canning

[rondog]

Interesting thread. I'd like to try canning, but the wife doesn't want anything to do with it. Bad childhood memories probably.

[clodhopper]

So why does she have to be involved? You can do all the canning and all the eating.


My wife likes to water bath can and makes jellies and stuff. I do the hard core and bulk canning, ie pressure canning and bulk water bath veggies. The wife doesn't have a good handle on pressure canning and managed to ruin two canners boiling them dry, so I have henceforth banned her from using it ever again.

[rondog]

So why does she have to be involved? You can do all the canning and all the eating.


My wife likes to water bath can and makes jellies and stuff. I do the hard core and bulk canning, ie pressure canning and bulk water bath veggies. The wife doesn't have a good handle on pressure canning and managed to ruin two canners boiling them dry, so I have henceforth banned her from using it ever again.

Money. Perhaps after I get back to work. Hell, if I could, I'd like to live in a place where I could have a veggie garden and chickens. She DAMN sure don't want any of that action!

[clodhopper]

My wife digs the chickens. She talks to them like they were pets. I guess to her they are pets. To me they are egg generators and future dog food.

[Irving]

Think my barrel stove would be too hot? I can easily get it up over 600*, but it doesn't usually stay that hot.

[rbeau30]

Think my barrel stove would be too hot? I can easily get it up over 600*, but it doesn't usually stay that hot.

Irving, I think you would run into difficulty keeping the heat constant. I know at the end of my canning once I turn the burner ioff, it quickly goes below 15 PSI. If that happens mid way through the processing of your food, it is advisable that the clock resets on processing time.

Yes, the aluminum cannot deal with that amount of energy. One way around it is to get a circle of steel similar in diameter to your canner, about 3/16 or 1/4" thick and set that on the burner under the pot. This is how I have run my canner on a big propane camp stove.

I looked on craigslist and picked up a used cook top for $10 (think the burners of a stove without the oven). Planning to install in a cabinet on the back porch. I commonly run at least two canners at a time.

I had thought of that, haven't been to the scrap steel place in a while since other projects have fallen to the wayside. I wanted to get one of those double burner camp stoves. because I could also use it for brewing beer, and it is high off the ground. A good multitasker. Two canners would be really nice, especially when processing the years worth of chicken stock and beef stock.

[clodhopper]

I wanted to get one of those double burner camp stoves. because I could also use it for brewing beer, and it is high off the ground. A good multitasker. Two canners would be really nice, especially when processing the years worth of chicken stock and beef stock.

I have a two burner propane camp deal like they sell at Sportsmans Warehouse. I use it for lots of things, but it does a lot of duty during canning season. It works absolutely great for water bath canners, but you have to be careful with pressure canning.

The reason I started doubling up on all my canners is I found that when I got down to it, I canned A LOT at a time and was spending (wasting) lots of time between cycles. Particularly with the pressure canner as it takes so long to get up to heat, runs longer and then a long time to cool down again. Having multiple canners lets one be cooking while you are prepping the next. Two is perfect for water bath, but three is better for pressure canning. But running three canners will really keep you hopping. Better have a bunch of stuff ready to go. I only have two pressure canners right now, so I keep a casual eye open for good deals. I have two water canners, but I also have a couple really big stock pots that get pushed into service if I am doing big batches of stuff.

[TheGrey]

For any canning newbies, farmer's markets have some pretty great sales going on right now. Even if you don't get to a farmer's market, Sprouts has some excellent prices! I've dehydrated 5 lbs of sweet cherries so far, and I'm canning peaches, pears, green beans and asparagus.

[rbeau30]

Does anyone use a portable burner or hot plate for canning.

I'm looking at something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_i=507846


I'd like to move some of the heat out of the kitchen and have more room to work. I wondered if anyone uses something like this. If so how is it? How many watts do you need, is 1300 too much or too little? This would be used on a Presto 23qt.

Thanks

I have not used one of these... this looks like a good idea. Summer time, it would be awesome to set up a station out in the garage or something to keep the heat out of the house. I have used a turkey fryer burner before, but that was disastrous when I took my eyes off it for a couple seconds.

[Dave]

I have not used one of these... this looks like a good idea. Summer time, it would be awesome to set up a station out in the garage or something to keep the heat out of the house. I have used a turkey fryer burner before, but that was disastrous when I took my eyes off it for a couple seconds.

What went wrong using a turkey fryer for canning?