Pressure canning

[hugecans]

Hi, interested people. I've long fancied a go at pressure canning (aka bottling) my garden glut plus meat items such as cassoulet and various stews. This seems to be a commonplace activity in North America, but not here in the UK. If I go for it my OH will supply the equipment for Christmas (early planning needed if I want a canner shipped from the US). I note there are a number of sellers on eBay offering to do this thing. Has anyone a) bought a canner for use here in the UK, and b) any experience/tips in this field, particular our US/Canadian friends? Or am I just wasting my time and money, and should bung the above food into our spacious freezer and not worry about the dreaded Botulism?

Thoughts greatly appreciated

[Nutczak]

I do a little pressure canning, mostly just chicken stock, and maybe some spaghetti sauce that contains any meat.

The best resources to learn safety are the "Ball Blue-Book" which has recipes for all products and guidelines for each type of product along with safety procedures to avoid problems. There are also several university extension websites based in the US that outline safe home canning. A google search should bring those sites up for you.

Have the pressure gauge checked and verified by a competent testing facility before using it.
I am sure you already know that pressure equals temperature, and if the gauge is wrong, you may not get enough heat to sterilize the contents of your jars and that could lead to tainted products.

eBay is always a good deal, but make sure you can get replacement parts if a gasket fails, or a handle breaks on the canner. I got lucky and found mine at a thrift sale and saved over $100.00 USD on my purchase.

[hugecans]

Thanks, Nutczak; you raise a good point about the need for certainty over the pressure gauge's accuracy. I see that on your side of the Pond you can get this checked by local health authorities, among others, while this might be harder here. Not much point in poisoning the family for a bowl of soup. I found some of the very useful uni sites you mentioned, too. Thanks again for your input. I'll keep my mind open on this one for the time being.

[Cod]

Hi

Ive just brought a vacume packer( Lava ) and I think from what Ive seen so far it might be a better solution for you. Ive looked at canning in the past, but have not followed through

I have to say the presentation is also good, am hoping to pack some smoked salmon next week .....will let you know how it turns out. You can also pack meat, soups, veg etc etc

regards

Paul

[wheels]

Cod

Vacuum packing is not without it's dangers. See:

http://www.salford.gov.uk/vacpackleaflet.pdf

and:

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/ ... cguide.pdf

among others.

Phil

[wallie]

These dangers seem to apply if the food is kept at a temperature over 3C.
I do not think it applies to vacuum packed food stored in the deep freeze,
am I correct?
If not I should of passed away a few year ago!

Cheers
wallie

[wheels]

Deep freeze is fine - but it's something to bear in mind when giving produce to other people, some of whom have a misconception that vac-pac food is OK at room temperature.

Phil

[hugecans]

Thanks for the suggestion, cod; I think vacpacking and freezing is a great idea, actually; I've simply blanched and frozen my bean glut this year, but they're not as good as when they're fresh; I came up with a kind of take on caponata (the Sicilian aubergine dish) for runner beans this year when I started to tire of them au naturel as it were, and it worked really well; I'll try and get organized to prepare and vacpac a load next year. Maybe some take on a curry, too...

Now what shall I do with all the pumpkins....?

[Snags]

I bottle my own tomatoes,roasted capsicums and excess fruit ,Plums, apricots.I have done left over sauces and soups

Get an old clean glass jar with its lid
Put what you want in it put the lid on and microwave it until it boils.The lid will lift slightly and steam will escape.
Let it cool and you have a sealed sterilized jar, that will last for years.

With fruit add a third of water and sugar or fruit juice experiment to your taste as you can do 1 at a time.

The metal on the lid does not explode or spark trust me
give it a go.