Canning Season.

[Zana]

Originally Posted by taboule

Zana or anyone else who may know: which manufacturers, of the stove or of the pressure canner?

Not challenging anything here, I'm a low stress / conflict averse individual Just interested to learn: how is the canner to (glass top) stove interface any different than from a large pot to the same stove top ? I suspect that the main things to watch for are 1) the good fit between canner and heating element, and 2) no one gets rough dropping a full canner on said glass top

Any other variables that may come into play?

To be honest, I was going by what I was told in a FB canning group that only follows "the rules" and safe canning, etc. The experts were emphatic about it. Am looking for which group now....since I'm a member of quite a few wasn't sure which one off the top of my head.

I have a feeling it has a lot to do with the kind of bottom of the canner....whether it is completely flat to get a good connection to the glass top.

However, it is a moot point at the moment, as I'm almost done canning for the "season" so I don't plan on going out and purchasing a pressure canner at the moment.

[Zana]

Originally Posted by taboule

BTW, how do you folks store your goodies? I wanted an easy "movable" system that protected the jars and also allowed them to be "relocated" if needed (I just went through a major move.) Also, a packaging system in case I wanted to gift some. I used some scrap lumber to build these.


I made 2 sizes, pints and quarts. They're tall enough (for each size) so they can be stacked, top boxes only rest on the edges of the box below -never on the jars. Easy little projects to knock together while recycling a valuable natural resource.

Gorgeous...and very practical! But how heavy are they?

[coronabarb]

You should check with the manufacturer of your particular stove for their recommendation. I have a Whirlpool and they say it is okay.

taboule, I've heard that it is all the weight on the stovetop that is the problem. You have all the water in a large pot and also jars filled with food. That would be my guess.

[taboule]

Barb, I agree the weight is probably the biggest concern. Common size canner (23 quarts) would weight around 55#, heavy for a glass top. A larger canner (double stack) could easily cause a break.

Zana and GrowingCoastal, thanks. The big box fully loaded weighs around 40#, fairly maneuverable to me -not to petite DW. Smaller/pint-sized box much easier. Most often they sit on a shelf and get emptied one jar at a time -then when box is empty on to the box below.

[clkeiper]

Zana, this is the paragraph in my one stoves instructions. It is a whirlpool1507551720998122074175.jpg
Surely it wasn't rebel canners who instructed you. I lasted about a week on the other canning group before I jumped ship. It was too ridiculous for me. It should have been called the rightous ball blue book advised canning group. No deviations no questions.

[imp]

Really a nice AND very useful idea, Taboule! Pretty boxes.

I've heard, about the glass tops ( some) both things about the weight of the canner and that the bigger canners are/would spread out the heat too far around the elements(?) that the glass would become brittle?

I don't know anything about them myself, just what I have heard around the 'net.

[Haraldsdotter]

I have to admit I have a ‘stockpile’ of food downstairs. I planted my garden this year as a canning garden, and I also do a weekly visit to a couple of my farmers markets where they limit the vendors to actual producers, so I have a full years worth of veggies, salsa’s, marinara sauce and crushed tomatoes, as well as a couple of whole brisket’s that I bought when they were 2.99/lb.
At the beginning of the year when I was deciding what plants to start, I set goals for each of my canning projects by estimating how many of each per week I would use, and I have as many as I think we will use up by next year. I branched out into pressure canning which allowed me to do up a lot more types of food, not just high acid/water bath stuff.
I still have another batch of tomatoes and peppers to turn into enchilada sauce, and a ham bone to turn into split pea with ham soup, but my total output for this year is just shy of 600 jars of food, the most I have ever managed to put up ever ��
I guess this makes me a ‘prepper’ in the most traditional sense - putting away summer produce so that I can eat it all winter, and it’s all good stuff that I either grew myself or bought it right from the farmer that grew it. There is something so nice about looking the producer of my food in the face when I buy it.
That set of shelves was made for me by my husband out of the shipping container from my huge floor loom. It now is completely full, with the top shelf also filled up with marinara sauce and crushed tomatoes.

[taboule]

This is very nice setup, neatly organized and accessible.

WRT buying directly from the farmers, I mentioned earlier that I was hoping I'd find tomatoes by the bushel/seconds to preserve sauces, since production was low for me this year. From my queries, few places have or sell them -although we have lots of small farms around. At one place, the youngster at the stand said they sometimes have them, for $20 a box -but no idea how big the box is. At another place, the manager said $35 for a 30# box, mix of everything OP, paste and hybrids. I thought that was a bit high for seconds -not trying to deny anyone their pay. I'll check a few more later this month and call it a season.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by taboule

This is very nice setup, neatly organized and accessible.

WRT buying directly from the farmers, I mentioned earlier that I was hoping I'd find tomatoes by the bushel/seconds to preserve sauces, since production was low for me this year. From my queries, few places have or sell them -although we have lots of small farms around. At one place, the youngster at the stand said they sometimes have them, for $20 a box -but no idea how big the box is. At another place, the manager said $35 for a 30# box, mix of everything OP, paste and hybrids. I thought that was a bit high for seconds -not trying to deny anyone their pay. I'll check a few more later this month and call it a season.

Taboule... it was a terribly tough year for tomatoes everywhere. i didn't even sell ANY by the bushel this year. only peck baskets and no one even batted an eye at 9.00 a basket. I saw them most other places for 10.00 a peck basket no quantity discount. 40.00 a bushel. half runners? I think they have a funky flavor nor am I interested in the extra work it takes to remove the string.. but I saw them for 2.00 a pound = $50.00 a bushel. only by the pound not by the bushel. and that was at a Mennonite farm stand. their prices are getting more competitive with retailers now.

Haraldsdotter... very nice.

[imp]

Love that shelf system! Wow. And you've put so much back, I eel like a lazy bones, LOL!!

My farmer's markets don't sell bulk or seconds. I got a bit turned off a few years ago from them for several reasons- really dislike having to ask how much things are and not one producer seemed to know what varieties they had for sale of anything. Plus they were more than 1/2 again above the good supermarket price here and the produce was not too good looking.

but that was a couple years back, so will go again soon and check them out again.

[taboule]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Taboule... it was a terribly tough year for tomatoes everywhere. i didn't even sell ANY by the bushel this year. only peck baskets and no one even batted an eye at 9.00 a basket. I saw them most other places for 10.00 a peck basket no quantity discount. 40.00 a bushel. half runners? I think they have a funky flavor nor am I interested in the extra work it takes to remove the string.. but I saw them for 2.00 a pound = $50.00 a bushel. only by the pound not by the bushel. and that was at a Mennonite farm stand. their prices are getting more competitive with retailers now.

Haraldsdotter... very nice.

Carolyn, thank you always for your perspective, I get it.

One of the farms I wrote to asking about seconds recently replied:

>>
We do but it is a bit late in the season for your requests. Our tomato crop is waning and so are the seconds. Try us a bit earlier next season.
>>

A couple of years ago I was picking fruit late in october, early november. Things are-a-changing.

EDIT: I missed to ask, what is a half runner (second?) and what about the string?

[imp]

Taboule, not Carolyn, but I think she meant runner beans- like a fatter or wider green bean, but different species from the regular green beans and wax beans. They will grow in colder conditions than the green beans will, almost like sweet peas like the cool weather.

[clkeiper]

and they have a string you have to pull off as you clean them. one on each side of the pod. More work. Some people like them knobby and some like them flat. I never know what to pick so the bags get some of each in them.


Ever hear of leather britches? they are the dried bean pods of 1/2 runners. strung on a thread and hung to air dry. then during the winter the cook would soak them for 12=24 hours drain and rinse them then cover them with water again along with a ham hock or cured ham of some sort. very poor family fare. I have a string of them I will post a picture later after my phone is charged and I also have a couple jars of canned finished product that I am not sure I will ever open and eat. I have been in vain trying to pawn it off on one of my customers. I haven't had a taker yet. Maybe I should just put it out on the shelf for "free" and hope someone will appreciate the work that actually went into the jar. A friend of mine (he is about 80) grew these and strung them for me. we have talked about leather britches for years. so he kindly and as a bit of a joke did some last fall for us to try.

[Haraldsdotter]

I am so lucky here in my area. We have a few wonderful farmers markets, where the farmers are really into what they do, and they will discuss their produce with almost a religious fervor
The prices are not cheap, I paid about $35-40 - bushel for paste tomatoes, but I really enjoy talking to them about the what’s and why’s of how they grow what they grow. Most of them are certified organic farmers, or sustainable in their methods, and the food tastes good!
There was also a week where I seriously questioned my sanity - the week that I processed 2 bushels of tomatoes and a whole 15 lb brisket at the same time, but I’m glad I got through it, and now that things are wrapping up I will enjoy more time for my weaving and spinning...
Right after I process the bushel of golden beets that’s due this Sunday. Not canning those though, I roast them and package them into my foodsaver bags.

[Father'sDaughter]

FYI, it seems it is not just glass stove tops that are an issue for canners. I was recently reading the booklet that came with my Presto canner and saw that it listed maximum safe btu ratings for gas range burners.

We got a new five burner range last spring with different sized burners, so I looked up the specs for all the burners. Seems the only burners the canner can safely be used on (I am assuming at full power) are the smaller two burners at the back. The front two are too high for it.