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Farm Kitchen:  Recommend a pressure canner?  |
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Mama Jewel
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Jewel
Sweet Peas Farmette,
Bend, OR
USA
435 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 29 2010 : 11:09:36 PM
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I'm taking some online classes this winter in pressure canning --whoo hoo!! Can you farm gals give me a recommendation of size and type of pressure canner you would recommend. I would like to hear about the good, the bad & the ugly 
I'm just starting out and realistically, I see canning my garden's veggies, fruits, tomato sauce, stuff like that. I won't be doing any meats. May try my hand at some veggie soups. Don't know if I should start with a small capacity one like a 16 qt or more of a med size one of 21 qt. I've been up late researching online and getting overwhelmed & confused, so am coming to you gals for some hands-on advice.
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 04:35:44 AM
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I have a Mirro-Matic that I simply love. I has nothing but a weight that is round and has 5-10-15 on it and you just turn the weight to the pressure that you want to keep. No gauges to have checked each year. It is a smaller 12 qt canner, but I have canned thousands of jars of soups, beef stew, corn, beans, chicken and even rump roasts. I wouldn't trade if for anything! I think we women have a love affair with our canners.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 06:30:27 AM
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hi there jewel, well i have a strong opinion. bigger is better. you can downsize a load or use it bigger. like a greenhouse bigger is better. i have a big one that does a double stack. you get done so much quicker. usually by the time my product is in the canner i am tired. so if i can get it done faster i am all for it. you must remember each batch is about an hour to process. if you do tomatoes or soups you need more jars. with the size of your family and how much gardening you do big works. to be able to do one large load and be done to me is great. then when you grow to doing meat and fish you already have the machine. like buying a car or dishwasher its all about the tools. i have an excellent canner actually i have 2 of them. mirro canners i think. i like having an exact gauge also. the reason is if you need 17 opounds pressur then you can hold it exactly there. mom taught us the fine hairs in a project are what make it perfect. i call our county extension agent each time i process food here in the canner. the reason is our altitude changes the amount of pressure needed to can correctly. they give me the exact number which is usually between 10 and 15 pounds. i sit and watch my gauge while doing busy work. i watch it like a hawk.when making SOAP or making bread or kefir or cheese temperature is everything. for canning it is to be exact on your pressure to get fine quality food in the jar. well now you know my opinion. if you want to can something. call me. we can do some soup you make and process it in my canner. then you have hands on. i love to can. would be glad to show what i know. then you can share with me what you know. we can do soup anytime of year. so a good snow day project. you could come here to my kitchen. hope this helps. would love to see you. i bet you will learn a lot from the class you can share with me. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 06:49:26 AM
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Hi Jewel-
I LOVE and really mean LOVE my All American Pressure canners! I have the 921 (21 qt) and the 930 (30 qt) sizes. It is just me and hubby now, although the boys pop in from time to time to grab a bite. When I can it usually isn't just 1 or 2 jars. My 921 is my main canner because I usually can in pints and I can get 14 or 16 in the canner. When I am canning quarts or lots of pints (greenbean season) I use both of them at once. The 930 is nice because I can get 14 quarts done at a time, but that isn't really done very often anymore. If I still had boys at home it would probably be my main one. Now if I am canning tuna and use the short wide mouth half pints I can triple and quadruple stack in the canners by having extra racks. Yes, this is an approved method as long as the jars fit in the canner properly and I process for the correct time. The All American canners are made in the USA and will last you a lifetime! In fact my oldest boy has already placed his name on my 921 for when "I don't need it any more". I am in my 40's so I think he will have to wait a while! While it is said that with the guage canners you need to have the guage tested every year I do not find it necessary. The AA's have a jiggler and a guage so I rely on the jiggler and the guage helps me know where my pressure is standing but isn't necessary. Besides when I took mine in to be tested by the county extension office it was ridiculous, the kid at the gas station could have done a better job! We can year round with our canners. This weekend we will be butchering about 40-50 chickens and a majority of mine will be canned. For us the AA's were worth every penny we paid for them and I wouldn't change it. In fact if I found another one at a good deal price I would really consider buying it. Just a FYI you can find the AA's on ebay and craigs list for pretty good prices, this is how I found my second one.
Just out of curiosity why won't you be canning meat? Are you afraid too or do you not eat meat. If it is the first reason, trust me it is really easy and worth it!
Lillian |
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vegetarian farmer
True Blue Farmgirl
249 Posts
Jane
Freedom
pa
USA
249 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 07:07:36 AM
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I agree. Love the All American. It will last your lifetime. You will never need to replace it and no gasket to replace.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 08:10:38 AM
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I love my canners. I have 2 small canners that can 7pt each. But my favorite is the big one that cans 7qt. I can't remember the brands and they are all in the celler. My big canner was my Grandpa's. It is probably 60-70 years old. I don't can a lot of quarts anymore. Mostly tomato juice. Every thing else gets canned in pints. Gone are the days that I can get 3 or 4 canners done in one day. Don't get much help from the grandkids. They only want to can pickles. Once in a while, one will help out making salsa. They don't see canning like I do. They think it is a hobby and like to brag about their pickles. I can live a lot longer on my greenbeans, tomatoes and such than they can, just eating pickles.
Lillian, I have always wanted to can chicken. Just don't have what it takes to kill them. Good luck this weekend.
Belle
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 4:00:13 PM
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Belle-
This is my first experience butchering, I will not do the deed. My job will be the scalding, plucking and wraping. DH, BIL, and FIL will be doing the actual butchering until I can get up the nerve. |
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Mama Jewel
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Jewel
Sweet Peas Farmette,
Bend, OR
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 4:22:42 PM
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Lillian, I'm not canning meat since I don't eat it at this point. I have really enjoyed hearing all your advice, Gals, but ya all have *different* brands that you enjoy  so I'm still a bit unsure what way to go (lol). Sherry, that sounds like a great time to be bringing soup over and canning with you. I'll be glad to share what I know, too, when the classes begin in January. It's called Preserve @ Home through the county extension office and is put on in conjunction with Idaho's extension office, too
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
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Farm Kitchen: Recommend a pressure canner? |
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Recommend a pressure canner?
