Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Christina ABBOTT on August 04, 2020, 14:07

Title: Pressure Cooker v Pressure Canner
Post by: Christina ABBOTT on August 04, 2020, 14:07

Hi

I posted in my first post yesterday and it was  about bottling.   

I am just about to go down to the pick up point to collect my 10 litre pressure cooker.   

Living in France I have always been in awe that the French use bonfires to process everything. I'm not that confident as I would probably BBQ them rather than preserve them!  But I want to reduce my reliance on freezers as I end up with 10 year old food languishing at the bottom! 

I'm absolutely fine processing fruit and tomatoes using a water bath or oven bath, and decided to expand into veg this year.   I have read the advice on the site which says a pressure cooker should be fine, but the American sites say NO NO NO!     

I can't afford an american style canner nor are they available here.    So I opted for the biggest pressure cooker I could find.     Am I going to poison everyone or is this American sites being risk averse?      (Sorry to US people if I offend)       

Cheers in advance  :D

Title: Re: Pressure Cooker v Pressure Canner
Post by: mumofstig on August 04, 2020, 19:13

Quote

is this American sites being risk averse?   

Yes IMO.
They even heat treat jam, when we have years and years of history of making jam without the need to heat treat it.
If you heat the jars and put on the lids while jars and the contents are still hot then an effective seal is made. I prefer to use lids with a dimple in them, which pops down as the vacuum seal is made, so you can actually see that the food is safe.
The only thing I wouldn't preserve this way is meat in any form - other than that I think it's fine.

Title: Re: Pressure Cooker v Pressure Canner
Post by: Christina ABBOTT on August 05, 2020, 13:07

Thanks for that, I was going to leave meat preserving by bottling  until I'm more experienced, and at that point ask Santa Claus  for a big pressure canner!   :lol:     Right ho, French beans are ready to be picked and attempting to bottle, but have made a right mess with my borlottis, the packet didn't say they were the climbing variety and I had to play catch up!  Was hoping to pick and dry and store to make baked beans with passata!    :lol: :lol: :lol:   

Title: Re: Pressure Cooker v Pressure Canner
Post by: Aunt Sally on August 05, 2020, 16:47

Sounds like you have a plan, Christina  :D

What country/location are you in, it really does help use to give you more tailored advice.