tabitha canned three full canner loads of chickpeas--54 pints. we buy them in bulk dried. she soaks them over night and pressure cans them the following day--today. they are so yummy. we usually eat them straight from the jar for a week or so--that is several jars. i love to take a jar for lunch--and thats all.
this is a great way to test the proper workings of our pressure canners. they have a serious term of duty ahead and we need them in tip top shape. for those of you who are scared of your pressure canners this is a great way to get over it. the recipe is at the garlic pimpernel
today i built most of a shelter for tabitha to milk under for the coming months. i still need the ridge cap and to set it on posts. the truss structure is self contained so i'll be able to use it as-is for something else once the milk-barn is done. it might keep our wood pile dry this winter or shelter some hogs who knows. the idea is to make it useful for anything that might present it's self. i'll take photos tomorrow.
we ate a wonderful meal from the garden. a vegetable medley if you will. the freshly canned chick peas were the main course--a big hit. beets, carrots, onions, garlic, broccoli and zucchini stir fried with minimum of spices. what a rich wonderful flavor. the season of eating mostly form the garden is at hand--my favorite time of year.
7 comments:
Karl, it's good that you mention testing your canner, so many people get badly injured each year due to faulty canners or just carelessness. I try to be very careful with anything that has pressure on it, even more so when there's boiling hot water involved. Good point you make and I hope many folks read and take note of the need to test you equipment.
I too have some sheds that are multi pourpose, the mowers spend a little time in the wood shed during the summer and sometimes a little extra hay finds it's way in there too. Show me a dry empty place and I got something put in there for sure.
Thanks for the post and take care.
Chris
chris, our pressure canners are about as safe as you can get. they don't use a gasketed seal--it's metal to metal. manufacturing standards have to be much greater to preform this type of seal which is a comfort. they also employ a pressure gauge, rocker type pressure regulator and the all important pressure relief plug. the plug is made from hard rubber and needs to be replaced every few years. they fail in a very controlled fashion and albeit dangerous much less dangerous than most other relief mechanisms i've seen.
I know people who are asked say there is no "best" canner, but I could really use some help here. There are so many canners, sizes, manufacturers, that it boggles my mind.
What kind of canner(s) do you use and which features would you be sure to look for if you were starting from scratch?
I have read some of he product descriptions and can't even figure out if the pressure regulator is the rocker type or not. Sigh
TIA
I have the metal to metal style (All-American Brand) of pressure canner too and honestly I was terrified of pressure canning until I got this style. Just yum on the chick peas, btw! I can lots of dried beans too, its just so much easier at the end of a busy day to just open a can of beans than try to remember at the start of a busy day to soak them...
Ugh, yeah. I'm gonna try to get over that whole fear thing this year. I plan to run my borrowed canner over to the extension office to test the gage soon.
lisa, there is no better pressure canner than those made by wisconson foundry (all american) they are pricey but well worth the money. when you see one it just looks safe--and it is. it is aluminum so ccoking directly in it is out of the question for us. some people don't mind cooking in aluminum.
kathie, you are right these canners just exude confidence.
danielle, don't be scared most accident happen by people who aren't paying attention. they don't take the necessary precautions--clean all parts after each canning.
I can not wait to try your family's pressure canner recipe.
Amy
Post a Comment