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| My New Pressure Canner |
You've watched as I've learned about how to safely preserve my canned creations since moving back to Wisconsin and the farmhouse. All those foods have been preserved via water bath canning. Until now, I've avoided a pressure canner/cooker because I was told when I was a young woman that they were a good way to blow up your kitchen (one of those misguided members of The Committee I mentioned in THIS and THIS post.)
I'll be reading my new manual from cover to cover, and I intend to view whatever I can find on YouTube, and glean additional information from my online canning group, to learn how to safely use my new tool. (Oh, and I'm challenging another mental entry from The Committee, who I'm equally sure, in this case, will be proven wrong.) While nervous, knowledge is a powerful thing, and I intend to be fully educated before I tackle my first project with my new pressure canner.
What I do see in our future, is more preserved food - meats, low acid vegetables, and fruits - that I can put in our pantry. We'll know what's in those foods, that they were safely preserved, and available even when the snow is deep and the roads impassible. I'll be able to put much more food on the shelf than I could ever store or access in our freezer. It's also a frugal way to store away food when the best cuts or choices are on sale, and they won't require the additional vinegar, sugar, or salt that are required to safely can in a water bath.
It may take a while for me to inform myself, but I'm sure that as soon as I'm ready, I'll be canning up a storm using my pressure canner. I'll be sure to share what I learn, and how it goes. You know me. I'll share the successes (and failures, if any). I always thank you for following along. I'll keep you posted.
I have never had a pressure cooker...for the same reason you did not. I'll be watching to see how you do with it. xo
ReplyDeleteDonna I believe you will be educated and pressure canning and cooking in no time at all. My mother used a pressure cooker a lot when I was growing up. I personally do not like them...not even the new ones...but then again I am not a kitchen/appliance person at all. Happy Learning Dear...<3
ReplyDeleteHave my grandmother version. I know it was a bit precarious until I “got it” but you will never live without it again. Amazing food.
ReplyDeleteDear Donna, Jim bought me that exact cooker canner a number of years ago and I love it! It is so safe and I have never felt it could blow! Having had that experience happen in our early days of marriage with a pressure cooker a couple of times I have to admit I had some small squeamishness about it. After Jim bought this canner for me my health went downhill and I never used it much. This past 2 years it has been in use regularly. One of the main things is my son and I make Kelp broth as a vegetarian broth. To buy it in the stores is prohibitive. It is what is usually used in Miso soup. If we go to an Asian Market we are able to get large packages of dried kelp cheaply that will go on to make 3-4 batches of broth. We are also able to get dried Mushrooms which we also like to use in it. It's an all day project but I have quit buying any other kind of broth altogether as we like ours so well and it comes out to be less than 25 cents a quart. Having started using the canner I have been using it for other things also. So much fun. I was canning some fruit earlier in the season and asked Jim to get me my water bath canner and he showed up with this one. I said no I want the other one. He didn't understand why I would want to use it but from what I have read you still want to use that kind on the right kinds of fruit.
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