Canning for Dummies

[PlymouthRocker]

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Thanks for these links. I knew about the stove top issue and I will be using a different stove for all of my canning. Food prep at home, canning elsewhere. This is why I'd like two pressure cookers!

I'll have to wait to purchase the Cadillac of canners! Our budget is pretty tight right now. THANK YOU!

 

[joebryant]

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Just a suggestion... A pressure canner is something that you will have all your life. If you can't get a free one, buy the best made, sale or no sale, and get a BIG one that will hold LOTS of jars to save time.

 

[mrbstephens]

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BE AWARE THAT A PRESSURE COOKER IS DIFFERENT THAN A PRESSURE CANNER.

 

[PlymouthRocker]

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I 100% agree with you. If I had 200 extra bucks right now, I'd be crowing about my brand new, huge, awesome canner and you'd be slapping me on the back and handing me a candy cigar. I won't purchase something that won't be awesome, but I can't purchase anything right now. This might be a present at Christmas though! I'll drop big hints and send links to my peeps.

 

[halo]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0...pressure+canner&sprefix=all+american+pressure

 

[PlymouthRocker]

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OHHH!! That link is awesome. Hurts me to not BUY NOW! ACK!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree that you need to get a big one that can be used as a pressure canner or as a water bath canner. I think most foods taste better if you water bath can them, but it is not safe to waterbath most foods. I got the Presto 30 quart pressure canner and it worked great for both. We only do pints for almost everything. In the Presto I can waterbath 9 pint jars and pressure can 18 at a time.

You probably know all this, and others will probably have differing opinions, but as far as accessories:

I recommend you not get that rack lifter for waterbath canning. The jar lifter works just as well, is cheaper, takes up less storage space and reduces the number of jars you can do at one time. We haven't used ours yet. It was a waste.

I'd suggest getting a second stacking rack if yours is deep enough to pressure can more than one row of pints.

You have the food mill taken care of. We use ours mostly for tomato sauces and berries to remove the seeds, but a food mill or a sieve is certainly on my list.

I'd get the funnel for canning. Sure makes it easier and keeps the mess down.

You'll need a decent ladle to fill the jars. Hopefully you already have one.

Now the expensive one. What are you going to prepare the food in for canning? Several products require you to bring the food to a boil. If it is high in acid, you cannot use aluminum. We got a 12 quart stainless steel pot to use and it has made life a lot easier for us. Maybe something else on your Christmas list?

That's all I can think of. Everything else we use we already had. A sauce pan to heat the lids, a kitchen timer, a plastic knife to let the air bubbles out and help pack things tight when required, towels to put on the kitchen counter to work on and cool the jars, a bottle brush for washing jars, and a small plastic ruler to measure the fill height. Different recipes require a difference air space at the top, 1/4", 1/2"or 1". Until you get a good handle on it, I find it useful to actually measure occasionally.

 

[amarook]

My brother inlaw cans deer meat with a tablespoon of lipton onion mix.

He does it in the oven every year, and never has a problem.

 

[halo]

So heres another question. How do you know what size canner to get? Theres so many sizes in that Amazon link I posted, and they are different shapes. Can you double-deck the jars in the canner?

Ridgerunner, great post. Lots of good info there.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

A pressure canner will be a good lifetime investment. If it hasn't mentioned yet, check out the crock pot apple butter!! It can be done by water bath. It is WONDERFUL!! I'll find the link unless someone else here is smarter and quicker than I.