August 2010

[salix]

Lurley, welcome to the TV forums! Love your pictures, and love your method of sauce making. I have wanted to try the same thing but have been too chicken- on the one hand, I'm old enough that there are fewer years to be concerned about aluminum exposure; on the other, I'm old enough that my incipient Alzheimer's doesn't need any encouragement... I was considering placing the washed tomatoes into my largest dutch oven and putting the whole thing into the pressure cooker (on the rack) with the water between the two pots. Any thoughts on this? Great looking tomatoes, what a neat picture, the huge paste rubbing shoulders with a quart jar. Hope you have a wonderful growing season.

[lurley]

Casino, PM me on the seeds. Would love to trade. Casino and Salix, while having paste tomatoes usually helps when making sauce, this sauce is all about the method and can be done with any kind of tomato. I even throw in extra cherry tomatoes I have lying around and you know how "wet" those are. I'll ask my dad about your idea salix and let you know what he says, he's the one that gave me the method, and he's a retired science/physics teacher.

[lurley]

Salix,
Talked to Dad, he said that yes, what you propose will work. But of course he had to tell me that the skins are intact up until they r exploded and then they r removed right away so the amount of time they r in contact with the canner is extremely short and he wouldn't bother. He says you would do better to not drink soda from aluminum cans... so that's his opinion. He doesn't make foil packets for cooking in anymore because of his aluminum concerns so he must feel pretty secure about this method. Make your own decision and figure out what you are comfortable with because it will work either way

[KsMama11]

WOW! Those are just gorgeous!! I so love to hear the stories & history behind different varieties!

[Farmette]

I want to try Lurley's method for canning tomato sauce. Bought a new Presto pressure cooker, but it does not have a weight. I have an electric range, can I still use this method and if so how?
Thanks
Chris

[oc tony]

Most electric stoves do not have enough burner clearance for long term canning, the porcelain will crack and the insulation on the wires may burn/melt. They have a special burner you can replace one of the original burners with that sits about 2 inches above the surface of the stove.

[lurley]

Originally Posted by oc tony

Most electric stoves do not have enough burner clearance for long term canning, the porcelain will crack and the insulation on the wires may burn/melt. They have a special burner you can replace one of the original burners with that sits about 2 inches above the surface of the stove.

I didn't know that. Until we moved to the house we live in now, I always canned on electric stove without any problems. Doesn't mean there would never be any though so good thing to know for the future if I need it. And what is "long term" canning?

Maybe Jerry can chime in on how to do it in a canner without a weight? My best guess, if there is no way to quickly release the pressure is you would have to carry the canner to the sink and run cold water over it to achieve the rapid depressurization. That is not something I would want to do just because I'm short and don't want to carry a large hot pot.

[oc tony]

Long term is anyone that does a large number of batches a year versus someone who does one or two batches every year or two

[salix]

Well, I've done eleven batches in the past two days, guess that makes me a 'long termer'. Feels more like a 'lifer'...

Or, maybe 'needs to GET a life'!

[oc tony]

the weight of the canner did cause my electric burner to were out, so I went to the repair place and they told me that I could order a burner made especially for canning, but it is very pricey, so I haven't done it yet.
Rita
Rita is right...they just don't make em like they used to! I used to can on an electric stove....we're talking 800 or more quarts a year....and I have burned out plenty of heating elements in my time....but it was the fin that bent and caused the problem. It is easier on an electric stove to pressure can than to waterbath just because of the added weight of the water in a waterbather....but both can be done. Just be sure to check your "fins" after each time and make sure they are still holding the element off of the stove properly...and Rita is also right about the canning element being better with better fins!!! I bought one for my stove after years of replacing them at least yearly and it was worth the extra money. It wasn't bad though....seem to remember it being around 30 or 40 dollars as apposed to 15 or 20 for the regular one. I had to special order mine from the hardware store. My husband bought me a gas stove and I purposely got one with cast iron grates on it! Now THAT is a stove! I had to wait 15 years of marriage for it though! LOL!

[Willie Wharfer]

Nice thread! I am glad that I have a gas cook top after hearing the electric burner issues. I am looking forward to trying your method Lurley! I have some seeds for Lurley's Paste too! (Thank You) Time to roll up the sleeves this year! I have a lot of jars!

[Cole_Robbie]

I can't wait to try the pressure cooker and exploding tomato trick!

I'm looking for hybrids with high production. I had good luck last year with "Pompeii roma." Next year I want to also try Viva Italia. One of my commercial catalogs has a hybrid/commercial San Marzano as well.

[Mark0820]

Originally Posted by salix

I was considering placing the washed tomatoes into my largest dutch oven and putting the whole thing into the pressure cooker (on the rack) with the water between the two pots.

How did the dutch oven in the pressure cooker work out for you?

[greyghost]

If anyone is interested in Lurley's Paste, I saw them listed on
Maria's ebay site www.blueribbontomatoes.com. Darlene