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Debbie Pribele
439 posts
and
19 followers
in over 2 years
in over 2 years
Cooking & Preserving #22: A new kitchen gadget?
This is
part 22
in a
29 part
series:
Cooking & Preserving
I love my vintage cookware. … and I love my modern gadgets.
I was watching a video the other day and the cook was using an electric pressure canner. I was excited and intrigued.
Back in the day when I was learning about pressure canners, there was no such thing as an electric one. We had slow cookers and crock pots. And then came the Instant Pot which, we were repeatedly warned, is not a pressure canner! It’s a pressure cooker.
I should have known that the inventors would have jumped onto that need and made the electric canner happen. But, to be honest, I simply forgot about it and never kept looking.
Fast forward to last week and it didn’t take me long to go from discovery to researching to purchasing.
Today, I am the proud owner of a Carey electric pressure canner (which does more than pressure can but that is what I am interested in).
My goal
My goal is to preserve food without relying on my freezer, as we have frequent power outages throughout the year and I have lost more than one freezer-full of foods in my life.
What about the freeze-dryer
Oh, I still love my freeze-dryer! I especially love it for preserving vegetables. I also love it for broths but the fast preservation by pressure canning might win out. We will see.
The Plan
My initial thought for the pressure canner was:
What about the freeze-dryer
Oh, I still love my freeze-dryer! I especially love it for preserving vegetables. I also love it for broths but the fast preservation by pressure canning might win out. We will see.
The Plan
My initial thought for the pressure canner was:
- making a large batch of soup and just canning up most of it, primarily to give to my mom (95) for healthy, easy meals;
- then, I remembered watching a video of someone doing cold-pack canning of chicken. Buy in bulk; stuff the chicken (raw) into jars; pressure can it; voila. Done;
- and, then, I thought of my Fruit Crumble and thought that jars of apple pie filling would also make a great base for the dessert. Fast and convenient.
My preserving routine
I am gradually finding my way in preserving, choosing which method works best for me for which foods.
I think that is the wisdom to take away. There are options. Which one works best for your lifestyle, for you, in which circumstances?
My preserving tips:
- Work with what you have.
- Research what is available.
- Test out different options with a friend, sharing tools.
- Invest in what will work best for you, choosing the best that you can afford.
- Expand your preserving tools as needed and as fits with your budget and your lifestyle.
And, don’t forget:
Preserve what you are going to eat. Be selective.
What preserving tools are your favourites?
I’d love to learn from you.
- Debbie
——-
Shopping
These products are what I use and all opinions expressed here are my own. This list may contain affiliate links from which, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you choose to use my link … and if you do, know that I appreciate you!
- Carey Pressure Canner
- Canning Jars (buy them when you can find them!)
- Harvest Right Freeze-Dryer: the company has a referral program. I’d gladly share all that I’ve learned with you and be your referral person (and get you some free Mylar bags!). Message me.
a simpler life
