What are you canning now?

[Cryptkeeper]

Thanks guys.

I will add it to my sauce. My point in doing that is hiding it from my very picky kids who actively search out mysterious chunks in sauce to complain about what they are. LOL

Them just turning to mush is all the better.

 

[mickey328]

Peel and grate them...they'll NEVER know it's there!

 

[PuffyChick]

Okay so, Just finished my very first pressure canning task.

Hrmph. How the heck do you get it to stay at 11 lbs?

I adjusted the dang dial every so minutely but never managed to just maintain a constant single pressure.

It either fell a degree over time or rose a degree over time.

Overall I'd say I did my chicken at an average of 12lbs for the 75 minutes. (my altitude says 11 lbs)

I can't wait to be able to open it and see ...I added a slice of onion to the bottom of each jar and a teaspoon of fresh garlic.

 

[Kismet]

I make and pressure can a lot of soups. I include zucchini in my vegetable soup, all the veggies cut to a similar small size - I process the quarts for 85 minutes @ 10 lbs. I have also made zucchini (and summer squash) soup with onions or leeks, puree it in a food processor, and can the result, also for 85 m. @ 10 lbs. I sometimes add milk or cream when I open it to serve, to make a creamed version. Often, I use chicken stock for the stock in my soups (since I always have a plentiful supply). When I use water or tomatoes (which have a lot of water in them), I always mark on the lids that they are "vegetarian vegetable soup." I have a good friend who is a vegetarian, and once I served her vegetable soup made with chicken stock (I did warn her first). She said she could really taste the chicken and it wasn't to her liking. So now, I make sure to have real vegetarian soup on hand.

On the subject of pressure canners, I recommend one that does not have a rubber gasket that has to be replaced every year. Mine is an American, made in Indiana, I think. It's great and guaranteed for fifty years - I told my son I would leave it to him in my will. It is pricey, but I am glad I splurged.

 

[mickey328]

Ah, the minute adjustments! LOL, I hear ya on that Puffy. I'll get it just right and check 15 mins later and it's fallen a pound, so I move it up about a 32nd of an inch and check 5 mins later and it's risen by 3 or 4 lbs! I figure as long as it's close, it's good...especially if it's higher...not so much if overall it's lower. Seems like about the last 25 mins of a 90 min process, it finally gets in the groove and stays where it's supposed to. Part of my trouble is that I have an electric stove...gas would be much more responsive.

Gotta agree with ya, Kismet...a good pressure canner is one thing to "splurge" on since it will repay you over and over and over again.

 

[PuffyChick]

While I am new to canning over all I have to say that I am really impressed with my Presto Pressure canner.

I was pleasantly suprised that it is heavy duty but still light.

I love the pressure guage on top ..it is very clear and easy to read. I also like that it holds 8 pint jars ..I prefer to can in pints as I hate to waste food and pint size works for us.

I found the smaller size canner ( I got the 16qt) while no where near small is still small enough it cools down faster than I thought it would. Loads faster, and heats up pretty good.

Overall so far I am quiet pleased. I wonder if my seal ring will wear out after only a year. Time will tell.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

While I am new to canning over all I have to say that I am really impressed with my Presto Pressure canner.

I was pleasantly suprised that it is heavy duty but still light.

I love the pressure guage on top ..it is very clear and easy to read. I also like that it holds 8 pint jars ..I prefer to can in pints as I hate to waste food and pint size works for us.

I found the smaller size canner ( I got the 16qt) while no where near small is still small enough it cools down faster than I thought it would. Loads faster, and heats up pretty good.

Overall so far I am quiet pleased. I wonder if my seal ring will wear out after only a year. Time will tell.

I have the same one and have had it three years now and have not had to replace the seal ring it is still in good shape like it was new

 

[galanie]

I have a Presto with the weighted thing on top rather than a gauge that I got in 1983, and the gasket is still holding strong. On the other hand, another that I got around the same time has been up in the attic and I did get it a new gasket. Don't know if the old one really is bad, but with all that heat up there for the last 10 years, I don't want to mess with it. I figure after 30 years a new one can't hurt.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Canned up 21 quarts of peaches in my new cold bath caner DH bought me for my birthday. My 9 year old helped me peel them while I did the cutting. She was such a great help and made it really fun! I plan on doing at least 30 quarts of apple sauce and 15 of strawberry jam. I love this time of the year!!

 

[mickey328]

I've had my pressure canner for about 10 years and it's still just fine, if a bit discolored. My newer pressure cookers have a silicon gasket which is nice...they'll last a lot longer than the rubber ones and not be bothered as much by heat and time.

I love canning! It's a lot of work but SO worth it! Although I confess, as it nears the end, I'm ready to be done with it and get my kitchen back to normal, LOL