Useful equipment for food storage preparedness

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CalicoKatie said:
I've been interested in getting more info on the Presto Electric Pressure Canner and found some videos. I'm very interested in other opinions on this. Has anybody used one?

Rosered Homestead shows scientific testing and explains the results. She had a fail on some meat sauce but said she changed the recipe so that may have been why.
(806) Testing the Presto Digital Canner - YouTube

This video shows how to use the canner.
(806) Presto Digital Pressure/Water Bath Canner Overview - YouTube

Here are the instructions that come with the canner.
02144_4008_121C.pdf (gopresto.com)
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Hi Calico! If you have a pressure canner already and can use it, you might want to stick with that. I bought the Presto digital canner recently and have used it twice.
It’s big, as big as my regular canner, but will hold less.
I didn’t think it warmed the jars nearly enough. I prefer to hold jars before filling in the oven on low, less than 200 degrees. It didn’t seem to be able to ‘skip’ or advance by pressing the next button.
It does use less energy and can be used anywhere there’s an outlet. My kitchen definitely did not get as hot.
I have my doubts as to how long it will last, and would probably be replace instead of repair.
I could walk away to do other things because, well, there’s nothing you could adjust. You have no idea what pressure is. You just have to trust it.
The soft plug is different. Not sure if I’d want to be around if there was a malfunction. With a regular canner, the plug goes ‘ping’ straight up and can be replaced. This one.....
I don’t have a good stove. Otherwise, I wouldn’t consider a digital pressure cooker.
 
I figured that presto has a good name in canning and wouldn't want to risk their reputation and finances (from being sued) by not thoroughly testing the canners.
That said, I don't like not having a pressure guage and I don't like the over pressure plug, also functions as lid lock, being metal.
 
We have 2 . And we just bought an electric one. When we are canned up cases of salmon n moose even did 25 pounds of black bear. Now we are raising meat rabbits so we will be canning a lot of them. 50 or so, going to try some in quarts for when more folks are around n pints for me n beautiful wife.
Now my mind just went to smoking n canned some smoking n candied salmon. If you have never tried this, you should if you get a chance.
Other oiley fish such as wild caught trout or hooligan.
For folks who take advantage of carp, suckers n such this would work also.
And be a fun thing to do with others, especially kids.
Oops got to thinking about canning fish n got sidetracked. All good
 
Aklogcabin
I never eat bear, I saw two black bear on side of the road after a hunt in North Carolina. They smelled bad, but it was the way wild bear smell, or so I was told. Seems like you can a lot at one time.
 
joel said:
Aklogcabin
I never eat bear, I saw two black bear on side of the road after a hunt in North Carolina. They smelled bad, but it was the way wild bear smell, or so I was told. Seems like you can a lot at one time.
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Yes black bear generally tastes pretty good and makes for great brats n sausages. With the fatter meat but lots of real nice looking meat. If they are in the salmon some say they pick up that taste but I haven't tasted a bad one. I harvested a 2 year old sow a couple years back. She looked like she groomed herself like a house cat, beautiful hide with no odor. Still in the freezer awaiting tanning. She had over 2" of pure white fat looked like crisco on her butt. I added it into some moose for moose-bear burger. Oops got me going again. I gotta get out man
 
We don't do a lot of canning, at least not as much as we used to. Now we are mostly down to canning what comes out of the garden, quick meals, and some game meat. We used to can almost everything in quarts, but I am finding that as empty nesters we don't eat as much at 1 time and we are finding that quarts are just too much. So now we are shifting to more pints and half-pints, I was just wondering if others have or are running into similar issues?

I was looking at my canning supplies and realized that I have lots of empty quarts ready to go, but I am short on pints and half-pints. Sometimes I wish there was an exchange program to help people as they transition from one period of life to another.....
 
UrbanHunter said:
We don't do a lot of canning, at least not as much as we used to. Now we are mostly down to canning what comes out of the garden, quick meals, and some game meat. We used to can almost everything in quarts, but I am finding that as empty nesters we don't eat as much at 1 time and we are finding that quarts are just too much. So now we are shifting to more pints and half-pints, I was just wondering if others have or are running into similar issues?

I was looking at my canning supplies and realized that I have lots of empty quarts ready to go, but I am short on pints and half-pints. Sometimes I wish there was an exchange program to help people as they transition from one period of life to another.....
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thrift store may do an exchange??
 
Bacpacker said:
We went mostly to pints years ago. We have no kids and canning in quarts we had too much waste. Pints are just about perfect for 2. We have a boat load of quarts, but I can't bring myself to get rid of them.
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DW put up a lot of jellies in one half cup/ four ounce jar & gives them as gifts.
 
Bacpacker said:
We went mostly to pints years ago. We have no kids and canning in quarts we had too much waste. Pints are just about perfect for 2. We have a boat load of quarts, but I can't bring myself to get rid of them.
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I use quart jars for storing things like lentils, and other things that I find in smaller packages. I have many 5 gallon buckets of things, but there are things that work better in jars.

I knew an older couple who always had a large garden. They would harvest and cook up large batches of vegetable soup, then can it. I think quart jars would work for a meal for two people when it comes to soup.
 
Yep we make what we call quick meals in quarts... turkey/chicken soup, beef/venison stew, and Venison/Beef barley soup... They are what I call our bad day fall back position. If you are not up to cooking you can grab a quart, dump it in a sauce pan, throw in a cup full of frozen mixed vegetables, heat it up and you are good to go with a low-salt meal that is good for you..... usually get 2 bowls each.....
 
What about using quart jars, but not filling them as much? Is that safe? Years ago an old time canner told me that I could can half full jars, like if there wasn’t enough for the last jar in the batch, and it would be fine. I have done it on occasion, no problems. Those were the jars I’d use first so I can’t say it’s done all the time, but is that a possibility, if smaller jars are not available?
 
That's alot of air, I don't know. Was watching a canning video, and the lady cleans up her quart jars after use, fills them with water, lids them, and puts them where she usually puts empty jars. For two reasons, keeps the jars staying clean, adds to water storage. Makes sense, since they take up the same space empty or full.
I use the half gallon ones for dry storage. Could use quart for same.
 
So would you put boiling water in the canning jars so they pull a vacuum and still be sterile? It would allow one to have a lot of extra long term water storage.... The more I think about it the more I like it... I will have to ask my wife what she thinks, all major decisions require a supervisor's approval. ;)
 
UrbanHunter said:
So would you put boiling water in the canning jars so they pull a vacuum and still be sterile? It would allow one to have a lot of extra long term water storage.... The more I think about it the more I like it... I will have to ask my wife what she thinks, all major decisions require a supervisor's approval. ;)
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When canning and you do not have enough jars to fill up the canner, you can add jars with water to can in the pot. But you can also take a clean canning jar and add hot water and put the lid on. It is perhaps not quite as sterile, but it works.
 
Yep, you could sterilize it first. I just store tap water because I have two big Berkeys and lots of filters, and I figure I only have to clean the water I drink as long as I put in RO water to start with and the jars are clean. Was talking to our middle child, our son in New Mex who lives in a 28 ft travel trailer by himself. I left him with a Big Berkey, and he has recently remodeled the kitchen in the travel trailer. He uses the Berkey as his kitchen water for everything. Fills it up with 5 gallons in the morning, by afternoon it's filtered and he uses the spigot on it as a sink water tap.
 
Tonight we had a quick meal, potato leak soup that we canned a year or so ago.... I added some of the potatoes that I harvested this year (my first true harvest ever!!! store bought reds started indoors, grown in a 15 gallon tub)...

OH, got to get back on thread... Anyway I just put the jar and the lid in the dish washer, I will fill it with hot tap water when it comes out and I'll see if the lid seals.... it's a start...
 
I hav always encouraged The Princess to acquire useful tools and she has done so.

She has a fruit press on her list to handles all of the fruit we have available.

Another case of saving for the next thing.

Ben
 
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