I am a Canner! :)

[pecan]

Completely off topic for this forum, but here we go!

I have always wanted to learn how to can. I have a large garden and lots of edible things in the yard. Plus I am sort of a nut when it comes to being self sufficient if for any reason it comes down to not having the ability to "go buy food", I would like to think that I would be just fine.

So this year my boss gave me a steam juicer to juice my grapes. I love grape juice! Plus we have the sweetest most delicious concord grapes.

Last weekend I tried out the juicer. It worked swimmingly

So this weekend my husband and I cleared the vines of all the grapes, made juice and canned it It was kind of scary using the pressure canner the first time around but to my surprise, it worked! Beautifully sealed cans of grape juice!





So starting next year I think I will go full bore into canning Maybe pickled asparagus in the spring. Then I will can some salsa, maybe some nectarines and pears. Probably some good ol fashioned pickles, more juice and maybe some jam.

 

[capewind]

I am not a canner, but remember doing a lot of it with my grandmother as a child. Her basement was full of all kinds of things. Really wish I was old enough back them to pay more attention, as I would appreciate that old school knowledge now.

 

[slakker]

For high acid stuff like juices and jams, we just use a hot water bath... we leave the pressure canner for low acid and proteins like salmon and stuff...

 

[pecan]

Slakker, I don't really know much about canning at all, just read the pressure canner was faster.

Is there a benefit to using one over the other? Depending on what you're canning?

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Pressure canner cooks at much higher temperature than a hot water bath, and that higher pressure kills organisms that water bath can't kill, like botulism. Botulism can't grow in a high acid environment, that's why you can get away with just a hot water bath. I'd think grape juice should be fine with a 15-20 minute hot water bath. How long were you processing the grape juice in your pressure canner?
Thing is, pressure canners generally take long to get up to the proper pressure and temperature, and they take a while to cool and de-pressurize.,,,, so they aren't always faster in the long run.
They are really fast at cooking things like roasts in them. If you do it right they can cook a large roast in 1/2 an hour, and it will come out very tender.

 

[pecan]

The pressure canner took 10 minutes at 10 psi of pressure. But you are right, building up to that pressure and cooling before you can open it took FOREVER! lol

Thanks! Good to know about the difference. I think I may need to get a water bath canner as well. They seem very cheep.

 

[capewind]

I got a request from a friend this morning to like a page ... her sister stated a FB page aout gardening and canning. Thought you may be interested in it.
https://www.facebook.com/JeansGardenofEatin

 

[slakker]

Exactly what Mucky Waters said... We canned some Apple Butter, Pineapple preserves and apple sauce this weekend and each batch took 20 minutes total, so much quicker, and I'm close to sea level, also a variable to consider.