First Attempt at Pressure Canning

[headfullofbees]

So, Chuck and Durgan, how much more do you agree on than disagree about?
I'd bet if you met you'd be good friends!
I'm sure it'd be mutually beneficial if you put your difficult start behind you, and Ian, how about Chuck and Durgan's (alphabetical order) preserving forum?

 

[Durgan]

I have been bouncing around various forums for years and have arrived at some conclusions. Very few people preserve in any serious way. I live in probably the best growing area in Canada and most of the field produce goes to waste. Over the season every type of plant food is available at a low price and almost nobody preserves.

Chuck is the only person I have met on forums that do pressure canning.

I believe gardening is fast becoming a lost art. There are large properties in my sub division and almost no gardens. The commercial prepared food is too attractive. People have sufficient money so economics play no part in what food they use. A lot of it is questionable IMO.

 

[Chuck]

So, Chuck and Durgan, how much more do you agree on than disagree about?
I'd bet if you met you'd be good friends!
I'm sure it'd be mutually beneficial if you put your difficult start behind you, and Ian, how about Chuck and Durgan's (alphabetical order) preserving forum?

I don't think we disagree on anything about preserving food. As far as I can tell he is strictly a juice and gruel man. No solids of any kind. Solid foods are much more "tempermental" and must be accorded more attention to detail and some of the detail is only learned through trial and error. For instance dried beans. Directions state 10 lbs pressure for 40 minutes. This is fine if you like your limas hard and crunchy. Myself I like mine soft but not mushy so I don't follow the directions. I over cook @ 10 lbs for 80 minutes instead. I never change the pressure though. Most if not all vegs. require 10 lbs except for tomatoes. If 15 lbs is used I can guarantee a bad product. All this not following directions aside one must NEVER under pressurize nor lower the cooking time. I would presume that most gardeners would like to can tomatoes and if so you do not need nor want a pressure canner. Any large soup pot will work fine as long as it has a wire rack in the bottom. The same goes for any pickled product such as peppers or anything with a liquid base of vinegar. All in all though, if one just follows directions carefully the entire process will soon become second nature to you.
Some products from the garden are just not good for pressure canning such as brocolli, cauliflower and brussle sprouts. They should be blanched and frozen. Cucumbers pickled. Of all the vegs only 1 that I can think of can be utilized by pressure canning, hot water bath and freezing and that one is Okra. Anyway, for any of you interested in canning or just preserving food, get the book called Putting Food By. It will tell you anything you might wish to know.

 

[Durgan]

Slurry/Juice 15 PSI for 15 minutes is my mantra for all vegetable products for preservation. But the product is boiled and made into a slurry prior to the preserving part. Simple and straightforward.

My perception when any vegetable product is subjected to high heat it turns to mush very quickly. S o why fool around simply mush it from step one.

Died beans are cooked for a long time and hour or so in the pressure cooker. I don't believe such a product can be over cooked, In fact, I suspect most people undercook beans, unless they bake all day like Gram did.

I steam cook, never let my product touch the water in the pressure cooker. I use a colander with the arms knocked off. This prevents bubbling and the safety exhaust never gets clogged.

To preserve the gasket, I never use the lid as a normal pot to prevent overheating the gasket. Also each time I put the lid on for pressure cooking, vegetable oil is applied to the gasket surface. A gasket lasts for years with these caveats applied.

 

[Chuck]

About vegs turning to mush. I hate mushy vegs and pressure cooking, for instance green beans, too long or under too much pressure and they become something that is not good. They loose their texture, become limp and flat. You must know how long and how much pressure They should only be cooked @ 10lbs for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts. Under pressure or under time and you risk possible food poisoning. You must follow directions. You cannot just guess. Correctly pressurized and timed cooking will provide perfect vegs every time.
I don't cook meals in my pressure canner. I use the stove for that. I have found that on, for instance beef stew, when cooked on the stove and leftovers are pressure canned, that it is not near as good as it is just frozen in an airtight container.
@ Durgan is correct about the gasket. When I use my canner for, say making pickles or tomato sauce, I remove the gasket and put the lid on as usual and water bath can as per direction. When pressure canning always oil the gasket or you will be buying a new gasket fairly soon. For all of you who are thinking about canning your own food, you MUST know what the directions are. GET THE BOOK and all is answered. You cannot just guess or listen to any Tom, Dick or Harry. You must know.

 

[MaryMary]

First, @headfullofbees, this is a very interesting thread, thank you for starting it!!

I kill numerous deer and hogs during the year and that machine makes short work out of making sausage or making hamburger meat.

Do you freeze the meat, or somehow can it? I would have automatically assumed you freeze it, but recently a friend told me that she is going to can some of her chickens, so now I'm curious. (P.S., The book is now on my Christmas list! .)

My meat consumption is almost nil.

Is this out of a dislike of meat, or concern for the things they are fed and/or vaccinated with? They way it is processed? All of the above?

 

[Chuck]

First, @headfullofbees, this is a very interesting thread, thank you for starting it!!



Do you freeze the meat, or somehow can it? I would have automatically assumed you freeze it, but recently a friend told me that she is going to can some of her chickens, so now I'm curious. (P.S., The book is now on my Christmas list! .)




Is this out of a dislike of meat, or concern for the things they are fed and/or vaccinated with? They way it is processed? All of the above?

I freeze all of my meat except for the sausage I smoke cure. I also make jerky in my dehydrator sometimes. I have tried canning different meats and it is easy to do but the final product isn't near as good as when frozen fresh. If I were one of the survivalist types I would. Never tried to can a chicken. I like them BBQed to much to have a perfectly good chicken sitting on a pantry shelf for months. Besides, when canning meats you have to cook it first on the stove anyway. All the canning does is preserve it, plus it changes the texture and the taste somewhat.
P.S The book is invaluable

 

[Durgan]

Durgan said: ↑
My meat consumption is almost nil.
Click to expand...
Is this out of a dislike of meat, or concern for the things they are fed and/or vaccinated with? They way it is processed? All of the above? MaryMary, 8 minutes ago

With my varied diet that meat is not necessary. I partake periodically but seldom. I eat a few eggs now and then.

Substituted are soy beans which I ingest daily now in the form of tempeh for breakfast. I use dried various beans often and many whole grains. I like fish but it is hard to get to suit my taste in my area. Most is associated with China. I use canned Portuguese sardines periodically.

Over the years various food have been added and experimentation is ongoing. All my endeavors are recorded in my Journal, the best on the Internet. http://durgan.org/2011/

Of some concern is the world obesity explosion, and I suspect our food supply has some responsibility for the epidemic. Meaning there must be changes in what we consume.

 

[MaryMary]

Thank you to both @Chuck and @Durgan for your answers!