[Food] Storage – Canning

PeakOiler · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:15 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

I received the "All American Pressure Cooker"
earlier this week and I realized this is a smaller version of the same brand pressure cooker I worked with at Taco Bell (during high school many many years ago) cooking their pinto beans. (Sorry, I can't give you Taco Bell's recipe for their beans. I'd probably get sued. Hint: pinto beans + water + __ + __.)

Cool. I knew some of that restaurant experience would be useful.

My first use of the canner will be to make more peach jam from the remaining frozen peaches.
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pstarr · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

let me guess:

PeakOiler · Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

TnAndy · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 100

SpringCreekFarm · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 844

Wow! That is sure some pretty sight! I love that really bright colour the beans take on after canning. Every time I think about my 21 quart canner, I regret not getting a larger one. It just makes sense to can in larger quantities to save the energy. I would imagine you'd be able turn that outdoor cooker down quite low once you are up to pressure. I find the pressure canner uses suprisingly little energy to maintain the 11 pounds pressure it usually vents at.

pstarr · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

pstarr · Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:37 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

TnAndy that is a great setup. You must be proud. So what are you going to so with 10 gallons of green beans?

I have a two-layer 14 pint aluminum cooker. I found a recipe for beef burgundy specifically for the pressure canner. You cook the meat and onions in the oven in pots for the first half and then add the carrots and mushrooms just before you load it into the canner. 60 minutes at 11 lbs. It's good. I'm still looking for the Dinty Moore recipe. Smile

TnAndy I think I am going to order a large All American like yours. Is there any issues with the 41 quart version? Can you easily fill it with pint jars? I like the pint size jars because they are handy for a one or two person meal.
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TnAndy · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 100

SCFarm: Yes, it take very little heat to keep it going once you get to pressure.....in fact, it's almost hard to adjust that turkey cooker as fine as you need to....I think it's really made to run wide open, and the control is a little finicky....but the 41 quart is just too big for our stove, so this is the way to go. I also have a 2 burner propane "base camp" type stove.....sort of a heavy duty camp stove on legs.....I set up in the garage some times when we make a run of something.....we have a OLD National brand canner ( like from the 40's or 50's ) + a cheapy Mirror brand, (both 7qt jar cap) so we can run three canners at the same time if we need to......we can do 100 quarts in a day running all 3.....but it's a LONG day....ahahaha...normally, I just run the American and the old National on the stove in the kitchen.

Something to remember about BIG canners is they take longer to heat, and longer to cool down for opening, so they are not twice as efficient as a smaller canner........food for thought...so to speak...ahahahaa

pstar:

American brand canners are aluminum, not stainless steel...but they don't use a gasket.

What do I do with 10 gallons of beans ? Eat 'em.....ahahahaaaa
We eat couple quarts a week....takes 100 or so between seasons.

Yes, it will do pints just fine.....they stack 3 layers deep.....I'm thinking it's 30 or 31 pints....maybe couple more if you use the narrow mouth jars. We can mostly in quart jars.

Here's my beef stew receipe:

In a LARGE pot ( like 6 gallon or more )

1 #10 can tomato sauce
3lbs fresh sliced carrots ( or 4-14.5oz cans )
3 quarts green beans
15 lbs of potatoes, cut into small chunks
3 medium onions
10lbs of stew beef....rolled in flour and browned in oil
3 quart of water
1/4 cup of Worstershire sauce
2 T salt
2T black pepper

I heat the whole mess in the pot until it thickens slightly, then put in the jars, and run for 90 min for quarts at 14-15lbs.

Beats Dinty Moore all to pieces.

thomasl · Coal Joined: Feb 16, 2008 Posts: 5

TnAndy that is a nice setup.

I was planning on ordering a 25 qt. all american, but now you have me thinking the size you have would be the most cost effective approach.

just out of curiosity...what is that setup you are using to heat the canner? Why not the stove, my naive assumption is that it is too large for a stove. Also, where does one get a heater stand like that? Also, how much propane do you go through in one canning session?

thanks

tom

TnAndy · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 31, 2005 Posts: 100

Yeah Tom....it IS too large for the stove....though I'm usually running a smaller one on the stove at the same time......that takes care of the "odd lot" of jars that won't fit in a run in the big one ( say I have 25 quarts of beans for example, and the big canner only holds 20.....I'd have to make 2 runs with the second only 5 quarts ).....plus, the smaller canner cycles quicker as I mentioned above.....

That unit you see in the pic is "turkey cooker".....you can buy them at most sporting goods places or at home improvement places.....I got that one at Home Depot......or online at Northern Hyraulics ( yeah.....I know it doesn't sound like the kind of place that would have a turkey cooker......ahahahaaa )......about 50 bucks, burner + stock pot......really cheap...

Nothern

They come with a large, aluminum stock pot meant to fill with oil and deep fry a turkey.....I've never used it for that, I use it for just what you see.

Northern also carries several other stoves.....that's where I got my 2 burner "camp stove" deal......see this page:

Other Northern Tool stoves

As to propane.....a 20lb bottle like is attached will do a heck of a LOT of canning.....It's so little, I never actually kept track of it....I'm doubt we use a single bottle in a season.

andy

TamilFarmer · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

Greetings from India!

With all the bad press that aluminum has been getting in the mainstream media, regarding its causative effects for Alzheimer's disease, we are quite concerned about using an Al pressure canner.

Could you knowledgeable and experienced posters on this thread, please advise us, if Stainless Steel pressure canners is a viable alternative? If it is, could you, please recommend the name of a good manufacturer in the USA or in the EU, of Stainless Steel pressure canners.

Your assistance in this matter will be much appreciated.

Best regards,

TamilFarmer

SpringCreekFarm · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 844

When using a pressure canner for canning, the containers that hold the food are usually glass or metal but not aluminum. The food never touches the aluminum so it is a non-issue.

PeakOiler · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: Re: [Food] Storage – Canning

I'm glad I bought the smaller pressure cooker. It barely fits on the 220V electric stovetop. The purified rainwater I'll use in the cooker will be solar-heated to at least 200F (93C), (if not hotter), when I turn on the electric stove.

Another hint: NaCl.
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SpringCreekFarm · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 03, 2006 Posts: 844