The Old Folks Home

[mickey328]

Arielle, were you looking for a pressure cooker to cook in or to can in? A pressure canner IS a pressure cooker, but is generally much, much bigger. Mine will hold 6 quart jars on the bottom...isn't quite tall enough to double stack quarts, but I can double stack pints and smaller jars. If you plan to do a fair bit of pressure canning, it's a good investment.

You can can (not the dance) in a regular pressure cooker too...but they're smaller so you have to do fewer and smaller jars. My grandma used her pressure cooker often, to cook tougher cuts of meat and to cook stew meat quickly. Hers was just big enough to put 3 pint jars in, so she did use it to can but in small amounts.

Besides my big pressure canner, I have 3 regular pressure cookers...a smaller shorter one for roasts, a sort of medium sized one I use for stews and such and a large one for making large cuts of meat and stock. Can you tell I like using them? LOL. You can tenderize cheaper, tougher cuts of meat in them and they cut down drastically on cooking time for meat, beans, rice and vegetables.

Grandma's was the old style. It was made of aluminum and had a weight on it. It was weight for a specific pound/pressure. You had to adjust the heat to get that weight rocking, not too fast, not too slow. I can't really tell you the specifics because I just learned to listen, like she did. One of mine is just like it. The others are all the new style and are stainless steel. The new style ones don't have weights, they are calibrated for a specific pound/pressure and there is both a safety vent and one that regularly sort of whistles when it's reached the right temperature. There's been a lot of info out there about how bad it is for you to cook with aluminum and I suppose there's a lot of truth to it, especially if you're sensitive to it. However, all of Grandma's cookware was aluminum and Grandpa lived to 90 and Grandma nearly 95. They both had all their marbles when they went, so I reckon it didn't do them much harm

Now, my pressure canner is aluminum as well, but it has a weight AND a dial on it. This is really helpful since different foods need to be canned at different pressure. I have a tiny bit of difficulty maintaining a constant pressure on my electric (glass) stove...it's much easier with a gas range since the change is immediate. I can't just put the jars in and walk away til the timer goes off; I have to check it frequently and make adjustments. It's a bit inconvenient but it works fine. When this stove bites the bullet, we'll definitely be getting a gas range, though.

All this info is probably more than you wanted, but if you're new to pressure cooking/canning, it might help in making your choice.

Mickey

 

[Arielle]

I had forgotten they came in different sizes. I actually appreciate the primer.

I did a lot of canning some 30 years ago. Guess that would be more like 35 years ago. Mother managed it all. I helped with gardening and food prep. I did can applesauce as it was less technical in the water bath.

I now remember my mother did have a small pressure cooker. I would definitely want the CANNER, quarts are very easy to deal with. DH cans maple syrup in March every year. This year was an exception--poor year = very little syrup. My children after all the years of real maple syrup had to try the fake stuff. They liked it!! I guess they are not the connoisseurs I thought they were! In the future I will save the maple syrup.

 

[mickey328]

LOL...ain't it always the way? I grew up on home made bread, so of course I like the store bought kind; my son prefers the boxed mac and cheese to the stuff I make from scratch. But I also find that things often come full circle. When I was a kid living in the country, I couldn't wait to move to the city. Now that I've been there, done that, I'd give my eye teeth to get out of the city and back into the country.

Applesauce is something I do pretty much every year. The stuff that passes for applesauce in the store seems like so much tasteless mush to me. I never liked strawberry jam til I made some...and realized it could actually taste like strawberries rather than something vaguely fruity and sickly sweet.

As most of us do, I suppose, I find that as I get older, I appreciate quality and would rather spend the time making things than the money buying them.

Just think...you could can the maple syrup but you could also make fruit syrups...what a variety! Glad I didn't overstep the bounds with my little primer, LOL

 

[Arielle]

Never too much information!!

DH and I are both good cooks. I washed about 2 loads of dishes a day until the DW crapped out; NOW the dishes stack up everywhere until I can catch up.

Mac and cheese from a box is a no go in my house-- I have to dress it up with added cheese, like 1-2 cups per box. Then it is tempting to me as well.

I generally eat LC so most of the jams and jellies are out; I can and will eat fresh frozen berries. Only in recent years have I bent the rules on no jams for peanut butter sandwiches. I at least prefer to buy peanut butter without added sugar. A compromise.

I was a great bread baker! I have a huge number of bread baking books. Some DH purchased as he like to bake too. We reserve baking for the holidays and special events. I don't eat bread any more as it got me into the predicament I'm in; I do bake for MIL as that is what she likes for a Christmas present; she eats almost a whole loaf in a matter of hours. Yup, I used to suck down that delicious bread slathered in butter the same way. Now a days, one slice is a slippery slope to total indulgence. Just better to not make it and stay straight. Commercial bread is just not worth eating--doesn't come close to homemade.

Need to make homemade noodles for the chicken soup tomorrow. Simple white flour and whole eggs. My kids love it.

 

[mickey328]

I make my noodles the same way. A big ole pot of beef and noodles is total comfort food for me...whenever I was headed home for a visit, that's what Grandma had waiting for me. The noodles you buy (except some of the frozen ones) are just slime, IMO. I want a noodle that will give me a little fight before it surrenders to the teeth! That's something that's on the list for later after all the fresh stuff is done...gonna make a bunch of noodles and dehydrate them. They keep beautifully and are great to have on hand for when you just have to have some good soup or beef 'n noodles.

With just the two of us, I don't bake much any more...except for holidays and gifts and such. We finally got a breadmaker and it suits our needs...I've been having a ton of fun experiment with different kinds of stuff. A loaf from it lasts us about 2 or 3 days so it's all good. Dave is the guy who loves bread...I'll have some toast now and then and a sandwich sometimes, but that's about all. I never eat it just as bread with a meal...unless it's garlic bread with lasagna or spaghetti. Although sometimes, I just can't resist cutting the heel off a fresh, still warm loaf!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I think I am going to ask DH for a pressure cooker for Christmas; Oh, I was going to ask for an SOP . . . hmmm, the pressure cooker for my birthday !


SCG--sorry about the tree down. A PITA. I've had small ones down that my truck could climb over, out of deperation of course, a need to be to work on time and no chainsaw. Let DH cut it up later. My poor truck, all the things I made it do!

DH had a question--I don't--he does. WHen processing a chicken, is it prepped in a hot water bath before being defeathered??

Yes, you do, for ease of plucking. It needs to be about 145 to 150 degrees. We use a cooker over an outdoor propane grill. You should put a few drops of liquid soap into it, it helps get some of the oil off the feathers so the water penetrates better. You'll dunk the chicken by the feet, put them in for 3-5 long seconds, and swish the chicken around (you also need some waterproof grilling gloves for this) in the bath during the count. Pull chicken out, wait a few seconds. Do this 3 times, then the next time you pull the chicken out test the big feathers - those would be the ones on the wings and on the tail. You know the ones with the really big feather shafts? If they pull out really easily, your bird is ready. If not, back in for a few more swishing sessions. I find it usually takes 6 or 7 of these swishing sessions to get the bird to plucking readiness, but sometimes it is only 3 or 4. When the feathers tell you the bird is ready, the next bath for them is a cold water bath. We use a 5 gallon bucket with cold water +/- ice (depending on the outdoor temp) for that. They get swished in that for about 5 seconds, too. It stops the "cooking" process - if the bird gets too warm, the skin will start to scald and slough off. Pull bird out of cold bath, swing by feet to get some of the excess water off. Pluck.

I got a pressure canner for my birthday this year, and it's not even my birthday yet. My parents got it for me when they were up in June. I'm glad that I got it, so I can can things like chicken stock and tomatoes, but I agree that it is a much bigger pain that my hot water bath canner. I just started canning this summer (like others my mom did it when I was younger but I didn't really help or learn much) and I am in love with waterbath canning. I really enjoy jams and jellies, too. The pressure canner takes so much longer. For example, you can do tomatoes in a waterbath canner, but they take 85 minutes. Or you can do them in a pressure canner at 11 pounds of pressure for 25 minutes. Hm, that seems like a no brainer. However, by the time you get the canner up to pressure, it's been about 20 minutes (you have to let it vent first, then the actual getting up to pressure). Then you have to watch it because the pressure changes and you have to adjust the heat setting on the stove. Then it comes off the stove when the cooking is done and has to cool before opening. At this time I might have well just hot water bath canned it. Plus I have a devil of a time getting my lids to stick (not sure if it was a bad batch of lids or my technique) when I pressure can and have always had to do it again the next day on the ones that didn't seal. It's frustrating, but still worth it.

 

[7 Biddies]

A big ole pot of beef and noodles is total comfort food for me

Mickey, you've hooked me. How do you make yours? My mom never made it (she didn't make many one-dish meals), but we had a maid from Trinidad who made beef with rice for me all the time. YUM! Haven't had that since I was 5 years old. So, I would appreciate learning how to make the beef and noodles if you would be kind enough to share.

Also, my SIL used to make chicken and noodles for her boys, but died without passing that on. Anyone out there have a good old fashioned recipe for that, or for chicken and rice?

I just bought a pressure canner on eBay this summer. I've used a water bath for jams, jellies, pickles, and relishes for years, but was always intimidated by a pressure canner until a friend up here recently taught me how. I put up veggie beef soup and spaghetti sauce this summer. It's really pretty easy and I can use the canner for a smaller water bath, too, if need be. Wish I'd gotten it years ago.

I have had a hand cranked Atlas pasta machine for over 35 years and it's a gem. Homemade pasta and/or noodles are the absolute BEST!

 

[Arielle]

I have an atlas too! I actually have two as I found one in the "trash" after a yard sale. Making pasta is a breeze!! A little messy with flour everywhere though. My kids where doing the cranking at about 3-4 years old-- so funny to see them get mixed up with which way to turn the handle.

THe nice thing about chicken and noodles is that chicken is flexible if you start with the same basic ingredients: carrots, celery, onions, and thyme. And the roasted chicken. Majorum, sage are also good with chicken. I use fresh herbs and freeze the left over herbs. A little salt and pepper.

SCG--I have always read scalding too. THen I read on the heritage thread to pluck immediately after the kill and pluck while warm. I have to admit I had a heck of a time plucking 6 geese by hand. I had stuck them in a snow bank to wait in turn, however I ended up with sloughing on the legs mostly, and the last bird was soooo difficult, I quit and left much of the wing feathers. Made for an unsightly bird, but I didn't care after 10 hours of dealing with the cleaning!! I tried skinning after this, and didn't find that all that easy either!! Back to plucking.

 

[mickey328]

All that and more, SCG! I only use the pressure canner when it's stuff that has to be pressure canned...otherwise, it's the waterbath. I do use it as a waterbath too when I have a really big batch of pints...it'll hold 16 of them double stacked, and my regular water bath canner only does 7 at a time. It takes longer to get that volume of water up to boiling, of course, but once it's there, it goes pretty quickly.

Biddies, I'm happy to share...it's so dang easy. I haul out the pressure cooker and get it hotting up; then add a tiny bit (maybe a tsp) of oil and plop the cut up stew meat in there to sear. I season it with salt and pepper and dried onion...whatever sorts of spices you like, but we like it pretty basic. When it's all good and browned, I add water to the first fill line, lock it down and cook it for 45 mins to an hour...you almost can't overcook it cuz you want it practically falling apart anyway. When it's done, you can do a quick release of the pressure, or just let it sit till you can take the lid off. Then I add water: how much sort of depends on how much meat you have, and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer till they're just tender...I like mine chewy, not mushy, but it's personal preference. When they're about done I mix up some flour and water and pour that in till you have a good, thick gravy like consistency. We like to spoon it over mashed potatoes and have a side of veggies. That's it...really easy and super yummy! Dave's mom did much the same thing, but she'd use a whole roast and pressure cook it. When she took it out, she'd make a gravy and add the noodles and then serve it with the noodle gravy poured over the roast.

Chicken 'n noodles is pretty much the same, but we don't brown the meat and don't need a pressure cooker. Just cook the chicken and the noodles and make a gravy. Of course, you can season either of them with whatever you like or add veggies and stuff...it's all flexible. We like ours pretty basic, though

 

[7 Biddies]

All that and more, SCG! I only use the pressure canner when it's stuff that has to be pressure canned...otherwise, it's the waterbath. I do use it as a waterbath too when I have a really big batch of pints...it'll hold 16 of them double stacked, and my regular water bath canner only does 7 at a time. It takes longer to get that volume of water up to boiling, of course, but once it's there, it goes pretty quickly.

Biddies, I'm happy to share...it's so dang easy. I haul out the pressure cooker and get it hotting up; then add a tiny bit (maybe a tsp) of oil and plop the cut up stew meat in there to sear. I season it with salt and pepper and dried onion...whatever sorts of spices you like, but we like it pretty basic. When it's all good and browned, I add water to the first fill line, lock it down and cook it for 45 mins to an hour...you almost can't overcook it cuz you want it practically falling apart anyway. When it's done, you can do a quick release of the pressure, or just let it sit till you can take the lid off. Then I add water: how much sort of depends on how much meat you have, and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer till they're just tender...I like mine chewy, not mushy, but it's personal preference. When they're about done I mix up some flour and water and pour that in till you have a good, thick gravy like consistency. We like to spoon it over mashed potatoes and have a side of veggies. That's it...really easy and super yummy! Dave's mom did much the same thing, but she'd use a whole roast and pressure cook it. When she took it out, she'd make a gravy and add the noodles and then serve it with the noodle gravy poured over the roast.

Chicken 'n noodles is pretty much the same, but we don't brown the meat and don't need a pressure cooker. Just cook the chicken and the noodles and make a gravy. Of course, you can season either of them with whatever you like or add veggies and stuff...it's all flexible. We like ours pretty basic, though

Thanks so much. Sounds easy enough and I can use my 12qt pressure canner b/c it's small enough. Sounds like good comfort food for the long, cold winter months and a good way to use up some of the freshly processed chicken I got from a local heritage farm and have in the freezer.

My grown children remember making pasta with me with fondness. I once was asked to show my son's Montessori pre-k class how to make pasta when they were learning about Italy. I took my trusty Atlas to school and they all "helped" turning the handle and eating the al dente results. My daughter was reminiscing about those days, so I got her an Atlas and sent her my Italian cookbook signed by the author, Giuliano Bugialli. The tradition continues!!