Store It Foods

If you are planning on purchasing a new pressure canner it is logical to assume that buying a bigger canner will speed up the process by allowing you to can more at a time.  Be careful with such assumptions.

These units, of course, can be used for both canning and pressure cooking.  Such a dual purpose appliance can be wonderful, but check out both sizes and capacities.  In other words, with some models you will find that you can increase the quantities of food going into the pressure cooker, but as a pressure canner the smaller sized unit will only hold 7 quart jars, while the the larger sized model will still only hold 7 quart jars.  It may, however, fit more pint jars than the smaller canner, but will you be using pint jars?

Yes, studying it out before the purchase can be a good idea.  Bigger is better if bigger has some advantages for you, but you need to determine if that is really the case.

Would you like to make use of a surefire method of losing weight?  You can eat all you want, yet keep those pounds off.  Eat, eat, eat and lose fat.  The secret?  Sanitized tape worms.

“Ridiculous!” you say?  Well, yes it is ridiculous.  Who is their right mind would make use of an intestinal parasite in an effort to control weight?  Doctors and nutritionists would certainly turn a huge thumbs down on the idea, and undoubtedly just about everyone would agree with them.  Yet, at one time, there were those who tried this method, and, as an ad from the early 1900’s shows, there were suppliers of tape worms who met this demand as they successfully advertised their product.

We can smile now as we wonder about the gullibility of our ancestors, but that is because we know better. 

It is important, of course, to know better, not only about the dangers of tape worms, but about other health related matters.  Research continually provides information relating to previously unknown hazards.

This includes canning methods.  These days more and more people are rediscovering the value of home canning.  Preserving food saves us money, and when money is tight, that is a wise thing to do.  Consequently, old canners are being dusted off and old canning handbooks are being brought to light for perhaps the first time in years.

That’s good, but that’s also bad, for some of those old canning methods have been found to be unsafe.  Canning the way your grandmother did may not necessarily prove to be harmful, but it might be.  Consequently, it might be wise to ignore some of those old instructions and to research what have been proven to be safer methods of canning.

It just might save us some pain and regret, and would help to eliminate the possibility of our children and grandchildren looking back in wonderment at our canning foolishness.

Many recipes call for the use of fruit syrups in the canning of fruits.  There is nothing wrong with that, but, believe it or not, you do not necessarily need to use syrup.

As an alternative you might like to add a half cup of sugar to your sterilized jar.  Top that with boiling water — enough to dissolve that sugar.  Then add the fruit.  Should you find there is not enough liquid, all that you will need is a little more boiling water.  Once your satisfied with the amount of fruit and the level of your liquid, proceed with the canning process as per usual.

There are two main benefits to this method of producing fruit preserves.

1. It’s quick and easy.
2. You will never worry about having too much or too little syrup.

Like any other canning tip, this is something which you might want to first try on a small scale.  In other words, see how you like it.

Too often when the words “food storage” are used. many of us tend to think “home canning,” and leave it at that.  This is very much of an over-generalization.

Food storage can incorporate canning, of course, but if can also include freezing, dehydrating, and, in fact, anything that allows you to preserve and use your food items, whether that’s for the long term or for the short term.

Consequently, when you are looking for tools, tips and guidelines relating to food storage, don’t stop with those solely related to home canning.  You may be missing out on any number of other helpful hints and resources.

Pressure cookers have been around for an awfully long time, although their popularity seems to have ebbed and flowed.  Today, though, that popularity is on the increase and for good reason.  They speed cooking, they save on energy and they’re safer than ever.

But should you get a pressure canner instead of a pressure cooker?  Well, if you get right down to it, a pressure canner is a pressure cooker.  On the other, hand a pressure cooker is not necessarily a pressure canner.  The difference is primarily in the size.

If you want your pressure cooker to serve as a canner as well, it has to be large enough to accomodate the jars into which your food is placed to be canned.  Not all pressure cookers are capable of doing that.

Thus, when it comes time to make that purchasing decision, you would be wise to consider all of the possible uses to which that appliance might be put.  Home canning is also increasing in popularity, so that might be an important consideration even if it is, at this point, but a future consideration.

The best way to preserve meat, poultry, and vegetables longer is through canning. Canning is not as difficult as it sounds. You just need to have a reliable pressure canner that will do the job.

Canning is also recommended to prevent easy spoilage of foods with a low acid content, such as fish, vegetables, and meat. These foods spoil easily and canning disrupts the spoilage process. A pressure canner can also be used for fruit preserves such as jams and jellies.

At the end of the summer many people find themselves with an excess of vegetables grown in their home gardens. But don’t throw away those juicy tomatoes or crisp snap peas. Canning is an easy and economical way of saving your summer garden fare. You’ll need a few supplies before you can get started.

Start out by investing in a starter kit of canning supplies. Your starter kit will include; a water bath canner, canning rack, funnel, jar lifter, jar wrench, tongs and a lid lifter. Next, figure out which veggies you want to enjoy during the winter. If you are canning by yourself it’s recommended that you get an instructional book, like the “Ball Blue Book.” This book will guide you through each step and ensure you get a great end product.