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cricket_love

Suggestions for a paranoid mother please :)

Cricket_Love
11 years ago

I am wanting to freeze and can as much as possible for this coming winter. I don't trust the food from the grocery stores much anymore, and want to eat our organically grown food. I'm "hoping" that my seeds aren't chemically altered.... (reasoning for my paranoia is all the diseases/cancers now days with all the pesticides/chemicals used in and on your food...yadda yadda yadda.....wnating to make sure that I don't create botulism and poison my family)

I've only canned a few times, and that was several years ago. Can you suggest what is better for which, freezing corn, greenbeans...canning tomatoes, sauces, etc?

Right now all I own is a vintage hot water bath. I know I will need to purchase a pressure canner/cooker. Not sure which one to buy. I've been told not to purchase an aluminum pressure canner as they warp and do not read correct temps???

Any and all suggestions/advise is VERY MUCH appreciated!

Thanks so much!

Comments (7)

  • Linda_Lou
    11 years ago

    All pressure canners are aluminum. I prefer the Presto 23 qt. pressure canner. Then, I get a weight set and use it as a weighted gauge canner instead of relying on the dial gauge.
    I like corn frozen the best. Green beans canned. Tomatoes and tomato sauce I like canned better.

  • SneakyP86
    11 years ago

    I just got a Presto 23 qt cooker canner from amazon. It was pretty much the cheapest I found. Shipping is free if you select the super secret saver shipping ( I feel just like secret squirrel just saying that). They also have the weight set also, I found mine for like 9 bucks.Here are links for both.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000HMBVQ8/ref=sr_1_1_olp?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1341726393&sr=1-1&keywords=Presto+Pressure+Canner+Pressure+Regulator&condition=new

    http://www.amazon.com/Presto-01781-23-Quart-Pressure-Canner/dp/B0000BYCFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341725964&sr=8-1&keywords=pressure+canner

    Pete

  • SneakyP86
    11 years ago

    Oh also for any freezing you decide to do you might want to think about getting a Food Saver vacuum sealer. It helps make things last much longer in the freezer without getting freezer burn. Sorry I can't be much help with what to can or freeze.....as I know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to that stuff.

  • Cricket_Love
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the answers/suggestions!

    Aren't some pressure canners made of stainless steel?

  • readinglady
    11 years ago

    No. Any available pressure canner will be aluminum. If you want a much heavier one and money is not a consideration, then check into the All-American, also available at Amazon and other purveyers. A search of pressure canner threads on this forum will bring up all kinds of discussions about the pros and cons of various brands.

    A properly operated pressure canner should never warp. If you have a "restaurant-style" gas stove (i.e. Wolf or such)
    then you need to pay careful attention to the BTU limitations in the canner manual. Excessive heat can cause a number of problems, not just with the canner but also with the quality of the product inside. And, of course, running the canner dry would also cause warping. But those are common-sense precautions. If there were a stainless pressure canner, it also would be damaged if the circumstances were similar.

    The nature of the seed (organic/non-organic) and the growing method are unrelated to botulism. Botulism toxins develop from spores which are in the soil and in plants regardless of method of production.

    Carol

  • malna
    11 years ago

    Freezing vs. canning is mostly personal preference.

    We like corn and green beans frozen. We can a lot of tomatoes and sauce using a pressure canner.

    The problem with canning green beans (unless you "pickle" them like the Dilly Bean recipe in the Ball Blue Book) is they are a low acid vegetable and must be pressure canned. Since we prefer our green beans somewhat crunchy, we'd rather blanch and freeze them to maintain the texture. But to each his own!

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    I'm "hoping" that my seeds aren't chemically altered.... (reasoning for my paranoia is all the diseases/cancers now days with all the pesticides/chemicals used in and on your food.

    You can put that fear aside. Treated or untreated seeds have nothing to do with any pesticides/chemicals on the food that grows from them. There is no connection.

    As others have said all PCs are aluminum and will only warp if abused/misused. The Presto 23 qt with the optional 3 piece weight set is the most frequently recommended model.

    Botulism and other bacteria are prevented by using tested and approved recipes and following approved instructions. The best source of those is NCHFP, linked below.

    Personal preference and length of storage times determines what gets canned and what gets frozen. Canned goods will store much longer than frozen goods.

    Enjoy your home canned food and welcome to the forum. :)

    Dave