Preserving (rec.food.preserving) Devoted to the discussion of recipes, equipment, and techniques of food preservation. Techniques that should be discussed in this forum include canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling, smoking, salting, and distilling.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #41 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 69
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?


"Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
...
> I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
> the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
> regulator.


Yes, we call the pressure regulator the "weight" where I live.

  #42 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 69
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?


"Anny Middon" > wrote in message
news
> "Marie Dodge" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "Anny Middon" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "Marie Dodge" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>
>>>> [brevity snips]
>>>>>
>>>> So it's kind of hard to believe that the
>>>>> quality is going to be the same before and after a 30-60 minute
>>>>> cool-down time in a hot canner.
>>>>
>>>> I have a Presto 23qt pressure canner and it cools in 15 minutes in my
>>>> 76F kitchen. 10 minutes after the pressure reaches zero I remove the
>>>> canned food.
>>>>
>>>> . When pressure canning, you
>>>>> can't use a quick release mechanism or hold the pot under cold water
>>>>> like you do for pressure cooking. It just has to sit there until the
>>>>> pressure comes down on its own. That is a lot of time all right---
>>>>> unless you have 2 or 3 pressure canners, a huge kitchen, and don't
>>>>> mind
>>>>> fooling with multiple gauges or weights, not to speak of all the
>>>>> storage
>>>>> room required. I don't think the people who wrote the article I cited
>>>>> included this cool-down time in their calculations.
>>>>
>>>> A kitchen would have to be 95F for a canner to take 30 to 60 mins to
>>>> cool.
>>>
>>> Not to doubt you or anything, but do you have a cite for this?

>>
>> A cite for how long it takes *my* canner to cool? LOL!!!!!

>
> No, silly -- a cite for your contention that a kitchen would have to be
> 95F for a canner to take 30 to 60 minutes to cool.


No, but before we got A/C that first summer my kitchen was 95F and it took
the canner at least 35, 40 mins to cool. A thicker, heavier canner or one
more loaded would surely take longer. It takes my Presto about 15 mins to
drop pressure to zero at 75, 76 F.

>>> Perhaps it's a function of the model canner one is using. I haven't
>>> timed how long it takes mine to cool except, except that I know it's a
>>> lot more than 20 minutes. Once I was trying to finish up some canning
>>> before I went out to dinner. I turned the stove off at about 6:00, and
>>> at 6:20 the pressure reading was still over 5.

>>
>> Try moving it off the burner when the time is up. Some people sit their
>> canner on the floor on a few bricks where it's cooler. I just move mine
>> to a cool burner.
>>

>
> The manual for my All-American canner specifically states that it should
> not be moved until the pressure indicator reads 0.


I don't use the AA canner. I use a Presto canner and it can be gently moved
off the burner. Leaving it on the hot burner will slow down the cooling
process as will the heavier material an AA canner is made of.

>>>

>> Why are you in such a rush? What's the big deal if one takes a few
>> minutes more than another method? If you dislike canning don't do it, or
>> if you don't want to use a PC, stick with the BWB method. Why discourage
>> others who may not have tried a PC? BWB is very limiting.


>
> Once again -- I can using both methods. I can because I like it. I often
> can in marathon sessions where I do maybe three items -- but only when I'm
> BWB, because PC takes too much time to do more than one product in an
> evening. My stove just isn't big enough to can using both BWB and PC at
> the same time -- I can put one on the front burner one side and the other
> on the back burner on the other side, but then there's no space for a pot
> to cook the next item to be canned.


What about the smaller burners in front of and behind the canners? I've had
2 canners going at the same way with lids kept hot on one smaller burner and
food heating on the other small burner..... all burners going at the same
time. Hectic but fun.

>
> Why is pointing out that PC takes longer than BWB supposed to discourage
> others? I don't like misinformation, even when it is well-meant.


Because PCing doesn't take longer. I do both and find there is little
difference in the time it takes to do a load especially when the PC does it
much faster at even 5 psi. Not everyone has a AA canner and leaves it on the
hot burner to cool.


The
> notion that PC takes the same amount or less time than BWB for the same
> product when measuring from the point that cans are put in till when they
> are removed is misinformation.


Only if you're using an AA canner and leave it on the hot burner to cool
down. Try using a Presto and carefully remove it from the hot burner to
cool and watch that needle drop.

>
> Anny
>


  #43 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 69
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?


"Deidzoeb" > wrote in message
...
On Jul 19, 7:48 pm, "Marie Dodge" > wrote:
> "Deidzoeb" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> I decided not to buy a new pressure cooker because they're too
> expensive and not very large. I'll keep an eye out for old ones at
> Goodwill.
>
> Keep in mind that pressure cookers and pressure canners aren't the same
> thing.


Yeah, I thought canners were just bigger pressure cookers, but people
on this thread have been reminding me there's a difference. In that
case, I don't think I've even seen a pressure canner in any regular
store, so pressure canners and replacement parts for them are bound to
be even more expensive.

= You can shop around on line for a Presto or Mirro canner. I've seen them
from $79 (Amazon.com) to $109 (Ace Hardware). Replacement parts are not
expensive.

I've heard people say that old pressure cookers or canners picked up
at thrift stores or garage sales need to have old gaskets and maybe
old guages replaced.

= This is true. Also check them for any kind of warping. I would rather buy
a new one which I did than an old one and then have to start looking for
replacement parts such as the seal and the gauge.... and the weight or
regulator is also usually missing on used canners. I bought my Presto new
from Ace Hardware. I've very pleased with it.

  #44 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
"Anny Middon" > wrote:

> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > I'll definitely BWB any fruit I get. We sprayed the tree with some
> > organic concoction my husband got from Johnny's and the beetles are
> > mostly gone! Yay! The plums are ripening now. Oh goody.

>
> Do you have the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving? (I think that's the
> name.)


Just found and ordered it today. Wow... it looks very interesting. I
hope it explains the rhyme and reason of why things are done a certain
way. I hate to just blindly follow recipes and not totally understand
what I'm doing. If I don't get the book in time for this tree (red/
purple plums w/red flesh), there's another one with large, round
bluish-purple plums that should start ripening in maybe a week or so.
Somehow my husband lost the tags and forgot what kind of fruit he
planted. But I've always loved a mystery.

> If so, there's a recipe there for Orange Plum Jam with pectin that is
> absolutely delish! It's mostly plums, with a little grated orange rind and
> some orange liquer (optional -- I used Grand Marnier) in it.
>
> I'm becoming more convinced that there are few jam recipes that don't
> benefit from the addition of a little citrus fruit. The Strawberry Lime jam
> I made last year won a blue ribbon and Special Award at my county fair. I
> have a friend who keeps bugging me to make more blueberry marmalade (mostly
> blueberries, with some orange and lemon added).


Oh I will definitely look for that recipe... thanks! I use a lot of
limes and lemons in my cooking... no not just for Margaritas. I
think a bit of citrus helps to bring out or accentuate other flavors.
The Grand Marnier sounds good. I've never cared for triple sec.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #45 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
"Marie Dodge" > wrote:

> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
> > the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
> > regulator.

>
> Yes, we call the pressure regulator the "weight" where I live.


I see. What I don't understand is why my manual says nothing about
getting either other pressure regulators or weight gauges. It refers
only to the "pressure regulator" that came with my canner and says
nothing about weights.

I used to have a pressure _cooker_ with a weight. It had three holes---
5, 10 and 15#. There was no dial gauge on that pressure cooker. I
don't understand why there would be a weight gauge *and* a dial gauge on
a pressure canner. I'm not disagreeing. I just don't understand. My
Presto manual calls for pressure canning at 6# and 11# as indicated on
the dial gauge. Where do the 5, 10, and 15# weights come in? I'm
totally confused.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot


  #46 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article
>,
Deidzoeb > wrote:

> Yeah, I thought canners were just bigger pressure cookers, but people
> on this thread have been reminding me there's a difference. In that
> case, I don't think I've even seen a pressure canner in any regular
> store, so pressure canners and replacement parts for them are bound to
> be even more expensive.


I bought my Presto in a regular hardware store. They also had gauges,
gaskets, and other related items as well.

[...]
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #47 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,415
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:22:57 -0700 (PDT), Deidzoeb
> wrote:

>On Jul 19, 7:48*pm, "Marie Dodge" > wrote:
>> "Deidzoeb" > wrote in message
>>
>> ...
>> I decided not to buy a new pressure cooker because they're too
>> expensive and not very large. I'll keep an eye out for old ones at
>> Goodwill.
>>
>> Keep in mind that pressure cookers and pressure canners aren't the same
>> thing.

>
>Yeah, I thought canners were just bigger pressure cookers, but people
>on this thread have been reminding me there's a difference. In that
>case, I don't think I've even seen a pressure canner in any regular
>store, so pressure canners and replacement parts for them are bound to
>be even more expensive.
>
>I've heard people say that old pressure cookers or canners picked up
>at thrift stores or garage sales need to have old gaskets and maybe
>old guages replaced.


Depends on how old they are. I have my MIL's Mirro pressure cooker
and the newer gaskets do not fit. The cooker is made of thicker
aluminum and the rim is wider. I may see if two of the others will
work.
  #48 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,906
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

The Cook wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:22:57 -0700 (PDT), Deidzoeb
> > wrote:
>
>> On Jul 19, 7:48 pm, "Marie Dodge" > wrote:
>>> "Deidzoeb" > wrote in message
>>>
>>> ...
>>> I decided not to buy a new pressure cooker because they're too
>>> expensive and not very large. I'll keep an eye out for old ones at
>>> Goodwill.
>>>
>>> Keep in mind that pressure cookers and pressure canners aren't the same
>>> thing.

>> Yeah, I thought canners were just bigger pressure cookers, but people
>> on this thread have been reminding me there's a difference. In that
>> case, I don't think I've even seen a pressure canner in any regular
>> store, so pressure canners and replacement parts for them are bound to
>> be even more expensive.
>>
>> I've heard people say that old pressure cookers or canners picked up
>> at thrift stores or garage sales need to have old gaskets and maybe
>> old guages replaced.

>
> Depends on how old they are. I have my MIL's Mirro pressure cooker
> and the newer gaskets do not fit. The cooker is made of thicker
> aluminum and the rim is wider. I may see if two of the others will
> work.

Our Sears pressure canner is more than forty years old and I'm still
able to get parts, including pressure gauges, gaskets, etc. I buy them
online from Presto. The online store asks for the canners model number
and the parts I get have that model number on them.
  #49 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,906
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> In article >,
> "Marie Dodge" > wrote:
>
>> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
>>> the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
>>> regulator.

>> Yes, we call the pressure regulator the "weight" where I live.

>
> I see. What I don't understand is why my manual says nothing about
> getting either other pressure regulators or weight gauges. It refers
> only to the "pressure regulator" that came with my canner and says
> nothing about weights.

Because your canner has a gauge you don't need a weight with pounds
listed on it. Yours is designed to use a regulator as is mine. The
regulator on mine is set to wobble at 17 lbs and never gets to wobble
since I mostly can at 11 lbs on the steam gauge.
>
> I used to have a pressure _cooker_ with a weight. It had three holes---
> 5, 10 and 15#. There was no dial gauge on that pressure cooker. I
> don't understand why there would be a weight gauge *and* a dial gauge on
> a pressure canner. I'm not disagreeing. I just don't understand. My
> Presto manual calls for pressure canning at 6# and 11# as indicated on
> the dial gauge. Where do the 5, 10, and 15# weights come in? I'm
> totally confused.
>
> Isabella


Don't be confused, you really don't need a weight gauge if your canner
is designed for a regulator. Go with the flow grasshopper.
  #50 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
George Shirley > wrote:

> Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> > In article >,
> > "Marie Dodge" > wrote:
> >
> >> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>> I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
> >>> the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
> >>> regulator.
> >> Yes, we call the pressure regulator the "weight" where I live.

> >
> > I see. What I don't understand is why my manual says nothing about
> > getting either other pressure regulators or weight gauges.... [...]

>
> Don't be confused, you really don't need a weight gauge if your canner
> is designed for a regulator. Go with the flow grasshopper.



Ahhh. Thank-you, master. I will now go ponder my Presto manual.

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. (Proverb)

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot


  #51 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 320
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

"Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Personally I don't understand what the fuss is all about. Pressure
> canners
> are cheap and easy to operate, I have 2 of them both of which cost
> less than $10 from Goodwill. (granted, I kept an eye out for them and
> it took a while before they showed up) If you pressure can your Salsa
> you can use whatever recipie you like, acid or no acid, just as long as
> you pressure can it for the time called for, for the longest time
> ingredient
> in it.
>


Just a word of advice to anyone buying a dial-gauge pressure canner
second-hand: Have it tested before using it, even if you have replaced the
gaskets. Some (but not all) county extension services will test canners for
free. If not, contact the manufacturer and see what they recommend.

If you're buying an All-American canner, send it to the manufacturer to be
tested even though it's a weighted-gauge canner. If the canner was dropped,
it may not operate correctly.

Anny


  #52 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 988
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> In article >,
> "Anny Middon" > wrote:
>
>> Do you have the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving? (I think that's the
>> name.)

>
> Just found and ordered it today. Wow... it looks very interesting. I
> hope it explains the rhyme and reason of why things are done a certain
> way. I hate to just blindly follow recipes and not totally understand
> what I'm doing.


Coming in late b/c of computer problems this week....

Canning is one area where, if you don't know why, you should just
blindly follow the tested recipes and figure out later why you're doing
what you're doing. After you do it a few times, it'll begin making "sense."

B/
  #53 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,039
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

"Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
m...
> Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
>> In article >,
>> "Anny Middon" > wrote:
>>
>>> Do you have the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving? (I think that's
>>> the name.)

>>
>> Just found and ordered it today. Wow... it looks very interesting. I
>> hope it explains the rhyme and reason of why things are done a certain
>> way. I hate to just blindly follow recipes and not totally understand
>> what I'm doing.

>
> Coming in late b/c of computer problems this week....
>
> Canning is one area where, if you don't know why, you should just blindly
> follow the tested recipes and figure out later why you're doing what
> you're doing. After you do it a few times, it'll begin making "sense."
>
> B/


Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I did some
home testing of readily available pH meters and worked thru the reasoning
behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice questions. We added those to our
FAQ, btw. The Ball Blue Book and the other texts recommended there also
have some words to say on the how and why of stuff.
Stick around, kiddo. I just love this place.
Edrena


  #54 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
"The Joneses" > wrote:
[...]
> Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I did some
> home testing of readily available pH meters and worked thru the reasoning
> behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice questions. We added those to our
> FAQ, btw. The Ball Blue Book and the other texts recommended there also
> have some words to say on the how and why of stuff.
> Stick around, kiddo. I just love this place.
> Edrena


Thanks Edrena. I'll do just that. I've learned so much from you all
already. While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #55 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,039
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

"Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "The Joneses" > wrote:
> [...]
>> Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I did
>> some
>> home testing of readily available pH meters and worked thru the reasoning
>> behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice questions. We added those to our
>> FAQ, btw. The Ball Blue Book and the other texts recommended there also
>> have some words to say on the how and why of stuff.
>> Stick around, kiddo. I just love this place.
>> Edrena

>
> Thanks Edrena. I'll do just that. I've learned so much from you all
> already. While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
> disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
> the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.
>
> Isabella


When I was in the Army, we called that soldier-proof directions: spelling
out steps without a lot of talk so any idiot could understand.
The Joy of Pickling has a whole chapter about the whys and hows of
fermenting pickles and other methods of preserving pickles. Neato.
Edrena




  #56 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 988
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:

> While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
> disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
> the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.


That's not what I meant.

I meant, for safety's sake, one needs to stay to following directions
*exactly* until one figures it all out, and doing will lead to figuring
(like noticing ratios of acid added to reach <4.6pH, or proportions of
the acid-sugar-pectin handshake to get a proper set).

There's been several times over the years when someone asks "process"
questions before actually doing much canning, if any at all, and then
begins "what if I do ______ instead" threads.

B/
  #57 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 29
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

On Jul 26, 10:31*pm, "The Joneses" > wrote:
> "Brian Mailman" > wrote in message
>
> m...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> >> In article >,
> >> *"Anny Middon" > wrote:

>
> >>> Do you have the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving? *(I think that's
> >>> the name.)

>
> >> Just found and ordered it today. *Wow... it looks very interesting. *I
> >> hope it explains the rhyme and reason of why things are done a certain
> >> way. *I hate to just blindly follow recipes and not totally understand
> >> what I'm doing.

>
> > Coming in late b/c of computer problems this week....

>
> > Canning is one area where, if you don't know why, you should just blindly
> > follow the tested recipes and figure out later why you're doing what
> > you're doing. *After you do it a few times, it'll begin making "sense.."

>
> > B/

>
> Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I did some
> home testing of readily available pH meters and worked thru the reasoning
> behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice questions. We added those to our
> FAQ, btw. *The Ball Blue Book and the other texts recommended there also
> have some words to say on the how and why of stuff.
> Stick around, kiddo. I just love this place.
> Edrena


I always wondered why the tested recipes didn't just talk about using
pH tests, instead of demanding that the only way for foods to turn out
right is to follow their recipes rigidly. Letting people test pH on
their own would allow them to experiment more with recipes. Are the pH
test strips unreliable? Are pH meters too expensive for most people? I
haven't looked into it at all, just got frustrated with the some of
the recipes I've read. I still stick by their recommendations though.
  #58 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
"The Joneses" > wrote:

> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "The Joneses" > wrote:
> > [...]
> >> Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I
> >> did some home testing of readily available pH meters and worked
> >> thru the reasoning behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice
> >> questions. We added those to our FAQ, btw. The Ball Blue Book and
> >> the other texts recommended there also have some words to say on
> >> the how and why of stuff. Stick around, kiddo. I just love this
> >> place.


> > Thanks Edrena. I'll do just that. I've learned so much from you all
> > already. While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
> > disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
> > the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.


> When I was in the Army, we called that soldier-proof directions: spelling
> out steps without a lot of talk so any idiot could understand.
> The Joy of Pickling has a whole chapter about the whys and hows of
> fermenting pickles and other methods of preserving pickles. Neato.
> Edrena


If we ever get a decent cucumber crop, I'll be taking another look at
JOP which is on my shelf. Thanks.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #59 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >,
Brian Mailman > wrote:

> Isabella Woodhouse wrote to Edrena:
>
> > While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
> > disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
> > the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.

>
> That's not what I meant.


But it is what *I* meant in my response to Edrena, not you. I think
you may have missed the earlier context in this thread where Anny asked
if I had the _Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving_. I did not,
though I have at least two Ball Blue Books. So I wondered if, in
contrast to the BBBs, the Complete Guide had more about the science
behind the various preserving methods. I subsequently purchased the
book and, while excellent and worth every penny, it certainly does not
go much into the science or technical aspects of preserving.

> I meant, for safety's sake, one needs to stay to following directions
> *exactly* until one figures it all out, and doing will lead to figuring
> (like noticing ratios of acid added to reach <4.6pH, or proportions of
> the acid-sugar-pectin handshake to get a proper set).


I certainly agree that inexperienced, unknowledgeable people should not
be revising canning and preserving recipes. But I also think that the
vast majority of the written genre ill-equips and talks down to readers
who, traditionally, have been mostly women. I have more confidence in
cook/preserving book authors who sometimes include some technical notes
with their directions and this is reflected in my 30+ year collection.
After all, every bit of knowledge one has contributes to a higher
probability of a successful outcome.

> There's been several times over the years when someone asks "process"
> questions before actually doing much canning, if any at all, and then
> begins "what if I do ______ instead" threads.


Actually, I see nothing wrong with that unless, of course, the person
can't be troubled to Google or read. "Forewarned is forearmed" is just
as valuable an idiom in the kitchen, IMO, as on the battle lines. Our
brains have endowed us with a curious nature. But if all of us learned
only from personal experience, I wonder where our culture might be.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #60 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article
>,
Deidzoeb > wrote:

> On Jul 26, 10:31*pm, "The Joneses" > wrote:
> > "Brian Mailman" > wrote in message


> > > Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> > >> In article >,
> > >> *"Anny Middon" > wrote:

> >
> > >>> Do you have the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving? *(I think that's
> > >>> the name.)

> >
> > >> Just found and ordered it today. *Wow... it looks very interesting. *I
> > >> hope it explains the rhyme and reason of why things are done a certain
> > >> way. *I hate to just blindly follow recipes and not totally understand
> > >> what I'm doing.

> >
> > > Coming in late b/c of computer problems this week....

> >
> > > Canning is one area where, if you don't know why, you should just blindly
> > > follow the tested recipes and figure out later why you're doing what
> > > you're doing. *After you do it a few times, it'll begin making "sense."


> > Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I did some
> > home testing of readily available pH meters and worked thru the reasoning
> > behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice questions. We added those to our
> > FAQ, btw. *The Ball Blue Book and the other texts recommended there also
> > have some words to say on the how and why of stuff.
> > Stick around, kiddo. I just love this place.
> > Edrena

>
> I always wondered why the tested recipes didn't just talk about using
> pH tests, instead of demanding that the only way for foods to turn out
> right is to follow their recipes rigidly. Letting people test pH on
> their own would allow them to experiment more with recipes.


I'm with you. I have a PH meter for my soil that was very reasonable.
However, one for preserves would need a much smaller margin of error,
I'm sure.

> ...Are the pH
> test strips unreliable? Are pH meters too expensive for most people? I
> haven't looked into it at all, just got frustrated with the some of
> the recipes I've read. I still stick by their recommendations though.

--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot


  #61 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 988
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

Isabella Woodhouse wrote:
> In article >,
> Brian Mailman > wrote:


>> There's been several times over the years when someone asks "process"
>> questions before actually doing much canning, if any at all, and then
>> begins "what if I do ______ instead" threads.

>
> Actually, I see nothing wrong with that unless, of course, the person
> can't be troubled to Google or read....


I wasn't complete, there. The "what if I do _______ instead" is usually
a beginning sally in an argument for why the process as described is
wrong, and the "instead" is right without having experience.
Theoretical doesn't work in preserving safely. Experience do.

B/
  #62 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 40
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?


"Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
...
>
> I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
> the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
> regulator.


Yes. Where I live it's called the weight. Some people all it the
counter-weight.

>
> I'll definitely BWB any fruit I get. We sprayed the tree with some
> organic concoction my husband got from Johnny's and the beetles are
> mostly gone! Yay! The plums are ripening now. Oh goody.


Our pears are getting ready to harvest. The squirrels and birds are starting
to get to them.

>
> Thank you so much for the help.
>
> Isabella
> --
> "I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
> -T.S. Eliot


  #63 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,906
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

Marie Dodge wrote:
>
> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> I got out my book again and it says nothing about a weight. Do you mean
>> the pressure regulator? My canner has a dial gauge and a pressure
>> regulator.

>
> Yes. Where I live it's called the weight. Some people all it the
> counter-weight.

Nope, there's a difference, pressure regulators are pre-set at the
factory, generally for seventeen lbs. They're sort of an extra relief
valve for a pressure gauge canner, they blow off and the next thing to
go is the pop-up relief valve, keeps from blowing the canner up. A
canner weight is just that, generally has 5-10-16 lb sides to it and is,
non-technically speaking, a jiggler, it's what regulates the steam pressure.

Go back to the UofGA site and check for both and see what it says.
>
>>
>> I'll definitely BWB any fruit I get. We sprayed the tree with some
>> organic concoction my husband got from Johnny's and the beetles are
>> mostly gone! Yay! The plums are ripening now. Oh goody.

>
> Our pears are getting ready to harvest. The squirrels and birds are
> starting to get to them.
>
>>
>> Thank you so much for the help.
>>
>> Isabella
>> --
>> "I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
>> -T.S. Eliot

>

  #64 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 273
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

In article >, "Marie Dodge" >
wrote:

> "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...


> > I'll definitely BWB any fruit I get. We sprayed the tree with some
> > organic concoction my husband got from Johnny's and the beetles are
> > mostly gone! Yay! The plums are ripening now. Oh goody.

>
> Our pears are getting ready to harvest. The squirrels and birds are starting
> to get to them.


In the past at other locations, we've used net for the birds. It works
pretty well until the trees get really large. And then, we normally
have enough fruit to share.

The destructive darn squirrels are another matter. One has been coming
up on my deck and helping himself to tomatoes--- taking single bites out
of multiple tomatoes and then leaving them on the deck floor. I saw him
today and he was darn lucky I was just ready to put my jam into jars.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot
  #65 (permalink)   Report Post  
Posted to rec.food.preserving
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 29
Default Canning recipe specifies jar size - dangerous to change?

On Jul 28, 4:57*pm, Isabella Woodhouse > wrote:
> In article >,
> *"The Joneses" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Isabella Woodhouse" > wrote in message
> ...
> > > In article >,
> > > "The Joneses" > wrote:
> > > [...]
> > >> Isabella - don't feel alone, we have closet geeks all over here. I
> > >> did some home testing of readily available pH meters and worked
> > >> thru the reasoning behind the citric acid/vit c/lemon juice
> > >> questions. We added those to our FAQ, btw. *The Ball Blue Book and
> > >> the other texts recommended there also have some words to say on
> > >> the how and why of stuff. Stick around, kiddo. I just love this
> > >> place.
> > > Thanks Edrena. *I'll do just that. *I've learned so much from you all
> > > already. *While it's improved in recent years, one thing I've always
> > > disliked about most American cookbooks is that they tend to written in
> > > the "why bother your pretty little head?" mode.

> > When I was in the Army, we called that soldier-proof directions: spelling
> > out steps without a lot of talk so any idiot could understand.
> > * The Joy of Pickling has a whole chapter about the whys and hows of
> > fermenting pickles and other methods of preserving pickles. Neato.
> > Edrena

>
> If we ever get a decent cucumber crop, I'll be taking another look at
> JOP which is on my shelf. Thanks.


I haven't processed any of them for long-term storage, but I've tried
lots of recipes from Joy of Pickling -- kim chi and turkish pickled
cabbage and pickled mushrooms. I would highly recommend it.
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Can I change this recipe? Julie Bove[_2_] Diabetic 19 14-08-2011 12:06 AM
Spanish Comfort Food (yeah, a recipe for a change) Terri General Cooking 0 23-12-2009 08:06 PM
Paul Prudhomme uses and specifies margarine at times... pavane[_3_] General Cooking 21 23-11-2009 09:23 PM
Baaad...egg, change recipe koko General Cooking 3 10-08-2008 04:57 AM
a change up beet dip recipe hahabogus General Cooking 6 28-03-2004 04:42 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:20 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 FoodBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Food and drink"