a pressure gage and locking screws. My pressure cooker is just a nice sized pot that locks into place as you turn the handle and it has a jiggler on top, i use that for cooking food. And as for leaving my canner while it is on the stove, i never do, ever!! I have had my pressure cooker explode and almost hit my 1 year old. It is very important to stay by you canner, pressure can build up so quick, it usually doesn’t but to be safe i would say to stay close and keep one eye on the pressure gage, because even if the pressure doesn’t get to danger levels the pressure must stay at a constant presure in order for the process to work. I dont fool around when it comes to canning. Happy canning!!!
My canner has the weighted “jiggler” on top which I think is safer. I still stay within hearing range of the kitchen when canning to make sure it is doing OK, but I’m not tied to the kitchen.
farm girl at 22:47 YOU ROCK!!! What a great list of info — THANKS!
Just ordered a new aa921 after listening to all y’all talking. I do really like good stews and most of what’s canned at the store really isn’t much. Will report back after it gets here, which won’t be for a couple weeks.
It’s starting to become a cult… ;-)
i first saw my grandmother use a pressure cooker to make sunday pot roast dinner for all of us ,,,,,,,,i have had many pressure cookers, canners ,and stuff over the years since and the only thing i have ever had happen was by not paying attention and letting the water all boil out and over heating the cooker and melting the overpressure plug,,, ( that was an old cooker). it ruined the food inside and smoked up my house pretty good not to metion ruined the cooker. now days they dont have the same kind of plugs though they just as good. pressure cookers are awsome!!!! you can tenderize a brick in one !!!!!!! and the cooking smells great throughout the house,,,,,,, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. dont even think twice, buy a pressure cooker and learn how to use it. it is a differant way to cook,,,, but it’s not rocket science for gods sake. jeeeze. .
oh and by the way,,, in case of need be, if you have a wood stove,,,,, you can cook like a master chef with just some cast iron cookware and a couple of pressure cookers. trust me. or you can ask mt kids. :).
LMWatBullRun at 22:13 practise practise practise, that’s what you’ll need to do. I just got pressure cooker after watching my mom cook with one for years. The chicken last night was so tender if completely fell apart, Oh well, it made great gravy. :-) So my goal is to try all kinds of meat and all kinds of cuts of meat to make sure I can do it under stressfull conditions if needed. And I have to work into the canning phase. Maybe I should buy my mother a plane ticket and she can come hold my hand.
naw,,,,, you got it going on,,,,,,,, experiment. just remember one rule,,,,, pressure for meat →.low and slow - pressure for veggies → high and short. mix and match as needed. put the veggies in tword the end,,,,,, even with the best advise you have to experiment!!!!!! only you can make your favorites !!!!! i cant do it for you, .
What does that mean? Cook meat partially, let pressure release, throw in some potatoes and bring it back up to pressure? I gotta get me a book!
yeah,,,,, you cook the meat foe awile,,,,, then you let off the pressure,,,,, then you put in the veggies,,,,, then you bring the pressure back up,,,, it not hard to do,,,,,,, and if yoyu want to cook dried beans you can do it without soaking them,,,, you just have to be carfull and know what your doing is all,,,,,,,,,, it is an art. not nessasarily a sience,,,,,,, but realy both at once.
I think that toll’s following you spiritaxe :−0
pooooof, i am a shamen. spiritaxe is my name. truth is what i seek. allso it is how i push ahead,,,,,,,, i am no threat to any,,,,,, but I will not tolerate any threats as well. I am just walking along. talking to strangers.
I hope eveyone is canning and putting things up I just put up 60 jars of peas and beans and got 5 big sacks of peanuts and 5 big boxs of sweet potatoes all will be canned this week.
farm girl, I had no idea you could can peanuts!
I did my first trial of canning last Friday, just as a huge thunderstorm was brewing. (Mistake). We lost power just after I finished browning all my meat to put in the stew. It was too late to put it all in the fridge, as the fridge of course had no power, so I just soldiered on. In the dark. Fortunately we have a gas stove so I was able to do all the boiling water.
It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. The hardest part was the kids, though — I’d willingly can again with no electricity if someone would take the kids off my hands. I got distracted nursing the baby towards the end and let the pressure get down to about 8 (instead of 10) for 10 minutes or so; I’m not sure what effect that has on my canned stew but I’m not willing to take any chances so I’m keeping it all in the fridge and using it up fast. Still it was a good first effort. My goal is to can every meal in the Ball’s Blue Book (next stop is 10 bean soup) — once each week, just to be sure I really do it!
Oh, everyone in my family loves the beef stew — picky eaters and all! So there’s incentive for ya!
Anyone know of any other recipe books out there with meat/stew recipes for home canning? I want to stick with tried and true recipes until I am more experienced.
Oh, and thanks to everyone for all your help and encouragement!
Average Concerned Mom:
I grew up on a farm and always helped my Mom do the canning prep but never actually do any of the processing. I just started canning last fall (water Bath) and Pressure canning this spring. With a little confidence I have now become a canning machine. One of the best resource I have found..especially for interesting recipes is the Yahoo Canning News Group. They are very generous with award winning recipes and answering questions. good Luck
I have a 921 (I think?) which I just got this spring. Yesterday I canned several pounds of chicken, which I bought on sale for 1.88 a pound… skinless, boneless breast meat. What a buy! Also put some in the freezer. I love the canner. Its easy to use and I like the weight system for regulating pressure, rather than a valve that can degrade over time.
If we ever lose power and it looks like a long outage, I’ll be canning all the stuff in the freezer like crazy. With a propane stove, that should still be possible.
Also I’m using a vaccuum sealer to preserve some food, including flour, dry beans, cornmeal, rolled oats, nuts, dried fruit… Trying not to put all my food into one type of preservation: freezer, vaccuum sealed, canned. Next I would like to try a food dehydrator for some things. Not living in a desert climate, drying food is not the easiest thing to do without a gadget.
Overall I’m not canning things that include stuff like noodles or rice, such as soup or stews or chilli, because I figure the pasta, beans, and rice is more efficiently stored in its original dried state. I can assemble those meals from the canned meats and dry rice, beans etc. However, I do see the convenience of having a “complete meal in a can/jar” to open and just heat up, so I’m tempted to try it some.
I’ve been doing the happy dance all day. Finally won a bid at ebay for a pressure canner, been bidding all month on them only to lose in the last hours. So hopefully I’ll start all the canning I’ve been wanting to do by next week.
AzNewBe at 06:06
If you think you are happy now, wait until you have some beautiful jars of home-canned whatever sitting on a shelf!
Ohhhh, I can’t wait! My AA 921 should be arriving any day now and I feel like I am fullfilling some deep need that I have always had, to be self-sufficent. I can’t wait to have beautiful glass jars filled with things I have canned…the downside is the reality of what made me order that 921.
ColdClimatePrepper at 19:48
I’m not exactly sure on the reasons for it, but I’ve always been told to never can rice, pasta, dairy, or anything with flour in it.
Look into it before trying it.
I can milk, gravy with flour in it, meat, vegetables, broth, juice,soups, and pasta jars of raviolios. Gumbo, chili. anything you can buy in a store in a can or a jar. can be put up at home in a jar.
Farm girl: How do you can milk? Thanks. (Are you talking fresh milk, or store milk… or both?)
Fresh milk from my cows. Pressere canner 10 pounds 12–15 minutes.trial and error will only teach you more. are try a boiling water bath two hour boiling water bath, the milk is white and beautiful. this is how I do it. both ways work for me.
I purchased the American 915 canner.
I purchased Golden Harvest jars at Big Lots, with the lids already in place and the lid does have an imprint of the jar lip. After doing a little belated research I am concerned I made a mistake in my jar purchase.
Would ya’ll please advise me on this subject of jars. IF the Golden Harvest jars are OK…are the Ball and Kerr jar lids compatible with the Golden Harvest jars.
Not feeling confident in my jar selection and I know they could be the weak link in “safe” canning.
Thanks!!!
No Name,
I’ve used all sorts of name brand jars kerr, ball, golden harvest, atlas, and others. All the jars work the same, and I use whatever lids and rings are cheapest. Never had a problem.
no name, I’ve just finished processing my first batches using the Golden Harvest brand jars and lids. The ones I purchased were a little stuck, but nothing like the Ball brand ones, where the lids were stuck on bad. I have not had a single failure of the Golden Harvest lids where I had an average of one lid failure per dozen with the new-packaging Ball brand ones. I think we’re in good shape with the GH brand.
Just reporting back — I have done my second round of canning meals in a jar — the first one was beef stew, a real winner; and just two days ago I canned 6 quarts of 10-bean stew, another big hit around here. If I can do this, anyone “can”! (-: Good luck to all who try it. This makes the idea of planning a pantry of 6 weeks of meals (my old goal) to 3 months (my new goal) actually seem manageable.
Good for you ACM! I have canned three weeks worth of dinners for us, plus a bunch of meat and jams to use with my other preps. I have done beef barley soup, my husband’s chili, my spaghetti sauce, beef stew from the Ball Blue Book, and another chili recipe from Ball. My next venture is to adapt the clam chowder base recipe to can up some corn chowder base. (I’m one of three New England natives who doesn’t ski and hates clam chowder!)
Northstar at 10:41 Yaay! Youre going to love it. I swear, I heard the theme to 2001, A Space Oddessy when that thing came out of its box!
So funny! It does kind of resemble Sputnik. It scares some of my friends when I leave it on the stove top. ;)
bump
My 921 arrived Friday and I am planning some chicken and beef stew canning this week. Edna- Know what you mean about sputnik! LOL…..
Average Concerned Mom I put up 240 jars of Peanuts and there a BIG hit with the kids and my DH they will love them this winter and I will too. we Boiled them till they are just right then then put them in jars and canned them at 10lbs for 45 min. remember to take them out if the water before they get done because the pressure and heat in the canner will keep cooking them.if you want more info just let me know
farm girl at 14:50
240?!! Industrial operation you got going there.
Any suggestions on where online to get lids in bulk quantities?
Closed for length and continued here
Oremus- no not industrial operation just don’t want to be canning all night to put up a truck load of peas , beans , squash or corn ect. 7 qt. at a time just does not cut it for me. this canner just makes my job alot easier and faster.