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| Hello! Newbie to the site. I asked for and received a pressure canner for Christmas. I got the All American 921. I can't wait to get set up and begin. Any advice is appreciated!
Roger |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Nice gift!! Top of the line canner. Be sure to post specific questions as you have them. Welcome to the forum and our little obsession!! LOL Deanna |
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| As Deanna said the NCHFP is the online place to begin. I linked it for you below. It not only provides all the canning instructions and recipes but great FAQs and step-by-step "How to use a pressure canner" section. Canner manuals are notorious for being out dated when it comes to canning instructions but is a good source of basic canner use info and info on how to use it as a pressure cooker too. Enjoy your canner! Dave |
Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP
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| Thanks Deanna and Dave. I was at Barnes and Noble when I saw your answer about the Ball book. They didn't have it, so I will order it from Amazon tonight. I did pick up a couple of other books, Canning and Preserving for Dummies by Jeanroy and Ward; also A Guide To Canning, Freezing, Curing and Smoking Meat, Fish and Game by Eastman Jr. I am anxious to begin the online course as you both suggested. Thanks again. Roger |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Wed, Dec 28, 11 at 22:45
| Be extremely careful about canning sources, both print and online as there's wide variation in their safety and reliability. Extension services are excellent resources for documents, not just the NCHFP but also other state Extensions. I've provided a link to one such document. Enjoy your All-American. I'd say Santa was very good to you! Lots of us on the forum own them and can provide tips or answer questions. Carol |
Here is a link that might be useful: Canning Meat, Wild Game, Poultry and Fish
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| Carol makes an excellent point. There are many blogs, websites, and books out there that "claim" to provide canning info but much of it is untested and unapproved. Some of it is down right dangerous. We have several discussions here about approved books and books to avoid, about legit sources online and sources to avoid that will be of help to you. Dave |
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| Thank you Carol and Dave, are either of the books I listed above, books to avoid? Roger |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Thu, Dec 29, 11 at 14:15
| I'd give a qualified OK for those books. I used to own Canning for Dummies, mainly to check it out. At that time I didn't see anything concerning. Karen Ward has taught canning since 1999 and seems very safety oriented. I was not familiar with A Guide To Canning, Freezing, Curing and Smoking Meat, Fish and Game and looked it up. Assuming you got the 2002 edition it seems OK, written to USDA standards according to the author. However, there's hardly a book out there that at its best doesn't have some issue. I do a quick check by picking out some standards and comparing processing times and instructions with the NCHFP site. It's common for books not to included current wait time recommendations for the boiling water bath and pressure canner. Those recommendations came out in 2006, so the most recent Canning for Dummies should have it but the Eastman book won't. You just have to take it on a case-by-case basis for each formula until you get a sense of reliability. It's time-consuming but in terms of the low-acid stuff, one of the best investments of energy you'll ever make. If you really want a great print source for meats and game (aside from the link I provided), I'd recommend So Easy to Preserve from The University of Georgia Extension. They host the NCHFP site. Also on the NCHFP site is a link to the most recent USDA edition. Finally, here's another PDF from Wisconsin Extension, a companion to the title I mentioned in my previous post. However, even with Extension documents it's important to check date of publication and cross-check appropriately. Funding is very tight for Extension services and they don't have the resources to update everything they post online. You can still get great information, but with anything low-acid pressure-canned there's no sense in taking anything for granted. Carol |
Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Game: Enjoying the Harvest
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- Posted by john__showme__usa 5/6 (My Page) on Thu, Dec 29, 11 at 14:30
| Carol writes: "Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Game: Enjoying the Harvest" What a great link!!! No possum (caught 4 in the last 10 days) recipes, but several coon recipes. Coon with sauerkraut!!! Can't wait to share this site with my friends! |
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| I've just looked through Canning for Dummies in the past. Not a book I would buy but a superficial review of some of the common recipes didn't set off any alarms. The other one I've never seen but would take Carol's word on its safety. The Ball Blue Book is usually available anywhere canning supplies are sold. Even Walmart. The bigger expanded Ball Complete Book of Home Food Preservation is available from bookstores. They are the two primary books along with So Easy to Preserve. Stick with them to begin with while learning. Dave |
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| ok, I have read and read and read. Now, it's time for my first practice. Will be using the colored water. I've read many times about how much vinegar to put in to keep the jars clean on the outside, but I am wondering how much you use for this? Thanks in advance. Roger |
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- Posted by readinglady z8 OR (My Page) on Sat, Jan 7, 12 at 14:23
| Presto says 2 T. white distilled. That should be plenty. I also find it very useful for cleaning the rims of jars, especially oily foods like tuna. It assures a squeaky clean rim and no seal failures. Carol |
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| Well, I stopped early. Nothing to do with the canning process tho. After venting for 10 minutes, I already had about 2 PSI on the canner and I then placed the weight on the vent nozzle. I then began to slowly reduce the heat and found that I could hardly turn the gas valve down. I removed the canner from the burner and was able to close the burner valve, with some effort. Now that it has cooled down some, the valve is working "normal". I will have to look into that and/or plan on canning on the back porch with my cooker out there. Has anyone ever heard of this type of issue? thanks. Roger |
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| found that I could hardly turn the gas valve down. I removed the canner from the burner and was able to close the burner valve, with some effort. What kind of burner are we talking about? Is this your stove or something else? Never encountered that issue but it sounds like the burner is causing the feeder line to expand in the heat and restricting the knob. Weird. Can't see how it could be related to the canner in any way. Try bringing the canner up to pressure using a lower level of heat. Just takes a bit longer is all. After venting for 10 minutes, I already had about 2 PSI Normal. But don't start reducing the heat until the canner is up to the required pressure. Dave |
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| Thanks Dave. Yes it is my regular stove in the kitchen. It is less than 2 years old. And since I posted, my wife mentioned that she has had that happen before, so I need to look into that. On a positive note, my two jars of colored water sealed only having boiled for about 5 minutes. I realize that you could not have done this with food, I am just excited to have heard the "plinks". Roger |
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| Hi All, I completed my first actual canning late yesterday. I did three jars of chuck roast and five jars of chicken breasts. All went well with one exception, I did have one of the chicken jars did not seal. I noticed when I took it out of the canner, that it was not boiling like all of the others. Guessing I didn't clean the lip of the jar well or something similar to that. I did have the canner somewhat not centered on the burner because of the issue I had with the burner valve before. Having the canner in this position allows the valve to remain operating as normal. The jar that did not seal was indeed the one that was the furtherest from the burner, but it seems as though after 75 minutes at that temp and pressure it would still become hot enough....not sure what to think about that. I appreciate everyones help and input here. I also have another question. After the jars had cooled, I began wiping the jars down and it was somewhat of a pain to clean around the threads at the top. Is there an easier way to clean the jars before storage? Thanks in advance. |
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| I use a nail brush and hot soapy water. Sometimes a bit of vinegar added helps cut any grease. Dave |
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- Posted by john__showme__usa 5/6 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 17, 12 at 18:58
| I use 5% acid distilled white vinegar & a veggie brush. Follow up with Dawn dish washing soap & hot water. |
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