Building a Canning Kitchen

brokenbar · August 29, 2013

Build a Canning Kitchen

I have had the luxury of building three canning kitchens in my gardening lifetime, each one an improvement over the previous structure.

My canning kitchen in Mexico is 16’ X 12’. It has a concrete floor with a drain over which we laid large, 1’ X 1’ tile. I am lucky to live in one of the largest tile making areas of Mexico so it is relatively cheap. We also tiled about 5 foot up the walls.

I haunted auctions/sales of used restaurant equipment in Arizona and Texas and purchased a stainless steel deep sink and counter and metal kitchen cabinets. I also purchased a used commercial refrigerator and a 6 burner gas stove. The whole inside is designed to be hosed out as I am a slob when I cook and canning is messy anyway.

My canning kitchen is under large trees so I have one whole wall that is shelves where I store all my canned goods as it stays very cool. I also have a window air-conditioner for those days it gets too hot in the summer. Included in my kitchen is a small hot water heater that my Husband put a switch on so I can turn it off and on easily. The door is a sliding glass door with sliding screen door. I have one medium window. Two upright freezers are also in there and a ceiling mounted wrought iron pot hanger/utensil hanger for everything but the pressure canners.

Outside, against one wall, I have a covered carport-like addition that has a long work bench where I have my dehydrators and stuff I use for that. I bought a used bathtub (scrubbed about a gazillion times…) and I soak my tomatoes in wine in that. Husband built a frame and a screen cover for it. He wired everything for the electricity and I have a backup generator (in case of storms and the sometimes inconsistent Mexican Power Company I don’t want freezers and friges to go off.)

When I am harvesting and canning, a local man comes every day and picks up my veggie scraps and takes them to feed his pigs. My Husband installed an intercom (I protested but he insisted) so he can talk to me from the house (drats…)

I almost forgot…I have a medium sized flat screen TV mounted up high on one wall (Walls are 10’ tall) so that when I hose out the kitchen, it is away from spray.

If the place had a bed and toilet, I could live in it!

Everything is designed and placed for maximum convenience, ease of use and hassle-free cleanup.

So if you have the luxury of space and a few extra bucks, this is the way to go.
Not everyone would need a big a kitchen as mine. It would certainly be cheaper to build a smaller version. Just think of it…no more finding stray tomato seeds stuck to a cabinet or a lone string bean moldering under your kick space in your house kitchen . I have a great story about an exploding pot of turkey rice soup but that is for another post…

August 29, 2013	#1
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	Building a Canning Kitchen Build a Canning Kitchen I have had the luxury of building three canning kitchens in my gardening lifetime, each one an improvement over the previous structure. My canning kitchen in Mexico is 16’ X 12’. It has a concrete floor with a drain over which we laid large, 1’ X 1’ tile. I am lucky to live in one of the largest tile making areas of Mexico so it is relatively cheap. We also tiled about 5 foot up the walls. I haunted auctions/sales of used restaurant equipment in Arizona and Texas and purchased a stainless steel deep sink and counter and metal kitchen cabinets. I also purchased a used commercial refrigerator and a 6 burner gas stove. The whole inside is designed to be hosed out as I am a slob when I cook and canning is messy anyway. My canning kitchen is under large trees so I have one whole wall that is shelves where I store all my canned goods as it stays very cool. I also have a window air-conditioner for those days it gets too hot in the summer. Included in my kitchen is a small hot water heater that my Husband put a switch on so I can turn it off and on easily. The door is a sliding glass door with sliding screen door. I have one medium window. Two upright freezers are also in there and a ceiling mounted wrought iron pot hanger/utensil hanger for everything but the pressure canners. Outside, against one wall, I have a covered carport-like addition that has a long work bench where I have my dehydrators and stuff I use for that. I bought a used bathtub (scrubbed about a gazillion times…) and I soak my tomatoes in wine in that. Husband built a frame and a screen cover for it. He wired everything for the electricity and I have a backup generator (in case of storms and the sometimes inconsistent Mexican Power Company I don’t want freezers and friges to go off.) When I am harvesting and canning, a local man comes every day and picks up my veggie scraps and takes them to feed his pigs. My Husband installed an intercom (I protested but he insisted) so he can talk to me from the house (drats…) I almost forgot…I have a medium sized flat screen TV mounted up high on one wall (Walls are 10’ tall) so that when I hose out the kitchen, it is away from spray. If the place had a bed and toilet, I could live in it! Everything is designed and placed for maximum convenience, ease of use and hassle-free cleanup. So if you have the luxury of space and a few extra bucks, this is the way to go. Not everyone would need a big a kitchen as mine. It would certainly be cheaper to build a smaller version. Just think of it…no more finding stray tomato seeds stuck to a cabinet or a lone string bean moldering under your kick space in your house kitchen . I have a great story about an exploding pot of turkey rice soup but that is for another post… __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."