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Post by damnoldhippie on May 5, 2009 0:26:43 GMT -5
Howdy all...yeah, long time no...! We've got over two dozen gorgeous heirloom tomato plants (seven different varieties!) that are all about three and a half feet tall, with lots of blooms and even some baby 'maters already, and we're optimistically thinking ahead to all those quart jars of luscious home-canned tomatoes we want to have in the pantry at the end of the summer.
Understand that the "oven canning" thing is now a no-no with all the super-uber-bugs that have been created and loosed upon us all, which leads us to subject at hand: pressure cookers...what kind(s), manufacturers, styles, etc. has anyone had any experience with? Whaddaya love about 'em? Whaddaya hate about 'em? It would have to be big enough to can a goodly batch of stuff at once. Vintage recommendations would be groovy.
I've only used the smaller ones with twist-lock lids and those little weighted jiggly-things on top. None of them were big enough to can with, just used them for quick-cooking beans mostly.
So edumacate me...ready-set-go!
And no, poor Jezebel isn't up and running yet...hopefully this year will see progress. Last year brought huge changes and lots of weirdness for us, but we're climbing back out on top of the rubble pile and dusting off...
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Post by cinnabar on May 5, 2009 20:36:35 GMT -5
Hey DOH, There are some neat old National pressure canners out there sadly, I have never gotten to use them. They would be my choice for canning. Brand new pressure canners are $$$$$. I use the small pressure cooker for pints and half pints. The tomatoes do well with water bath canning as you can add acidity if needed. I do realize, however, that the pressure canning method may be better for the warmer regions of the country. Believe me it gets hot here also when canning a mess of tomatoes or anything else. One can guess it is downright unbearable down south..mmm... naked night canning may have some merit. cinnabar
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Post by damnoldhippie on May 5, 2009 21:18:53 GMT -5
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Post by cinnabar on May 5, 2009 23:35:19 GMT -5
The half moon pans, (great name for them BTW), or kidney bean pans . I have several,older wear evers of to be sure . Mine don't have the handles on them. Have used them to make steamed breads and deserts . Least that's what the Wearever cookbooks say. Set on a rack in the covered dutch oven on the stove top. There must be a way to use them, possibly in the thermowell on the thermobaker or in a pot, whether they are Chambers, not likely. No gasket is a nice deal, those buggers are hard to find on the common smaller cookers, hate to look for a jigunda one. good luck. cinn
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Post by donmattera on May 6, 2009 11:44:48 GMT -5
DOH, I bought a presto last year that works great for canning. It holds 8 qts or 12 Pts at a time. I put up 40 Qts last summer as well as pickled peppers and marinated mushrooms. You can't beat a fresh jar of tomatoes in the dead of winter. Don
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Post by damnoldhippie on May 7, 2009 10:22:45 GMT -5
I really like the look of the old Presto ones...killer Bakelite handles, killer "streamliner" design. This one's on the watch-list: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=190305211889I'm kinda torn between one like this one, or one of the All-American clamp-down monsters. Definitely a different design aesthetic between the two! The Presto has true "Style"...the All-Americans have just got this cool "Mad-Scientist's Lab Implement" thing goin' on... Either way, it's definitely 21 to 25 quart size I'm wanting. Something tall enough for those tall half-gallon blue jars, wide enough for 7 or 8 quarts.
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