Y'all Got Me Off My Bootie!

[TurtleMama]

I am SO excited...I attended a canning class about six months ago, got all the stuff I needed to can with my 8-qt. pressure cooker, was all ready to go -- then NEVER did it! I think I was subconsciously afraid I'd poison everyone with my food. LOL Well, I wanted to thank you for all your posts and suggestions, because as I speak my cooker is coming up to pressure and I'm getting ready to start timing my first-ever batch of home-canned pinto beans!!! Thanks so much for sharing all of your experiences and helping newbies like me gain confidence and enjoy the sweet sound of my cooker/canner bubbling away as it helps me carry on the traditions of my Great Grandmother. Hooray!

 

Kristi

[Cricket]

That is terrific!

 

I'm sure you meant pressure CANNER, not pressure cooker, as there is a difference.

 

You can use a canner to pressure cook large batches, but you cannot use a pressure cooker to can low-acid foods safely. But then you know that if you took a class, so I'm mentioning it only for any canning newbie who may be lurking.

 

Congratulations!

[Violet]

Unless that will hold at least 4 quart sized jars, it is NOT safe to can in. The food will be underprocessed and put you at a risk for botulism.

I don't know who instructed you, but a cooker is not the same and a pressure canner must be used.

(I teach food preservation/food safety at my local county extension office.)

If you have used a cooker, then pop the seals on the jars and freeze the food.

[Stephanie]

 

Whew! Yesterday I got a second cooker/canner for a steal of a deal. The lady kept insisting it was a cooker, I was sure it was a canner. Mother and Judy were helping me in the Shout Box, thankfully, the lady was wrong, it is a Pressure Cooker/Canner and holds 4 quart jars. It's a perfect addition to the bigger one that I already have. And for $5!

[Violet]

Way to go, Stephanie ! You can sure cook in it, too. With your larger family, it may really come in handy. Dried beans cook in just a little bit of time. I got a nice pressure cooking book ( Miss Vickie's)from one of my sweet friends on Mrs.S ! I made some good salisbury steak and potatoes in mine. The pressure cooker opens up a whole new way to cook fast. I just made some good Vietnamese stew in mine. Took 20 min. to cook the meat in it. I am looking forward to dinner. You dip French bread into the broth and eat it.

[Stephanie]

That sounds so good Violet, can you post that recipe?

 

I wonder if we already have a pressure cooker recipe thread, I bet we do, I need to try to dig it out.

 

It was so cool to have both canners going last night and I got 11 qts of chicken done at the same time.

[Violet]

Which one, the salisbury steak or the Vietnamse stew ?

This is the first time making the stew. You need a package of seasoning mix. I need to have my friend get me more at the Vietnamse market where she shops. She is Vietnamese and has taught me a few things about Vietnamese cooking. There is a recipe for Vietnamese stew in a book I have, but I didn't use it. I used the package of seasoning with the spices in it. I can tell you it has paprika, garlic, anise, onion powder, hot chili powder, ginger and cloves. They are all ground and in a powder form. You put the spices in a little muslin bag or it is too gritty. My friend forgot to put them in the bag and told me not to make that mistake. You also buy fresh lemon grass and add that to the pot.

Another one is chicken pineapple soup ! I can tell you how to make it. It is soooo good to me.

[Cricket]

Turtlemama,

 

Come back to us with an update! We love sharing canning stories around here!

 

You know, even if you have a cooker, not a canner, as long as it is deep enough to cover jars with a few inches of water you can use it to water-bath can high acid foods like fruits and tomatoes. Jelly and jam, yummy!

 

Just want to reiterate that one must use a pressure canner for low acid food like beans or meats.

 

Bean are a whole issue, anyway because of the density. My first pressure canning project was Boston baked beans. I followed a recipe in the newest Ball Book (so it is safe and approved) but then learned about the dangers of "density" and realized my bean were WAY too thick when I put them in the jars before processing, so I did not dare fed them to my family, because I could not be 100% sure they were safe.

 

Now I know the proper solid/liquids ration for home canned low acid foods like beans (or soup or meat) and I've happily canned and consumed lots of goodies, like seven quarts of wonderful navy bean soup from the leftover New Years ham!