Getting Ready for Winter

[Dwight]

Green beans were loaded the other day

Got these all done yesterday

May God bless,
Dwight

[Hawg]

Nice work!

[LivoniaDan]

This is my Jealous Face

[1skrewsloose]

I don't can, but freeze a lot, might have to plug in the chest freezer. So much easier to pull something out of the freezer and thaw than spend hours cooking. I should learn how to can.

[Dwight]

Meat we freeze generally . . . although I do have a stash of canned venison and beef . . .

But the main reason I prefer canning . . . is the fact that once it is on the shelf . . . it's good to go for 15 years . . . and it just laughs at the freezer any time the power goes out.

Thankfully . . . we've never lost anything do to electric being out . . . but there is a first for anything and everything . . . and I would seriously sit dowon and come awful close to crying if I lost my two freezers full of some fruit but mostly my meat.

May God bless,
Dwight

[~MG~]

I don't can, but freeze a lot, might have to plug in the chest freezer. So much easier to pull something out of the freezer and thaw than spend hours cooking. I should learn how to can.

That or dehydrate, easier than canning. Right now our powers out from the storm. If the gens don't fire up soon as daylight comes we'll lose everything in the freezer.

[Hawg]

How deep is the water?

[~MG~]

No standing water here, TenOaks is high ground, Haven't ventured off property yet but I'm sure there's flooding. As of 8 AM, Town 10 mi east of us got 1", we got 3", town west of us got 7 next town over 16". Whole area is low ground and swamp and creeks. Power is still out but PO has the gens running So the freezers are safe and the water pump works. Flushing is good. :D

[1skrewsloose]

Meat we freeze generally . . . although I do have a stash of canned venison and beef . . .

But the main reason I prefer canning . . . is the fact that once it is on the shelf . . . it's good to go for 15 years . . . and it just laughs at the freezer any time the power goes out.

Thankfully . . . we've never lost anything do to electric being out . . . but there is a first for anything and everything . . . and I would seriously sit dowon and come awful close to crying if I lost my two freezers full of some fruit but mostly my meat.

May God bless,
Dwight

That's what bothers me, I got plenty of beans, rice, pasta, store bought canned tomatoes, etc . Plenty of fuel to cook, but gotta have my beef.

[Dwight]

That's what bothers me, I got plenty of beans, rice, pasta, store bought canned tomatoes, etc . Plenty of fuel to cook, but gotta have my beef.

So get out the old the old pressure canner . . . get with it . . .

Fill the jars with cut up beef chunks no bigger than 1 1/2 inch cubed . . . do not add anything except maybe 1/2 tsp of table salt. Recipes I've seen call for 1 full tsp . . . but I'm not that sold on that much salt

No water or juice . . . just the meat and salt

Put lids on with rings . . . don't make em real tight . . . just "kinda" tight

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 10 or 11 pounds

Makes for good stew . . . spaghetti . . . beef n noodles . . . veg beef soup . . . or get a fork and sit down to a good western . . . it's good that way as well

I have 4 canners . . . fix one . . . put it on the stove . . . fix # 2 . . . put it on the stove . . . fix # 3 . . . # 1 is ready to come off . . . put on # 3 . . . fix # 4 and 2 is reay to come off . . .

By then # 1 has cooled . . . re-fill it . . . put it on . . . and so on . . . having 4 canners . . . you can can till the cows come home . . . and you get just enough respite between each one that it is not killing you to keep up.

Go to yard sales and auctions . . . they usually sell pretty cheap.

May God bless,
Dwight

[1skrewsloose]

You make it sound so easy, is it possible to use an Instant pot to can? With such small capacity probably not wirth the effort, get the right tool for the job.

[Dwight]

1screwsloose . . . I wouldn't try it . . . pressure canners work at either 10 lbs or 15 lbs . . . depending on the weight you have to work with.

They are set to do that . . . I have no idea what an instapot even looks like . . . but if your booklet that came with it does not mention canning . . . I wouldn't try it.

May God bless,
Dwight

[1skrewsloose]

Dumdass me, if your going to do something, do it right, don't try to cheap out.

[~MG~]

1skrewsloose. You can pressure can with the newer models of Instapot, the older model ones you cannot. It only handles pint size jars; 3 years ago I put up 4 pts of raw beef roast cut into cubes, it did well, and I wish now I'd have done more back then.
Dwight's suggestion would be much better for large quantity processing; mine for small batch; both have the same initial steps (jar sterilization, meat prep, etc).
A factor I had to consider was the disadvantage of heating up the kitchen doing it the traditional way... which may not be a concern for you folks up north.

[1skrewsloose]

That's kinda what I was thinking, if your going to spend the time, might as well do a big batch. Thanks.

[T-Man 1066]

1skrewsloose.A factor I had to consider was the disadvantage of heating up the kitchen doing it the traditional way... which may not be a concern for you folks up north.

Just a thought, but what about using the base of a propane turkey fryer for the heat source, and canning outside? probably be a little miserable, but you wouldn't heat up the kitchen.

[~MG~]

Just a thought, but what about using the base of a propane turkey fryer for the heat source, and canning outside? probably be a little miserable, but you wouldn't heat up the kitchen.

That is an excellent idea as long as PO can carry the full canner way out to the carport, manage it, and carry it back inside, heh.
From day one, I've had an outdoor cooking area designed just off the kitchen door onto the wood covered deck, to use the Coleman, etc - but soon realized that standing in extreme heat, humidity & bugs was not something I'd choose.
PO Has a great cooking set up on the carport: grill, smoker, he may even have the propane base you mentioned. He's always got something fired up.

[Chiefster23]

I have an old time cast iron single burner that uses propane that i use to water bath and pressure can outside on a table. Chinese made of course. I think i bought it from Northern tool. And MG, i carry the canner outside empty, then haul water, then haul the glass jars. I can’t handle a full canner either. It’s nice to keep all that heat outside of the house.

https://www.northerntool.com/product...4p-01e-6288691

[~MG~]

Dang. I like that burner.
I could set that up just outside my kitchen door.
Hmmmmm.....

[Dwight]

If I canned as much as I'd like to . . . the car and truck would have to find a new home . . . I'd turn the garage into my canning area . . .

For now the kitchen does fine.

May God bless,
Dwight

[~MG~]

1skrewsloose

I posted a video in the canning subform that you may find very useful.

[1skrewsloose]

Thanks MG!!

[Chiefster23]

I’ve canned chicken breast raw pack without any additional liquid added into the jar. The chicken makes its own juice. I’ve also tried adding filtered water from my berkey. Tried using canned chicken broth added into the jars too. Frankly, I don’t notice any difference in taste among the three methods.

[1skrewsloose]

Maybe its just in my mind, but I use Berkey water for all cooking, think its tastes better. Stinking water (pun intended) straight from the tap, pew, I can smell it!!! And I gotta pay $$ for this kind of garbage?! While you may not taste the difference, I'd argue the Berkey water is better for you.