Things you need to buy if going to raise and process your own food

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I have been looking in the cupbds in my kitchen and in my large storeroom to see what I have that I use, but that is not found in most people's kitchens. Or at least the DGIs. l. Pressure canner..get the All American Pressure Cooker...the one that does not require gaskets for seal. Buy the biggest one you can afford. Doesn't take any more time to process 20 pts than it does 2 pts. 2. Go to a kitchen store or Sams or Costco or ? and buy a set of LARGE STAINLESS STEEL BOWLS. They usually come in a set of 3 and the biggest will be about two feet across at the top. Do the same with large set of stainless steel collanders. These will last a life time and you will never regret buying them. They make harvesting, cleaning and processing the garden sooooooooo much easier. 3. Buy a Victoria Sqeezo for making apple sauce, jam and jellies. It takes all the work out of it. 4. Buy yourself a good stainless steel stock pot. Not the WalMart variety. Make sure its at least 16qt capacity. Again, will last a life time and its just as easy to make 10 qts of soup and process as it is two. 5. Buy two LARGE long handled stainless steel spoons. One solid and one slatted.

Go to a restaurant supply place to buy this stainless steel stuff. You can buy new or get some real bargains on used where a restaurant has gone out of business. I realize that you can't all afford to do some of these things, but you do what you can do, when you can do it!! I will try and keep this stuff coming and get this forum back to preparing. Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), June 03, 1999

Answers

Other than the hardware associated with processing your own food, consider the ingredients that are involved in preserving food. Salt, Sugar, and Vinegar come to mind, as well as other spices. Stock up when these items are cheep. Don't forget extra canning lids.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), June 03, 1999.

Taz, why is the AllAmerican Pressure Cooker without rubber gaskets the best canner? The reason I'm asking is we just bought a 17 qtPresto Pressure canner/cooker with rubber gasket at WallyWorld because we wanted to get started doing some canning, so we are wondering why is the gasket- less one the best? Your input/experience would be appreciated because we are newbies to this canning thing! Thanks!

-- Barb (awaltrip@telepath.com), June 03, 1999.

Another thing to consider when purchasing a pressure canner is the type of gauge... a dial gauge should be tested for accuracy at least once a year by your local extensions office...whereas, the weighted gauge does not require testing...

-- Texas Terri (DeepInTheHeart@Texas.com), June 03, 1999.

Barb..because the gaskets rot, stretch, twist, etc. With the All American you never have to worry about getting new gaskets. If you haven't used it you might consider returning it and ordering the All American. Its one of those products that really does all its cracked up to be. I have had mine for 30 years. How many gaskets would I have had to buy? I don't know. If you must keep the Presto, buy a couple of extra gaskets NOW AND KEEP IN COOL DARK PLACE.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), June 03, 1999.


On the National Food Safety Database the have a page called "Use of a Maximum Thermometer to Test a Dial Gauge". http://foodsafety.org/il/il004.htm Can someone tell me what a maximum thermometer is, please?

-- flora (***@__._), June 03, 1999.


Hi Taz: Can you tell me where the All American Pressure Cookers are available? I was at Lehman's but they were out of stock and their mail-order department is hopelessly behind. No place locally (that I know of) has them. We have 3 regular pressure cookers, (thanks to yard sales the 2 extras were each less than $5). I agree that the gasket-less kind is highly preferable. If you know a mail order place or chain of stores that sell them I'd appreciate the information. Thanks!

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), June 03, 1999.

Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co. Inc.

P.O. Box 246

Manitowoc, WI 54220 (414)682-8286

I've had my All Amercan for 15 years, built like a tank. Have never had probs with the pressure guage. I eat my own canning. ;-)

btw, the above contact info is old, but telephone info surely has an up to date number.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), June 03, 1999.


Taz

great post, glad to see someone getting back on track with prep tips. i too have an all-american, wouldn't trade it for anything, thinking about getting another (but my wife reminds me her mother has one, so it would be our back-up).

the only thing you mention i don't have is the squeezo. are they really worth the investment? 90% of the use i'd get out of it would be making tomato juice.

one of our favorite stores is atlas restaurant supply in indianapolis, great place for the ss utensils and pots.

thanx, taz

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), June 03, 1999.


Hey Cowardly Lion...if you make any kind of sauce you will wnt a Victoria Squeezo thingie. It grinds it up and spits the seeds,skins out on hole and juice and meat out the other. Its the only way to make apple sauce. I just cook the apples halved and toss into the squeezo. Seeds, peelings, stems come out one sprout and apple sauce out the other. I wouldn't be without it or my All American canner. I love to can, etc. but why make it work when it can be easy and fun? I am no martyr and will take the easy road everytime.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), June 03, 1999.


Re pressure weights and guages - Do pay attention to your elevation. Those at higher elevations may REQUIRE the heavier pressure weight. On the Presto, I believe, this is only available with the model with the dial guage on the top. I have used a Presto for canning for 25 years. Have had to replace the gasket, guage, rubber popper and handles. However, there are few other appliances I have owned that have "lasted" that long.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), June 03, 1999.


I agree with Taz on the quality of the American Pressure Cooker. But I have never been able to say "Oh, what the hell, let's just spend the money". I got a Presto about 25 y ago. In that time, I've had to replace the gasket once. It has worked well. The gasket just failed again. At least one handle on the lid was also past its prime. I said, okay, I am going to put out the money and get a gasket-free model. Came back with a new Presto and a gasket for the old one [imagine, the store has parts for a 25 y old appliance]. Now I have two. I guess that I do what I do and not what I say.

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 03, 1999.

Cowardly Lion:

A Victoria Squeezo? Mine is named Ralph. Best investment you can make.

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 03, 1999.


I suppose this is a good thread to mention this on...If your power is off for extended time, you will be heating water for dishes. You may want to consider a "dish pan" instead of using the sink directly. I have found, by the time dishes are done, the water is cool. I never pour my dish water directly down the sink drain as eventually this would clog the drain. Never had enough "volume" of hot enough water to keep it running clear; especially when water is precious.

One option is to run a straight line to a gray water catch with a clean out trap. But we just keep a bucket under the sink and carry it out....so add dish pans to the list of things needed and a large pot to heat water in for bathing and cleaning; use a separate pot/old canner then something you otherwise, won't need to clean it out after use for cooking when hot water is needed. Also consider you will be using alot more bleach and cleaners than you normally do when cleaning with a limited supply of heated water.

And what would we do without our kitchen "trinkets". Flour shifters, pastry blenders, wisks, candy thermometers, stove top coffee percelator, potatoe mashers, pastry brushes (get small paint brushes...cheaper), graters, strainers and collinders, tongs for canning jars, and assorted brushes for cleaning canning jars. Cheap plastic placemats make excellant cutting boards/butchering surfaces/bread kneading...easier to clean than wood with "heated" cleaning water and disposable when used up.

I think the most important item for home production is a good selection of quality knives and butchering equipment. I use the same knives and stainless pans my mother used years ago. Quality pays off in the long run.

Just some thoughts I had...

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), June 03, 1999.


Taz: I second (or is it third or fourth, etc?) the motion. Thanks for continuing to point us to preps.

Lessee: Things I use to raise my own food: hoe, file to sharpen said hoe, shovel, pitchfork, compost bins, trowel, gloves.

Things I use to process my own foods: pressure canner (weighted gauge with rubber gasket), water bath canner, tongs to lift boiling jars from canner, wide mouth funnel, large strainer, colander, _large_ Tupperware containers.

Things I couldn't do without: trowel, tongs, funnel, and strainer.

Thanks again, Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), June 03, 1999.


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