Canning question

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

Hi and welcome Patriotic Stabilist. I hope you enjoy this site, I know we do. I just got home so I have to call the stove manufacturer. Guys at work pretty much are giving the same advice this thread is providing. It would keep the house cooler to can in the basement or garage or even on the patio. A turkey fryer, another stove etc. I have found an electric water bath canner on line. $259.00 -$299.00. I told the little woman we can get a second hand stove for half of that. We put a man on the moon, rovers on planets, surly someone has a work around for canning on a flat top stove.

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

I just finished talking to a Frigidaire tech rep. She says canning is not recommended as you are not to exceed 25# on the stove top. The weight, of the canner and contents and the heat from canning can comprimise the stove top causing it to crack.

Well we still have time to come up with a plan B. Who would have ever thunk it.

hunterridgefarm · Mar 23, 2009

elalexander said:
Well we still have time to come up with a plan B. Who would have ever thunk it.

If you have room for another stove, like a basement, start checking the want adds for a used stove. Could find one cheap since everyone is buying the flat tops

.

David

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

Just saw one in the paper a week or two ago Dave. $50.00, nice electric stove. Sold in a few days I'm sure.

studor · Mar 23, 2009

The guys at a hunt camp near me "jar" their venison every year on a propane "ring" (like a turkey fryer) on the back porch

Seems like a logical place to do preserves and probably heats faster than the electric stove as well

greenmule · Mar 23, 2009

Canning in a pressure canner is one of those things where more is not better,[heat I'm talking],remember its called a pressure canner]

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

Yea Studor, I agree and you won't have the extra heat in the house either. I asked about a pressure canner because the time is reduced but the lady I spoke to still said it was not recommended. I'm glad someone told my wife or we could have had a big accident and maybe a serious burn as well.

Kind of leaning towards the electric turkey fryer type. I know now with my luck I'd run out of propane half way through a batch.

Bird · Mar 23, 2009

I know now with my luck I'd run out of propane half way through a batch.

You're supposed to have two propane bottles.

I have 4 outdoor propane "cookers" of one kind or another; a smoker, a grill, a turkey fryer, and a plain burner I use most for fish. So with 4 appliances, but only use one at a time, I have two 20# propane bottles.

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

Hahaha Bird. I do have 2 20#s for our gas grill. If the kids come up on the weekend we do the charcoal and gas grill. We usually have a small campfire out back and my son wants a grill that swings over it so we can cook out there. As the crew keeps expanding we go through LP a lot. He have been talking about a turkey fryer for both frying and now canning. I did do a search and found this one at Walmart.
Walmart.com: Masterbuilt Digital Electric Turkey Fryer: Grills & Outdoor Cooking

Looks good, and it is electric so if I had to can inside no issue with fire etc. The better halve has her homework now.............find something to can with.

The fryer will fill two bills, that for canning and Turkey frying.

Either way I win in this one

.

Bird · Mar 23, 2009

It'll be interesting to see how that electric turkey fryer works. Can you use that to heat a pressure cooker?

That thing looks much like the "Fry Daddy" type of deep fryer. My wife fried the catfish for supper in her electric deep fryer tonight. For just the two of us, it wasn't worth the trouble to use the big LPG rig outdoors.

Eric, you might find these reviews interesting.

elalexander · Mar 23, 2009

I know what you mean Bird. I won't be able to do any pressure cooking with it but I feel certain I can do a water bath processing. Really we aren't planning on canning enough to feed an armor division, just us two, and to be able to enjoy our stuff after the growing season. I remember before when we canned a good bit stuff was ready when there was a ball game etc and some late nights being in the kitchen. Want this to be fun, will it still be work yes, but more of a hobby thing. Hopefully our Grand kids will remember some of it and maybe one day do their own. After all this was past down to us, and like someone posted only 1 in 5000 homes can anymore. I think its a good family thing.

Bird · Mar 23, 2009

OK, I understand, Eric. And of course now with just the 2 of us, we don't do any canning anymore. But until 6 years ago, we did some water bath processing, but most of our canning was using one and sometimes two pressure cookers.

JohnDeere4300 · Mar 24, 2009

Bird said:
My wife fried the catfish for supper in her electric deep fryer tonight.

Bird,

Glad you had a great supper

.....all i had was a bacon cheese burger

elalexander said:
Really we aren't planning on canning enough to feed an armor division

We didn't plan that last year either...But it turned out that way

Now we are trying to eat it all up to get ready for this garden and canning season.

Bird · Mar 24, 2009

we aren't planning on canning enough to feed an armor division, just us two

Yeah, canning can get to be an expensive hobby. My first thoughts were just enough for the two of us, but then we started giving cases of canned goods to her brothers, my brothers, our daughters and their families. Occasionally, we got some jars back, but I sure bought a lot of jars.

JohnDeere4300 · Mar 24, 2009

Bird said:
but then we started giving cases of canned goods to her brothers, my brothers, our daughters and their families. Occasionally, we got some jars back, but I sure bought a lot of jars.

A couple years ago we gave a lot of canned food to family and never got our jars back...Then last spring we went and bought 15 cases of jars, and then in August everyone brought all the ones back

But it never hurts to have extra jars on hand.

Patriotic Stabilist · Mar 24, 2009

When I started canning again several years back, I bought serveral cases from Big Lots, I kept a few of my moms. Also bought some at thrift stores people were getting rid of. I think I have enough for now, but Big Lots still sells them and Walmart also.

My husband found a box with the zinc canning lids in it at his mom's, brand new ones. Anyone remember those? I ordered rubber rings for them from Lehman's.

I have a big pressure canner, can do 2 layers of pints and 1 layer of quarts. Also bought a new water bath canner, didn't like the older one. It was expensive but it was not a China made one, was made at Columbia Enameling in Terre Haute, Indiana. My husband worked there right out of high school before getting drafted. I buy American anytime I can.

elalexander · Mar 24, 2009

Patriotic Stabilist; you go girl. Glad to hear some folks still look for made in the usa. I read sometime ago a lady tried not to buy anything made in China for a year and the hard time she had to that end. Not to start a bedate on Walmart because I think my wife has direct deposit there but, if you want a geography lesson go and look at shirt labels and where they are made. Then, time allowing go to another aisle pick up a globe and find it.

I don't remember the zinc lids but I do remember the lid shortage of the early seventies. Grocery stores were limiting people to like 2 or 3 boxes of lids. That was a real pain but it made the jellies and other stuff taste that much better whenever a jar was opened.

As for a canner I am waiting an email back from Masterbuilt to hear what they have to say about an electric fryer. I think it will work just fine as a water bath. I'm not sure what to do if we need a pressure canner. As I said most of what we do is the water bath method.

Have to run going to put some potatoes and more onions in tonight.

czechsonofagun · Mar 24, 2009

Here is something about canning:

Red Meat

Warning: there are two kinds of people, some love RM and the rest thinks RM is wacko

Patriotic Stabilist · Mar 24, 2009

Actually went making jelly I use sealing wax. It's the old way. You buy this big block of wax and you still can. Melt it down, but be careful it can reach flash point and catch on fire so melt it slowly. Once the jelly is in the jar just pour it on top about a 1/2 inch at least. Make sure the jar was wiped clean down to the jelly, when it cools you will have a nice tight seal. It will keep better as will all canned items if you have a root cellar or a basement that is a bit cooler. I keep mine in my laundry room. Down here in the south it doesn't have a vent, heat comes in from the den but its not that warm. I can shut it off but the cats litter box and food is in there.

Dad used to have a big potato bin where he stored a winters worth of Irish Cobbler potatoes. I store onions for awhile here but just not consistently cool to keep them for very long.