Canning Chicken Breast

When it comes to having a variety of emergency foods stored up for potential survival purposes meat is traditionally the hardest to accumulate. You can purchase chicken, ham and turkey in small tuna size cans but trust me they do not in any way compare to the taste nor the quality of home canned chicken breast.

If you have never experienced the taste of home canned chicken breast you are missing out on a fabulous treat. Canned chicken is usually more tender and moister than regular chicken and in addition to its delicious taste the finished product is usable for a vast number of soups, stews, salads or simply as a hot dish.

Not only is it a good survival tactic to have plenty of canned chicken in the pantry but it also saves many a trip to the local grocery store or the annoyance of having to pay the usual retail price for the cans. I have three or four dozen of the commercial versions stored away in my emergency food supplies and believe me they were not inexpensive in the least. The homemade versions are also a handy source of chicken when you need to create a last minute meal in a short amount of time.

There are many ways that you can prepare your canned chicken ranging from using your meat for Chicken Marsala to the ever popular Chicken Noodle Soup. Chicken is a low fat food which has a minimum cholesterol rating making it an exceptionally good choice for those who value their health. If you happen to be on a diet then the consumption of chicken is certainly in your best interests as it is low in calories and high in protein.

A few hints are in order when you get ready to can your own chicken breasts. First watch the newspaper and grocery store ads and buy your chicken when it is on sale. If the bone in chicken is less expensive no problem you can use it for your canning however if you purchase your chicken without the skin you can save yourself the trouble of skinning the breasts yourself.

Frequently, you can judge the yield as one pint jar will hold approximately 1 1/2 of the medium to large size chicken breasts. Most modern day pressure canners will comfortably hold 8 pints per load. Make certain to keep the chicken meat chilled until you are prepared to start your canning session.

Prior to beginning your canning session, wash all the jars, the rings and the lids in a dishwasher or in boiling water. Some people contend that since the temperature within the pressure cooker will be about 235 degrees there is no need for separate sterilization to take place however, I like to err on the side of safety when it comes to canning. In either case they must be spotlessly clean. Inspect all the jars for chips or nicks. Anything which can possibly interfere with an effective vacuum seal will result in the food spoiling.

Add two quarts of water to your pressure canner and ensure that the rack is properly sitting in the bottom of it. It is finally time to remove the chicken from the refrigerator and start your session. Carefully wash the chicken breasts very thoroughly removing the skin as well as any noticeable fat. The golden rule for processing meat is that it must be lean with no fat otherwise you will experience interference with proper sealing.

To begin, start by filling a kettle with water and bring it to a boil. Place your pressure canner on the stove and turn to a medium heat. When packing the meat in the jars it must be hot. Next place the chicken breasts in a large pot to which a small amount of water has been added. Cook the breasts until they are nearly done and then remove from the heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes.

At this point you will need to work very quickly in order to keep the meat hot. Cut each breast into portions which will fit into the jar with a sharp knife and a fork. You can add a little variety by mixing both large and small pieces into the same jar. After placing the pieces of chicken breast into the first jar set it aside and progress to the next one until all the jars are completely filled. Don't pack the jars too tightly with the chicken as you want to leave room for the broth to fill the jar. Always leave a one inch head space in each of the jars for expansion.

After you have filled all the jars with the chicken put ? teaspoon of salt within each pint being processed and make sure to even distribute the liquid into the jars. Finally, take the boiling water and fill each jar up to the one inch mark. Never add too much liquid or you will experience a liquid loss. Poke the mixture with a spoon to ensure that all the air bubbles are removed. With a damp cloth wipe around the tops of the jars to clean off any food and than put the lids with rings on the jars making sure not to over tighten.

Put your jars into the pressure canner and replace the lid on the machine. Process according to the manufactures instructions and vent the canner for at least 10 minutes after steam begins escaping from the vent. Add the vent cover to the canner and you are almost finished.

Keep a close eye on the pressure gauge to ensure a steady flow. Under processing of the chicken meat will result in spoilage while overcooking degrades both the flavor and the texture. Cook for approximately 75 minutes than turn off the heat and let the pressure drop naturally. Remove the jars when the pressure has properly drops and allow them to cool.

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish.

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Home Canning Equipment

The public outcry over the food practices in our country is spurring a renewed interest in home canning...and for good reason! Canning your food at home insures nothing toxic goes into the food you and your family consumes. And it also tastes better! That's a win/win in my books.

Don't let the thought of canning intimidate you. It's not as hard as you may think. You also won't have to invest your life savings to start a home canning operation in your home. In fact, most of the equipment you need you probably already own. Here's a list of both the basic essentials as well as a few other things you might want to pick up as time goes by:

Essentials:

Mason Jars

You can often find these glass canning jars at garage sales for cheap. Run your finger around the rim of the jar (when buying used) to make sure you don't feel any chips or dents. Even the slightest chip will keep your jars from sealing. Most grocery stores sell jars in various sizes by the case during the summer and fall canning seasons. (NOTE: Don't use recycled mayonnaise and other condiment jars for canning--use only mason jars created for the purpose of canning.)

Seal able Jar Lids

While you can buy the jars used and re-use them over and over, jar lids need to be new. These little metal lids have a rubbery band around them that once hot, create the seal between the lid and the jar. If you're buying new jars by the case, these lids will be included. If you're re-using old jars, the lids can be purchased separately and are inexpensive.

Jar Bands or Rings

These metal rings screw down on the jar to create a snug fit between the jar and the lid. They can be re-used and don't have to be purchased new each time. If you find your running short on rings, you can take them off totally cool jars that have already been canned and sealed. You don't have to store them with the bands screwed on. Again, if you're buying new jars by the case, the rings will be included in the package, but you can purchase them separately as well.

Boiling Water Canner

This doesn't have to be as intimidating as it sounds...you can use a big stockpot or other large, deep sauce pot you already own. I canned my own jams and jellies for YEARS before I invested in a water canner (that I found at a yard sale for $5!) The pot you use needs to be large enough to have the jars you're canning completely submerged (with about 2 inches or more of water above the jar tops) and with enough room around the jars that water can move freely).

If you're using a saucepot from your kitchen, it needs to have a properly fitting lid to go with it. You will also need to either buy a wire rack (you can buy them separately in the same section as the jars in most stores) or create a homemade solution yourself so that your jars are not sitting on the bottom of the pot unprotected.

A great homemade solution I used was placing as many jar rings side by side on the bottom of the saucepan as would fit. The jars then sat on top of the rings, creating space between the pot and the jar bottoms.

Kitchen Utensils

Things like measuring cups, wooden spoons (long handled ones work best), ladles, funnels, spatulas, etc.

Non-essentials (but very helpful additions):

Jar Lifter

This tongs-like simple contraption is designed especially for safe jar lifting from boiling water baths when the jars are too hot to touch. Although it's not an essential, it's hard to can without it (I've used regular kitchen tongs before, which are tricky. The wet jars tend to want to slip from your grip and dropping a glass jar full of boiling hot food is something you definitely want to avoid!)

Lid Lifter

This is a little plastic stick with a magnet on the bottom for ease of lifting your jar lids out of the warm water you've got them sitting in while you're canning. This little lifter is totally NOT essential, but very inexpensive and quite slick. I didn't have one for years, but after I got it, I wondered why I didn't spring the 2 bucks a long time ago. I love it!

Bubble Remover and Headspace Tool

If you want to be sure about the headspace you're leaving, there's no better way than measuring it with a specially designed device to get the job done. Some people swear by them, but it's never been something I've used.

Pressure Canner

This is the most expensive investment of the whole canning process, but you can pick one up for less than $75.00 and it will last forever, at least! (I have one passed down from my grandma).

Although I didn't put it in the MUST HAVE section, it is a must have if you plan on canning low-acid things like most vegetables, meats, etc. However, there are many, many recipes you to can that don't need a pressure canner, so it's not essential for all canning. My suggestion is that if you're new to canning, try your hand with the water bath method of canning first before you dive into recipes that require pressure canning.

Kerrie Hubbard lives in Portland, Oregon with 9 chickens, 1 cat and several small raised bed gardens. Her website, City Girl Farming ( http://www.citygirlfarming.com ) is an urban guide to raising and growing your own food in small spaces.

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General Canning Instruction For Low Acid Vegetables

Low acid vegetables must be processed in a steam pressure canner at a temperature of 240ºF (10 pounds pressure) to assure that all spoilage micro organisms are destroyed. The following is general canning instructions for low acid vegetables.

1. Read recipe for produce being canned. Check manufacturer's instructions for filling and sealing jars.

2. Assemble all equipment and utensils needed. To assure safe operation of your steam-pressure canner, clean petcock (vent) and safety valve openings by drawing a string through them. Wash canner kettle thoroughly. Reread manufacturer's instructions for using the steam pressure canner.

3. Check jars for nicks, cracks and sharp edges on sealing surfaces. Use only standard jars; do not use jars in which food products have been packed. Wash jars in hot soapy water. Rinse. Cover with hot water. Let jars remain in hot water until ready to use. Wash and prepare lids.

4. Can vegetables when they are garden fresh and at the best stage for cooking.

5. Wash and drain vegetables before cutting or breaking the skin. Lift vegetables out of water so dirt that is washed off will not be drained back over them.

6. Work quickly.

7. Prepare only enough produce for one canner load at a time.

8. Pack vegetables loosely enough for water to circulate between the pieces, but tightly enough to prevent waste of jar space.

9. Cover vegetables with fresh boiling water, or with the water in which they were heated for packing, leaving 1 inch head space.

10. Remove air bubbles by running table knife gently between jar and food. If needed, add more liquid to cover.

11. Wipe top and threads of jar with clean, damp cloth before capping.

12. Put each jar on rack in steam pressure canner, containing 2 to 3 inches of hot water, as jar is filled. Fasten canner over securely, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Leave petcock (vent) open until steam escapes steadily for 10 minutes. Close petcock and bring pressure to 10 pounds. Start counting processing time. Process for recommended length of time, keeping pressure constant.

13. Remove canner from heat. Let pressure fall to zero. Wait 2 minutes, and then slowly open petcock. Unfasten cover; tilt the far side up so steam escapes away from you. Remove jars. Stand them on cloths, a few inches apart and out of drafts to cool. About 24 hours later, test jar for seal. Do not turn lids, for this will break seal. If lids are puffed, it is an indication of a poor seal.

14. If for any reason a jar has failed to seal, use new lid, repack and process the full length of time or refrigerator and use the food as soon as possible.

15. Store jars in a dark, dry and reasonably cool place.

16. Salt may or may not be used when canning vegetables. The amount used (usually 1 teaspoon per quart) is too small to prevent spoilage and should be left out if it is not wanted for flavor.

17. Steam pressure saucepans may be used for processing pint and half pint jars, provided the pressure can be held at 10 pounds. Since the pan heat and cool quickly, 20 minutes should be added to the regular steam pressure processing time.

Daphnie is a food lover who has been involved in food industry for 10 years. She learned the easy and simple way cooking style from her mother and grandmother. She prefer to have the home make cooking style instead of outside food. You can visit my website at http://www.a1cookrecipes.com.

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A Look at the Benefits of Using Pressure Cookers

There are many benefits to using pressure cookers. For example, they are great for making soups and stews. They also reduce the cooking time for a variety of meats. If you are canning, especially meats, using a pressure cooker is the only way to ensure that the food is safe and will have a long shelf life. However, if pressure cookers are used incorrectly or by those people that are inexperienced, they can be like a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode.

Basically, food is cooked or canned under intense heat and high pressure. The higher the inside temperature, the faster the cooking times. If your cooker is under too much pressure, it could explode, turning it into a shrapnel grenade. The other draw backs to using these types of cookers is that in order to equalize the pressure when you are done cooking, you have to run the entire unit under cold water from five minutes to a half an hour, wasting a lot of water.

Now you have many different choices when it comes to buying pressure cookers. Many cookers these days,like All-American Pressure Cooker Canner, have a quick release option, making it easy to remove the lid without having to run it under water. They also have detachable, adjustable pressure regulators, which can be adjusted and set to a preset temperature and pressure. When the food reaches a certain pressure, the regulator automatically releases, and stops when the pressure is right. These regulators pretty much take the guess work out of pressure cooking.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a pressure cooker. Most consumers opt for the six-quart models, but if you have a large family or do a lot of canning, you may want one of the larger models. Choose a model that features at least two heat resistant handles. This will make it easy and comfortable to hold the pot. Choosing a model with heat resistant handles will reduce the chance of accidentally dropping the pot. The lid should lock and be completely sealed. Refer to All-American Pressure Cooker Canner to get an idea. Some cookers have lids that are metal to metal, while others use a gasket. The models that feature a gasket are fun, but you should be aware that the gaskets will eventually wear out and have to be replaced.

Because heat and pressure are the two major components of pressure cookers, you should choose one that features a detachable regulator that can be adjusted to suit the food you are cooking, such as All-American Pressure Cooker Canner. This is necessary in order to maintain the proper cooking elements, ensuring that your food cooks perfectly every time. Next, you have to consider the material that's used to manufacture the cooker. They are made with either aluminum or stainless steel, with pros and cons to each material. Aluminum is lightweight and low cost. It also provides uniform heating performance. If you use your aluminum cooker frequently, it will begin to pit and stain. While this in no way affects the performance, it's good to know. Stainless steel will hold up a lot better, but its not the best when it comes to conducting heat. If you choose a stainless steel cooker, choose one that features an aluminum disc on the outside bottom. There are many pressure cookers to choose from, allowing you to find one that includes the features you want and won't cost an arm and a leg.

Wilhelmina Mayle writes and educates his readers about the All-American Pressure Cooker Canner. Visit his site to learn more about All-American Cooker.

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The Lazy Man's Way in Home Canning Basics

Home canning is the process of preserving food. Let's start from the basics first and down to last. If you've never done canning because you think it's too complicated, fear no more for all home canning basics are simple and easy to do. In beginners like you, familiarize yourself with home canning like different tools and equipments, different canning methods, tips and advises and precautions. All of these are important to be successful. Focus and learn these basics first before proceeding to the main step, canning.

Home canning basics have two common methods of canning, the water bath canning and pressure canning. In doing this methods in canning, they have the same tools needed like measuring cups and spoons, lid wand, jar lifters, canning jars, lids and bands, funnel, rubber spatula and mixing bowls. They only differ in canners, water bath canners and pressurized canners. All tools and equipments must be clean, dry and sterilized. This is to prevent certain micro organisms to survive. Most of the tools used are seen in your kitchen, so you will have no problem in providing these materials for canning.

Familiarizing yourself with different kinds of foods that are suitable for different canning methods is another thing to remember. In water bath canning, foods that are high in acids can undergo this process while foods low in acids can undergo pressure canning. High acid foods are mostly fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and figs while low acid foods are mostly meat and vegetables like carrot, peas, corn, beans and beets. These foods are best in canning. Knowing what kind of foods suits best when canned is very important in providing nutritious foods. Knowing also these can safety in the food we are eating.

Now you know all these home canning basics it will never be hard for you to begin your canning and preserving process. All details are explained to you carefully and clearly. You can now begin with the main process in canning. The benefits of home canning is very useful to us for providing food anytime we want even if the food is out of season. Begin spreading the good news in home canning for it is the real saviour in our life.

Victoria Stewart is a home canning and preserving food expert. Learn How You Can Effortlessly Can and Preserve Your Own Food, In Your Own Home - And Save HUNDREDS Of Dollars Each Year!

Discover more information about home canning basics, visit http://www.guidetohomecanning.com.

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Introduction to Canning

There are two basic methods of canning: water bath canning and pressure canning. Water bath canning requires no special equipment and is a good method for preserving fruits and foods with a high acidity, such as tomatoes and pickled products. Pressure canning is better suited for foods that have a low or neutral acidity, meats, and prepared foods.

To preserve food using a water bath canner, you will need glass jars, lids, rings, and a large pot of boiling water. There are special pots available specifically for water bath canning that have a removable rack for inserting and removing jars from the boiling water. The jars used should be made of glass and sterilized prior to use. The lids should be heated in very hot water until the glue softens to ensure a good seal.

Whatever food you are planning to can should be prepared (peeled, cut, etc.) and a packing liquid should be heated to the boiling point. The prepared food is then placed into the sterile jars, and the jars are filled with the hot packing liquid. Use the back of a spoon to remove any air bubbles and add more packing liquid if necessary. The jars should be filled to approximately ?" of the top of the jar, which is usually where the lid threads begin.

Once the jars are filled, carefully wipe the rims with a clean cloth, and place a lid on top of each jar. Use the lid rings to hand-tighten the lids down on the jars. Place the jars into the boiling water bath and begin timing once the water returns to a boil. The time that you will need to boil (or process) the jars depends on the type of food you are preserving. The recipe you use will have this information.

When the jars have boiled for the amount of time listed in your recipe, remove the jars from the canner with tongs. Place them on a towel in a location free of drafts and temperature changes and allow them to rest for 12 hours or until cool. You may hear popping sounds during this time as the lids seal.

Pressure canning is similar to water bath canning, in that you pack the jars in the same method. However, instead of placing them into a pot of hot water, you place them into a pressure canner. Once the canner is pressurized (you will hear the pressure gauge jiggle), begin timing. It is important that you use the right amount of pressure for the type of food you are trying to preserve, otherwise spoilage can occur.

Once the jars have cooked for the time listed on your recipe, turn the heat off under the canner. Allow it to rest undisturbed while it cools. Once the canner is cool and you can safely remove the lid, remove the jars to a place where they can cool undisturbed.

Whether or not you've used the water bath method or the pressure method, you'll want to check the seal of your jars once they have cooled. To do this, simply press one fining in the center of the lid. If you hear a popping sound, the jars have not sealed. Discard the contents immediately. If there is no popping sound, the jars have sealed and are safe to be stored. At this time you may also remove the ring, though many people choose not to so they don't lose them. Write the contents and date on the jar. Feel free to write directly on the lids, as you will discard those after opening the jar.

I am an experienced home canner. Check out my newest site How To Canning. Learn the truth about canning - myths and facts revealed!

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Canning Food for Long Term Food Storage

Long term food storage is very important in urban homesteading today. After a successful season, the homesteader is wise to preserve their harvest. They worked hard and planted extra so as to supply their needs beyond just the summer harvest, and need to be prepared to preserve the fruits of their labor.

There are a few options for food storage, such as dehydration or freezing, but the long term food storage method for today's discussion is canning food. Canning food can be done to store the fruit or vegetable itself, such as peaches or tomatoes, or it can be done for creating staples from recipes like a peach jelly, or tomato paste.

Home canning has been done for ages. The basic principle of canning, for food safety, is to expose the food to a high temperature, that will stop decay and bacteria in the food. Sterile, airtight containers, generally glass jars with removable seals and ringed bands, are used to package the food, and then they are exposed to a high temperature, either through pressure canning or using a water bath canner.

While many foods can be safely canned in a water bath, those with a lower acidity are the exception, and should be preserved by using the pressure canning method. Many vegetables, like corn, carrots, squash, beans, mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, and asparagus have a lower acidity and should be pressure canned. Meats should also be pressure canned.

A general rule of thumb, higher acidity foods can be preserved in using water bath canning, and lower acidity foods should be preserved using a pressure canning. Specifically, foods above 4.5 pH may be safely canned in a water bath canner at 212 F. Foods below 4.5 ph need to be processed using a pressure canner at 250 F or higher.

Whether you are using a water bath or a pressure canner, a rack is needed to keep the jars off the bottom of the canner. Glass heats more slowly than metal and jars are more liable to crack as a result.

There is great information all over the web and in books that can be helpful resources for long term food storage. Things like a pH chart of commonly canned foods, and information about why foods spoil, botulism, and various methods of preserving food including canning, pressure cooking, freezing, drying, root-cellaring, and curing.

http://www.urbanhomesteadingtoday.com is a website that is focused on urban homesteading today and the topics relevant to how to develop your own homestead. It is a place where you can join the journey, and learn to become more self reliant and less dependent on our currently over taxed support systems.

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Canning That Wonderful Bacon

Can you remember the first time you awoke in the morning to mom's fresh cooked bacon? Imagine the aroma of fresh fried bacon wafting through your home.

Now suppose that in an emergency you no longer have the opportunity to stand at your stove and flip the bacon with your spatula as you have done so happily in the past. In the event of an emergency situation this may very well be the case. Fresh bacon could become a thing of the past until such time as the infrastructure gets itself back on the proper tracks again.

What I would like to do in this article is to explain to you how you can continue to enjoy this wonderful pork product even though we may be existing in emergency conditions. It is not difficult to can bacon for just such times as those. Here are some simple ways to accomplish the task.

You can jar bacon by simply processing it as you would any other type of pork meat. In fact the presto canner manual lists a recipe for which you can readily can this product. The formula that I am presenting to you will safely jar one pound of bacon into a quart container with no difficulty at all.

Simply wrap your bacon strips in plastic wrap and place it into a jar with no liquid added at all. Clean the edges of the jar from any excess grease along the tops. Boil the jar lids and place on the jars with the rings. your lids and place on top with rings. Place the jars in your Pressure cooker for the amount of time and pressure listed in the list below. Remember use your pressure canner and NOT your water bath.

Pint jars should be processed for 75 minutes while quarts should be given 90 minutes to process.

Up to 2000 feet use 11 lbs of pressure

From 2001 to 4000 feet use 12 lbs. of pressure

From 4001 to 6000 feet use 13 lbs. of pressure

From 6001 to 8000 feet use 14 lbs. of pressure

I like to use quart jars which I process for 90 minutes at 13 lbs. of pressure, however for the sake of safety I usually add an extra 10 minutes and process them at slightly above the 13 lbs of pressure. They nearly always shrink to approximately a half of jar.

Once again I would like to stress that you should never process any meats in a water bath canner. They should always be accomplished in a pressure cooker.

When you decide to use the contents of your jar merely open the jar and take them out. Place the bacon on a pan in order to warm them up and to make them a bit on the crispy side. The juice from your bacon could be used for making a gravy to spread over biscuits should you so desire or you can add a bit of water to make a broth that can be used to make bacon soup or beans and ham.

Bacon continues to be favorite breakfast accessory food. The United States continues to produce over two billion pounds annually of this tasty product. In case you did not know bacon is produced from pork bellies and defined generally as smoked and cured pork. It matters not whether you use your bacon as a BLT, or possibly with your morning eggs or even sprinkled upon your green salad in the evenings, the fact remains that bacon is loved by all.

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2008 Joseph Parish

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info

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Equipping the Homestead - Homesteading Supplies for the Kitchen

If you're just getting started building a homestead, there are some homesteading supplies for the kitchen you may want to put on your list. Just like in any kitchen, plates, bowls, glasses, cutlery, a knife set et al are still going to be used. But there are some additional items that are used in the process of cooking and food storage that you will find valuable. Some of the items you may already have and use, and some you may not.

For cooking and baking, having non electric hand tools will be invaluable in the event of power outage. Some hand tools for your list are a can opener, hand beater (think egg beater), grain mill (useful for coffee as well as grains), manual meat grinder, juicer, rolling pin, grater, potato masher, strainer, wire whisk, non-electric yogurt maker, bread toaster, knife sharpener, potato peeler, nut chopper, garlic press, and a flour sifter. This is not an inclusive list, but will get you started.

Having the ability to prepare and cook your own food under any circumstances is invaluable. Containers for cooking that will last and be usable with or without electricity would include, but not be limited to, cast iron pots and pans, a dutch oven, a solar oven, a stock pot, crockery or enamel ware, stainless steel and ceramic bowls, a roasting pan, cooling racks, broiler pan, cast iron teapot, and a stove top coffee percolator.

Preserving the food you have, especially from your own garden, is a critical element to homesteading and one for which there are more homesteading supplies needed. One way to preserve food is to dehydrate it. A good electric dehydrator will help you preserve a lot of food fairly quickly, but it would also be wise to have a non electric dehydration method just in case. Canning is another excellent way to preserve the bounty of your garden. There are two basic method for canning, water bath and pressure. A pressure cooker/canner is an essential element to canning and is necessary for low acid foods and meats. If you had to only have one way to can, pressure canning would be it since you are able to can all kinds of food in a pressure canner.

A water bath canner is also good, it is inexpensive and useful, just cannot be used for all types of canning. Aside from a pressure canner and a water bath canner additional canning supplies include jars, lids, jar top funnels, cooling racks, jar tongs, and a pressure gauge.

As mentioned, it is entirely possible that you already have some of these items, but making yourself a shopping list would be a good step to fully equipping your homestead kitchen.

http://www.urbanhomesteadingtoday.com is a website that is focused on urban homesteading and the topics relevant to how to develop your own homestead. It is a place where you can join the journey, and learn to become more self reliant and less dependent on our currently over taxed support systems.

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Cuisinart Pressure Cooker - Your Choice About Cuisnart Pressure Cooker

Have you ever already been curious by simply canning? Canning will be a terrific way to make your refined meals in your house that you can preserve along with take at a later date. A number of the sorts of things that will be scripted include fruits, greens and also meats. Spend some time searching on the internet there are 1000s of outlets with a lot of different canners. So how carry out these types of canning machines perform? In case you are curious about canning and wished to get started creating your own refined meals, after that the ideal thing you can do can be find out a little bit about how canners, where did they work and also what the best kind of canner currently available can be. This may ensure that you recognize what you're looking at prior to you may almost any buy.

Canners have got advanced significantly over the years. The majority of canners that you can purchase right now are incredibly light; this can be attributed to the way they are usually constructed. Most canners currently are manufactured from sometimes light weight aluminum or stainless. While there are numerous makes of canners on the market they all keep to the exact same standard style principles. The majority of canners have a very lid that's sprained on as well as come with a gasket. Not all canners stick to this particular brand-new design and there is still one or two brands that follow the standard design of utilizing screw-down crazy that happen to be put around the ends from the cover as well as hold the idea in position. Within the canner you will usually come across racks which can be removed in addition to a weight vent out slot and safety in-take. Any force measure possibly by means of a simple dial or possibly a weighted evaluate make it possible for you to definitely have in mind the force within the canner. Many canners hold 1 layer regarding quart containers as well as two afterwards regarding pint or even more compact jugs.

Drinking water shower canners are incredibly popular amongst beginners, but the more capable as well as advanced users prefer to use strain canners. Most significant attributes of force canners is the jugs usually are not absolutely covered within normal water. Strain canners enable you too many large quantities are generally cisterns simultaneously and also given that they are able to accomplish really substantial conditions, there's almost nothing that cannot be processed. All kinds of fruit, greens as well as beef might be scripted by way of a pressure canner. The negative effects are these kinds of canners require a tad bit more expertise knowledge to use. You'll have to make certain you have got properly venting the much oxygen through the canner and maintain the actual canner in the essential level of strain to the required time-frame to make sure that just about all germs inside the foods you've got refined is murdered and safe and sound to eat at a later time.

With luck, today you've got a much better idea of precisely what canners are usually, the way they function as well as what the best kind of canner can be. Newcomers should commence with merely a water canner right up until they feel that they're more comfortable with the whole process of producing processed foodstuff. Once you have more experience beneath your buckle, consider making the actual proceed to sometimes a water as well as force canner to take pleasure from a chance to can any very much bigger selection of foodstuff.

All American pressure canner.

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Smart Pressure Cooker - Smart Chef

Forget whatever horror stories you heard about your grandmother's pressure cooker. For time saving, flavor and nutrition no cooking method beats today's safe and reliable pressure cookers. You can get home at 7:00 and have a complete, fresh, homecooked meal on the table by 7:30 or even earlier. Put those soggy, bland microwave meals behind you, and get ready to accept the adulation of your adoring family.

Here is how a pressure cooker works its magic. The cover or lid locks in place creating a closed system at a standard 15 pounds of pressure. At this pressure water boils at 257 degrees F instead of the usual 212 degrees F. The higher temperature cooks the food faster. About three times faster than regular stove top cooking methods. Small to medium-sized potatoes cook in five minutes, and a whole "roast" chicken dinner cooks in only twenty minutes. All foods, vegetables in particular, keep their color and their flavor. Nutrients stay trapped in the pot instead of dissipating in a cloud of steam.

For family use the Kuhn Rikon 7 liter stainless steel pressure cooker is the gold standard. An aluminum disk in the base, sandwiched by stainless steel, cooks evenly on gas, electric, ceramic and induction stovetops. That old, dancing pressure valve that scared the beejezus out of your grandmother is replaced with modern safety features that quietly regulate pressure and keep the lid safely locked while the contents are pressurized.

Presto pressure cookers have been around for a long time and offer a variety of different sized stainless steel and aluminum pots. Professional chefs prefer a stainless pressure cooker because it is nonreactive and can be safely cleaned in a dishwasher, but aluminum is also a good choice if weight is a consideration. You want heat resistant double handles, one on each side of the pot, in every case. A 6 quart pressure cooker is minimum family size. Go larger if you will use it as a canner.

You are better off sticking with a name brand manufacturer even when price is your primary consideration. Quality control is likely to be better but more importantly you want to be able to get replacement parts when you need them five or ten years from now. Valves get lost. Gaskets wear out or get damaged. A loose fitting lid doesn't affect your stock pot but it will put your pressure cooker out of business.

Many models come with useful accessories like racks, trivets or vegetable steamers which keep food from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Most chefs brown meats before attaching the lid so sticking does occur. You may still want to avoid nonstick interiors, however. The occasional inconvenience of a little extra cleaning far outweighs the risk of a pitted or peeling interior coating. Nonstick interiors are less of a potential problem with electric pressure cookers.

Cuisinart makes a programmable electric pressure cooker worth considering. Priced between the Presto and the Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker its push-button controls and digital display make an attractive package. The Cuisnart can be programmed for high or low pressure cooking, browning, simmering, sauteing or warming. And you got to admit that an electronic thermostat is more foolproof than setting a stovetop control to a precise position. You do give up some flexibility, however, because you can't open the lid until the cooker says you can. With the stove top models you can instantly drop the pressure and open the lid by putting the unit under cold water.

Dozens of specialized pressure cooking recipe books are available.

Stovetop or electric, a modern pressure cooker [http://kitchenamerican.com/cookware/pressure-cooker.htm] is essential cookware for the well equipped American kitchen [http://kitchenamerican.com/].

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How to Safely Preserve Food With Home Canning

With people awakening to the importance of their local food supplies, home preservation of food, primarily with home canning, is getting popular again. Home canning helps people store more of their local foods and allows them to enjoy superior quality, especially when compared to supermarket food, which can, quite honestly, be from anywhere.

When the growing season is going gangbusters in your area, you can affordably save the bounty of gardens and farms and enjoy the food for up to a year. Instead of buying one little basket of strawberries at the roadside stand, get the whole flat and make jam. For about the same price as buying jam at a store, you will get a superior product that tastes wonderful. 

 

Convincing people of the benefits of home canning is usually not difficult, but the process of preserving food does intimidate people. They worry they won't do it right and food poison their families. But I can assure you that, as long as you follow the directions, your preserved food will be safe and delicious.

 

There are two primary methods for canning: A boiling water bath and the pressure canner. All beginners should start with the boiling water bath method. If you never work your way up to using a pressure canner, that's fine. You can put up many kinds of fruits, jams, relishes, and preserves with just the boiling water method.

 

How do I know which canning method to use?

 

The type of food you wish to preserve determines which canning method you use. Foods that are high acid can all be preserved with a boiling water bath. This is because the acidic chemical composition of the food makes it a poor environment for the bacterium Clostridium botulinum to grow. This bacterium is the source of the deadly botulism toxin. With the concern about botulism mostly absent from high acid foods, the temperatures achieved within a boiling water bath are sufficient to destroy other bacteria and mold spores that may be present.

 

High acid foods are fruits like apples, peaches, berries of all kinds, cherries, pears, apricots, plums, and so forth.

 

For foods with a low acid or nonacid chemical composition, the Clostridium botulinum bacterium and its toxins can grow and even thrive. Therefore, you must preserve such foods in the higher temperatures of a pressure canner that can destroy botulism toxins.

 

Low acid foods are fish, poultry, meat, and most vegetables like potatoes, carrots, corn, peas, peppers, cucumbers and so forth.

 

Although vegetables are low acid and must be preserved in a pressure canner, you can preserve them in a boiling water bath by pickling the food. Pickling involves using a vinegar solution that boosts the acidity of the food. This is why cucumbers and other vegetables can be pickled and canned with a boiling water bath. Pickled products are perfectly safe when processed in a boiling water bath.

 

What about canning tomatoes?

 

Tomatoes are a borderline fruit that possess some acidity but are not quite a high acid food. Tomatoes can be canned safely in a boiling water bath with a little vinegar added. I have successfully canned tomatoes in a boiling water bath, and they were fine. However, the pressure canner does a superior job with tomatoes. The vinegar step can be skipped, and the preserved tomatoes come out with better color and nutrition when processed in the pressure canner.

 

If you are interested in canning, I recommend starting with the boiling water bath. The big kettle and rack can be purchased for roughly $20 at almost any discount store or grocery. Making jam is a great beginner project. The little boxes of powdered fruit pectin available everywhere the canning jars are sold contain many recipes for jams and jellies along with canning directions.

I am a self taught home canner, and I warn you that it is an addictive hobby. The food you preserve will taste so much better than canned goods from the store. My online canning resource is Canning Local found at http://canning.falbepublishing.com

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Making the Most of Our Own Garden Produce

There's nothing like a nice, ripe, delicious apple freshly picked from the tree, although the same might be said of garden fresh peas or a crisp, healthy carrot newly plucked from its earthen home.

But why, then, do we allow those apples to fall from the tree and rot upon the ground? Why do we go to the trouble of picking all of those great looking, red, ripe tomatoes only to allow them to slowly spoil as they sit in baskets and pails carefully placed in kitchen or pantry? The standard answer is "too much crop and too little time."

"When we can't even give them away to family and friends," we ask ourselves, "what else can we do?"

Food storage might be an answer to that. Unfortunately, it takes a long, long time to cut, peel and prepare fruits and vegetables for canning, freezing or dehydrating; and that can be time that we don't have.

The thing is, that time can be lessened. The old, wringer washers probably got clothes just as clean as do the new automatic washers, but who would willingly trade an automatic washer for those old, labor intensive machines even if those old appliances involved some initial cost savings? Similarly, cutting, dicing and peeling doesn't all have to be done by hand. There is a wide choice of tools and appliances to make those jobs much, much easier, and considerably quicker.

Pressure canners cut down on time, and are environmentally friendly. The right juicer, used when needed, can end the rotting of apples upon the ground. The combination of a good blender and the right food dehydrator can have you making your own fruit leather and other snacks. It may be just a matter of doing some checking, choosing appropriately, and investing wisely in order for you to "waste not" and "want not" without crashing into that wall of "too little time."

Even though you may have to open the pocketbook a little to get started, food storage really is a way of saving money by cutting down on grocery bills, and who would not want to do that in times of tight money and uncertain jobs? Food storage done wisely can also be much easier than what many envision.

The author of this article is the webmaster for http://www.storeitfoods.com, a site providing tools and tips for those interested in a home, food storage program.

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Instructions For Canning Green Beans

Learning to can your own green beans at home is a simple process. It just needs to be taken one step at a time. I have listed the entire canning process step by step. Once you open your first jar of home canned green beans, you will never want to taste another bean from a store. Home canned green beans taste so much better.

Green beans must be canned in a pressure canner. It is not safe to try canning green beans in a hot water bath. They may not be safe to eat. Only foods high in acid are safe for canning using the hot water bath method. You can use a pressure canner with a weighted gauge or a dial gauge.

Prepare the Beans- Choose fresh, young beans for canning. You will need to string the beans if you aren't using a stringless bean variety. Snap over a small portion of one end of the bean, then pull the end and string downward until the string pulls off. Turn the bean over and repeat on the other end. If you are canning a stringless variety, just snap off each end of the beans. As you are snapping or stringing the beans, remove any sections that show rust or bug bites. Break the beans in half or into pieces about 2" long.

Wash the beans thoroughly in hot water. Drain and rinse the beans with cold water. Let drain again.

Prepare the Jars- You can use pint or quart jars for canning green beans. Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Since you are using a pressure canner, you don't have to sterilize the jars. Be sure to check the jar rims for any chips or flaws. Only use jars with smooth rims. Keep the jars in hot water until ready to use. You can put hot water in your pressure canner and let it simmer with the jars in it.

Choosing Bands and Lids- Choose screw bands that aren't dented or rusted. Use only new lids for canning. Don't try to reuse an old lid. Simmer the lids in hot water until you are ready to place them on the jars. Be sure not to boil the lids as it can ruin the rubber gasket around the outside of the lid.

Filling the Jars- Pack each jar loosely with beans leaving 1" headspace. Add 1 teaspoon canning salt to quarts or 1/2 teaspoon canning salt to pints, if desired. It isn't necessary but does help flavor the beans. Fill the jars with boiling water to cover the beans, again leaving 1" headspace. It's easiest to pour the boiling water into the jars if you have a canning funnel. If not, set the jar in hot water before you try pouring in the boiling water. Never try to hold the jar in your hand.

Remove any Bubbles- Air can become trapped between the beans. Run a knife down the inside of the jars. This will force bubbles to come to the top.

Prepare to Put Lids and Bands in Place- Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean cloth to remove any foreign matter from the rims. Anything between the rims and lids may cause the lids not to seal. One at a time, place a hot lid on each jar and immediately screw a band in place. Tighten firmly, but do not over tighten.

Pressure Canning the Beans- Make sure your canner has 3 or 4 inches of hot water in it. It's best to follow the instruction manual for your canner if you have one. Set each jar into the pressure canner. Make sure the jars aren't touching the sides. If your canner has a rack, be sure to use it. If it doesn't have a rack, place several thicknesses of cotton towels in the bottom of the canner before adding the jars. You never want to allow the jars to touch the bottom of the canner or they will break while cooking.

Dial Gauge Process Time- Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes at 11 pounds of pressure if using a dial gauge canner.

Weighted Gauge Process Time- Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure if using a weighted gauge canner.

Remove and Cool Jars- Allow the pressure of the canner to drop completely before opening the lid! Otherwise you could get seriously scalded. Carefully remove each jar and place on a rack or thick towel to cool. Do not twist or tighten the bands. Allow the jars to cool completely before testing the seals. Once jars are cool, press down on the center of each lid. If the center of the lid is already down, it has sealed. If it is up and you are able to push it down, the seal failed. You can re-process failed jars by using a new lid and putting it through the canning process again. It's easiest to refrigerate any jars that didn't seal and use them within a few days time.

Once the jars have cooled and the seals have proved good, you can remove the rings and use them again. A little shortening or oil wiped around the inside of the bands will help keep them from rusting during storage.

K. Hupp enjoys cooking and gardening. Visit her Cuisinart Stand Mixer website to find the best deals on a Stainless Cuisinart Mixer.

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Canning Start-Up Costs

Canning is such a great way to preserve the produce you worked so hard at growing. It is also great because you can have organic jars of produce made much cheaper than it would cost to them buy at the store. When starting your canning adventure it is good to know how much it will cost to start canning. As with anything else, you can try and be frugal or you can go all out and spend a ton of money.

The first item you will need is a canner. The type of food that you plan to can will affect which type of canner you will need. Water bath canners are able to process high acid foods such as jams, jellies, pickles, spreads, etc. A pressure canner is needed to process low acid foods such as meats and vegetables. Tomatoes are an example of one food that you can use either method. Many times if it is a food you can water bath can, then the recipe also gives processing times for pressure canning.

You are able to purchase an actual water bath canner, but in all actuality it is a large pot with a rack on the bottom. I personally just use a large pot that I already had and got a rack for the bottom. This was before I had a pressure canner. After I had the pressure canner, I realized that the rack from that would fit into the bottom of my big pot so I could use that rack for either canner. If you would like to buy a new water bath canner, you can find them for $20 and up. If you just need the rack, those can be purchased for around $10.

Pressure canning is different. You must have an actual pressure canner or pressure cooker canner. A new pressure canner will cost anywhere between $80 - $500 depending on the size and brand. They can also be found used. Replacement parts are easy to come by so buying a used pressure canner is a great way to save money. A new seal is around $9 and a new gauge is around $15, depending on what brand of canner you have. It is always a good idea to have used pressure canners tested, which can usually be done by the local county extension office for free. They will let you know if your gauge needs to be replaced. I'm the frugal type, so I got my mom's old canner for free, replaced the seal and gauge and was ready to can for about $20.

Jars are another essential part to canning. Since I was trying to save money, I looked for ways to get jars for cheap. I was surprised that when I started to mention to people that I was going to can, they said they had old jars they wanted to get rid of. The majority of my jars are ones that people gave me for free. You can also look for used jars on Craigslist, garage sales and second hand stores. Many times stores will have sales on their jars, so if you watch closely you may be able to hit a sale. One type of jar that I did not get from anyone was half pints. I purchased a 12 pack of half pint jars from Wal-Mart on sale for $6. If you start looking at larger jars like quart-sized, a 12 pack will be around $20.

Along with your jars you will need bands and lids. You will be able to reuse the bands from year to year, but you will need new lids each time as they are not reusable. A box of 12 lids is around $3, or a box of 12 lids with 12 bands is around $7. Most times if you have purchased new jars, the jars come with lids and bands.

There are canning tools that are helpful to have. A canning funnel, jar lifter, bubble remover/headspace tool and lid lifter. A package of all of these tools is around $ 10. While these tools are nice, they are not necessary. The two that help the most are the canning funnel because it is the perfect size to fit into the top of jars; and the jar lifter because it just makes getting hot jars out of the canner much easier. However, you can use a funnel you already have and tongs. I would highly recommend you get the jar lifter though. As for the bubble remover, you can just use the handle from a rubber spatula. Instead of a lid lifter, you can use tongs.

The beauty of canning is that you can reuse the canner and jars over and over. The initial investment will cost you some money, but then year after year you won't have to buy much. The only things you will have to buy new each time are lids. Remember, if you are concerned about the initial investment cost, ask around and see if anyone has a used canner or old jars they are looking to get rid of. It is very possible to start canning for very little money.

Like I said before, I got my pressure canner passed down to me from my mother. These helped a ton on the initial start-up costs for my canning adventure.

I also did a lot of research to figure out the difference between a pressure cooker canner and water bath canning. Articles like this one I made helped alot in the beginning.

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The Handy Presto Pressure Cooker

Presto is one of the well-known makers of pressure cookers. They began to manufacture commercial cookers in 1905 in the state of Wisconsin. Several years later, they began to make family size cookers. The Presto Pressure Cooker is a kitchen tool that will save you energy, time and money.

Presto manufactures cookers in 4, 6, 8, 10, 16 and 23 quart sizes. The two smallest sizes only have one pressure setting, while the others have multiple settings. They preserve the nutrients and flavor of the food, and they can tenderize the toughest cuts of meat.

They can save you money in three basic ways. These presto cookers can cook your meal four to ten times faster than normal stove or oven cooking. Because they tenderize the meat that is cooked in them, you can buy cheaper, tougher cuts of meat to use for your meals. You can conserve your summer vegetables so you don't have to buy them from the store in the winter time.

Presto has two large cookers that are considered pressure canners. These are the 16 and 23 quart sizes. They are heavy duty canners that can take the hard work of a summer long canning job. They are made in both stainless steel and aluminum.

Canning with a pressure cooker is the only safe method of conserving meat, vegetables and fish. The cooker can also serve as a water bath canner when you conserve pickles, relishes, jams, fruits and jellies. Both sizes of pressure canners come with a rack for canning and cooking and a recipe book to teach you exactly how to do it.

If you will be doing a large amount of canning during the summer, the 23 quart cooker, canner is the one you'll need. It can hold 24 half-pints, 20 pints or 7 quarts. The cooker isn't tall enough to stack the quart jars on top of each other.

The Presto pressure cooker is one of the most useful tools you can have in your kitchen. The fact that they save you money, time and energy makes them worth the cost. To top it all, Presto includes a 12 year warranty on all of their pressure cookers.

A Presto pressure cooker will save you loads of energy, time and money while churning out the most exquisite dishes that will even impress even the fussiest of Chef! More info now on http://www.stainlesssteelpressurecookers.org

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Frozen Turkey Converted to Near-Instant Dinner - A Love Story

Although this article is too late for your Thanksgiving Day preparations, there is yet hope for Christmas. My purpose for writing this is to illustrate how to cook a frozen turkey quickly. So I'll get right to it.

You will need:

1 Frozen Turkey (sized to fit a 22qt. pressure canner, about 12 lb.)

1 22qt. pressure canner

The process is simple. Take the frozen turkey out of the wrapper and place it in your pressure canner. There is usually a spacer included with your canner to hold items off the bottom of the pot. Please use it to forestall any problems with the turkey sticking to the bottom. Fill the pot with water until the bird is completely covered. Place this heavy thing on your stove and turn the heat to high. Bring this pot of water to a rapid boil.

While waiting (about 15 to 20 minutes), please review the instructions for using the pressure canner. These cooking instruments can be very dangerous if the proper procedures are not used. Once you are familiar with the use of your pot, you are advised to still be careful. Steam is very hot and it doesn't take long for it to burn you. Be very careful.

By now, the water should be boiling. Place the top on your pot and make sure it seals well by checking for leaking steam. Adjust as necessary. Once sealed, the pressure will start to build in the pot. My pot has a gauge on top that indicates the internal pressure. You need to be sure that your pot goes to at least 10 lb. of pressure, but 15 lb. psi is preferable. Once your pot reaches that pressure, the rocking weight will start to move. Monitor the pressure in your pot.

Once you have full pressure in your pot, start to time the cooking process. A frozen bird will be thawed and completely cooked in five or six minutes. After about 10 minutes you will have to pour the pieces out of your pot, so watch the time here. After 5 minutes, remove that heavy pot from your stove with extreme care. It is very hot and it's loaded with steam pressure. If it won't fit in your sink(mine does), place it on the floor and let it cool off for a while until the steam pressure drops off. I put mine in the sink and wait for a few minutes.

Once the pressure drops off to zero, carefully remove the top and you will have a fully cooked turkey in the pot. If it has a pop-up timer, that will be popped up to indicate that the bird is fully cooked. I recommend that you use a probe thermometer to double check the internal temperature of the meat. You should have a minimum of 165 degrees or more to be safe.

The down side is that, in the cooking process, the wing tips usually fall off because they are less thick than the body of the bird. They cook much faster, so the tips and the second joint of the wings are cooked longer than the rest. You are now ready to remove the bird from the pot. Extreme care must be used here. I begin by pouring the water out of the pot and save it in another pot for soup. Then the weight has dropped to just the weight of the bird and the pot. I carefully tip the bird into a roasting pan. At this point, I can begin to carve the bird for dinner or place it in the oven to brown a little. Before you do either, stop and remove the neck and the bag of internal organs that are left for giblets. They will come out easily now. When you have them out, the bird is ready to brown or to be eaten as is.

At this point, I recommend that you save the carcass after you carve up the bird. Place it in the water left over from the pot and boil it down for turkey soup. I place the neck and the giblets in too, but you might want to save yours for the gravy that is normally expected with a Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Please use proper care and caution when using a pressure cooker or canner. They are great tools to speed up the cooking process but they can be dangerous if used improperly. Read and follow all instructions carefully and then enjoy the results. Good eating!

Jim is a caveman, plain and simple. He belongs to another millennium but he is stuck here, so he tries to make the best of it. He is making the transition from the construction trade to a career as a writer and author. He has a good start and he will leave an indelible mark on the industry, or a stain, however you look at it. He has great hope and expectations for Humanity in general and Americans in particular. For example, how many Americans have walked on the moon? We have been given great promise and much is expected of us. Our founding fathers knew this and expected us to know it as well. So far, it looks as if we have.

Whenever you read an EzineArticle, always rate the article by using the appropriate link at the bottom of the article. It not only helps the author, but the EzineArticles organization as well. Feedback is important. We all want to evolve and that will help us all by showing where we can improve. We'll be mighty grateful.

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Pressure Cookers, Friend Or Foe?

In the past pressure cookers were considered to be on the dangerous side. Some would explode and cause fire or some nasty burns. Pressure cookers today are relatively safe when you know how to use them correctly. Food is placed inside the pot with a small amount of liquid. The lid is clamped shut as per the manufacturer instructions and placed over heat. As the heat rises so does the pressure in the pot because the steam and heat have no where to go as it does in conventional pots. If pressure gets dangerously high there is a little valve that will open or a weight that opens to release the steam and stops pressure from getting any higher. This allows for the food to be cooked with a higher temperature and not burn. Food cooks 70% faster in a pressure cooker than in a conventional pot.

Once time is up for cooking the pressure cooker should be removed from the heat but allowed to sit for awhile until the steam inside dissipates. Pressure cookers have a regulator that looks like a little valve or a weight that you can jiggle to let the steam out. Once no more steam comes from it you can safely unclamp the lid and remove it.

You may see some people put the pressure cooker under cold water and let it run for awhile. When you remove the cooker from the heat it still keeps cooking because the steam is still in the pressure cooker. Running it under cold water does the same thing that releasing the steam does. It stops the food from cooking which is something you want to do so it will not be over cooked. Even if you run the cooker under cold water you still have to release the steam before you open the lid.

There are some other benefits from using a pressure cooker. Since high temperatures are used any bacteria or germs that might be on the food do not survive the cooking. Also, vegetables retain their bright and healthy looking color when cooked in a pressure cooker. Tough meats will always be nice and tender after being cooked in a pressure cooker. Once you have released all the steam the lid should release easily. If it does not release then there must be a bit more pressure in the pot. Just wait a minute or two, release steam again and try to open. Always open the lid away from you just in case there is still pressure in the pot. This will ensure that food will not come flying out and burn you.

T-Fal Wearever make several pressure cookers that a good for the home cook. They have a 4 quart, 6 quart, 8 quart and 12 quart pressure cooker with prices that range from USD $35 for the smaller one to around USD $65 for the large one. They are made of aluminum, polished inside and natural outside, and they have one long locking handle made of hard wearing plastic. The 12 quart cooker has two locking handles at each side. They have a safety pressure valve and the sealing cover gasket is tight and safe. These may also go by the name of Mirro Pressure Cookers as well and the 12 quart can be used as a pressure canner during harvest season. They are all dishwasher safe and will not rust. These cookers have a safety feature that will not allow you to open the lid unless all of the pressure is released so there is no danger of every being burned. The gauge is easy to read and you will know when the desired pressure has been reached. There is usually a 10 year warranty on these cookers.

Another great cooker is the Megafesa USA 8 quart Super Fast Pressure Cooker that runs about USD $90. Because of the special base of this pot it cooks up to 3 times faster than most cookers of the same kind. It has three cooking levels including the traditional slow cooking at 6 psi, fast cooking at 9 psi, and a super quick cooking at 15 psi. The lid easily locks into place and will not open until all steam has been expelled. Other safety mechanisms are a valve, over pressure valve and a lid window with a safety edge. It is made of stainless steel and aluminum. It is suggested that this cooker should be hand washed instead of going into the dishwasher.

Pressure cookers are a good alternative to fast and nutritious cooking. They are also environmentally friendly because you are using less energy in order to cook and less time. Models made today are relatively safe for anyone to use because they cannot be opened unless all the pressure has been released. They are a great way to prepare a delicious and nourishing meal.

One man who can really help feel a buyer's kitchen cupboard with excellent cookware sets [http://www.cookwarecupboard.com/] and stock pots [http://www.cookwarecupboard.com/] is Michael Russell, the expert on the subject. Currently he is writing for the website that offers a large variety of cookware sets and stock pots.

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Learning Pressure Cooker Terms

So now you have your new pressure cooker and it looks pretty impressive. In fact it might be a little daunting at first glance. Maybe it would be useful to learn and understand pressure cooker terminology.

Be sure to read the manual that came with your cooker. There are some special directions for electric cookers and a high BTU stove, but the following explanations should apply to any pressure cooker you use on a standard stove either electric or gas.

Do not stir. This first term refers to the fact that some things like tomatoes tend to burn easily if over a high heat source. So many recipes will direct you to add them last and do not stir. Pressure cookers come to the correct pressure over high heat.

Lock the lid in place. It may seem silly to remind you of this, but you would be surprised at the number of people who put in the food, turn on the heat, set the lid on top and don't realize they have not locked the lid on. Pressure will not be attained if the lid is not locked. See your manual for instructions on how to do this.

Bring to high pressure. After you have put your ingredients in the pan, (don't forget the requisite amount of liquid) place it on the stove on a burner the same size or just a little smaller than the pan, but not bigger.

Turn the heat to high. It takes about 5 minutes for an average amount of food to come to high pressure, but if the pan if filled to the recommended limit it can take as long as 20 minutes.(Never fill the pan more than the recommended limit )This is especially true if you are using the pressure cooker to home can food. Time used to raise the pressure is not included in the cooking time in the recipes.

Reduce heat. After the correct pressure has been attained, lower the heat so that you maintain the pressure. This can be a little tricky as every stove is different and a little trial and error will let you know how much to lower the heat. I won't take long before you will just automatically lower it to the correct temp.

Quick release the pressure. This means just what it says, release the pressure quickly. This stops the cooking process and keeps things from being overcooked. The best way to do this is to put the pressure cooker under cold running water. DO NOT DO THIS WITH AN ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER. Using a fork or tongs move the pressure regulator gently to the side and release the steam. Be careful! Do not put your face over the pressure regulator, steam burns hurt!! When the pressure returned to normal you may open the cooker. This method is most often used with vegetables so as not to over cook them.

Natural pressure release. When a recipe calls for natural release it means turn off the heat and let the pressure come down on its own. This method is often used with meats to allow them to finish cooking after you turn off the heat. This usually takes about 10 minutes, but can take up to 25 minute. With a huge canner it can take an hour or more, but hopefully you will not be using that for dinner!!

These are some of the most common terms you will come across when using your pressure cooker. Be sure to read all the directions in the manual that comes with your cooker and you will soon have healthy meals for you family that save time and money and taste wonderful.

Nancy Toney has been using the pressure cooker for over 30 years and is happy to share her experience with you.

Check out her website [http://www.buypressurecookers.com]

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Canning Equipment - 7 Canning Supplies You Need For Home Canning

Many people may be wondering what canning supplies they will need to begin canning at home. Here are the most important canning supplies.

1. Canning jars - Make sure you get jars that are specially designed for canning. This will ensure the bands and lids fit properly to give you a proper seal and that they will not break under the heat and pressure of a pressure canner.

2. Boiling water canner - If you are canning acid foods such as jams, jellies, fruit and pickled foods you will want a boiling water canner. Make sure it has a canning rack inside along with a lid.

3. Pressure canner - All low acid foods like meats and most vegetables need to be canned in a pressure canner to ensure safe canning. If you plan on canning these types of foods a pressure canner is a must.

4. New lids and bands - Before you start canning always make sure you have enough brand new lids on hand. You do not want to reuse old lids because they will not seal properly. However, you can use bands from year to year. Just inspect the bands to make sure they screw on the jars properly and are not bent or corroded.

5. Jar lifter - A jar lifter is almost the most important piece of canning equipment. It is hard to replace a jar lifter for getting the canning jars out of the hot water.

6. Magnetic lid lifter - A magnetic lid lifter makes it easy to remove lids and bands from hot water when canning.

7. Wide mouth funnel - You may have a regular funnel already at home but a wide mouth funnel is irreplaceable. It sits down in the top of the jar and makes it easy to pour foods and hot liquids into the jar. It also helps keep food off the rim of the jar.

So, as you can see, these seven canning supplies are very important to have before you start your home canning. They will ensure safe and easy canning. 

And if you would like more information about canning and canning supplies please visit our website at [http://www.jrkfamilyoutdoors.com/canning] You can receive 18 free videos that answer many questions about home canning just by signing up for our newsletter.

By: Rhonda Percell - Wife, Mother of 3, and owner of JRK Family Outdoors

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Canning Hot Peppers Recipe

Do you have a plan to do any canning? Well, as we all know canning is a process of putting foods in cans or jars for preservation. And one example is the canning hot peppers recipe. And you can make it on your own if you have your equipments with you. Its easy. You only need to follow the directions carefully.

Today, many products are introduced to us by the different industries. And they are preserved inside the cans or jars. Not only the smoked foods are preserved but also they have the canning hot peppers recipe. The taste of this recipe is it depends on you whether you like it more hot or not. Then if you know what you like its up to you to add extra ingredients like chili powder or whatever ingredients you like. But first and foremost there are lots of things that you should know and reminded of. Like the things that are used in canning like a pressure canner (12 qt. capacity or more), canning jars and new lids and rings, a jar lifter that is used to pull the hot jars after processing and a canning funnel. And if you have all of the things in you then you can now start doing the recipe.

In preparing the canning hot peppers recipe you need the following ingredients such as 5 pounds ground beef, 2 cups chopped onions, 1 clove crushed garlic, 6 cups canned tomatoes and juice, oe cup chili powder, 1 oe tbsp. salt, 1 hot red pepper, chopped thinly and 1 tsp. Ground cumin seed. These are the following ingredients that are needed in making a hot pepper recipe. The ingredients that are listed above can be change whether you prefer adding a few extra cloves of garlic and another hot pepper but it depends upon on how hot the peppers are or what do you like most. And sometimes you can also add OE cup cider vinegar and quite a lot of ketchup using tablespoons and use 2 tsp. cumin instead for flavoring. By adding extra ingredients it helps a little bit to be hot.

Instructions for canning hot peppers recipe as follows:

1. In the bottom of a large pot, the ground beef, onions and garlic should be cook until brown. It should be drain so that the amount of fat will lessen. So that high fat cannot be included in cans because it has a tendency to cause higher proportion of jar seals thats why it fails during processing.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and reduce the heat when it boils. Continue cooking at about 20 minutes. Take away the floating fat.

3. In the meantime, prepare a pressure canner with a number of inches with boiling water. Place clean jars in the boiling water or maybe it can be washed in a dishwasher but if only your dishwasher has a sani-cycle, it is better.

4. Place the jar caps in hot water and get it when you are ready to use it.

5. Fill up the hot jars, one by one, should have at least 1 inch of headspace. Headspace is the amt. of space b/w the lid and the chili. Take away air bubbles from the mixture, if any, using a plastic knife or either a straw or it can be a plastic bubbler that is available from Ball.

6. Clean the rims of the jars with a dry paper towel so that they are perfectly clean for them to be seal well. Put the lid on and squeeze the ring until the point of resistance is met. Place the jar into the boiling water in the canner, and continue to fill up the remaining jars until all are used.

7. Place the lid on the canner but leave the faucet open or if you're using a weighted gauge canner, do not place the weight on for 10 min. It is necessary to vent a pressure canner so that there are no air pockets in the canner during processing. After 10 min. of venting close the faucet or position the weighted gauge. Don't begin timing until the gauge begins to rock 2-3 times a min., or if you are using a dial gauge canner, when the pressure comes up to 10 lbs.

8. Begin timing. Processing of pint jars is for 1 hour. 15 min. or qt. jars is for 1 hour. 30 min. long. If you are at a higher elevation than 2000 feet, check your USDA extension service about adjusting processing times for the elevation.

9. When the processing time has completed, let the pressure canner to cool for at least 30 min. and take away the weight gauge. After the pressure is at 0 pounds psi or (on dial gauge, or not steam escapes after the weight is removed), then it is the safety time to remove the lid. Face the lid away from you as it is removed. Be careful of the steam. Let jars sit at least 5 min. in the canner, then remove using the jar lifter to a draft-free place to cool and let it for at least 24 hrs. then remove the rings and wash jars. Test the lids by tapping gently with a metal spoon you will hear a ringing sound. And if you hear a dull sound from a jar that does not sound like the other, break the seal and put the jar in the refrigerator and use within a few days or reprocess it within 24 hrs. A new lid should be use.

Canning hot peppers recipe is very easy when you follow the instructions carefully. So try your home canning chili to serve your family anytime.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Canning Hot Peppers Recipe [http://hotandspicyfoodstoday.info/canning-hot-peppers-recipe], please visit Hot and Spicy Foods Today [http://hotandspicyfoodstoday.info] for current articles and discussions.

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Homemade Canning - The Home Canning Essential Equipment Checklist

Before beginning to can at home, it is important to have the right equipment on hand. There are two types of homemade canning: boiling water canning and high pressure canning. However, aside from the style of pans used for canning, the rest of the supplies are identical.

Essential Supplies Needed for Canning

The following are the supplies and equipment you will need to successfully can meats and produce at home:

Canning jars
Boiling canner
Pressure canner Or Dutch oven
Large kettle to pre-boil equipment in
Jar tongs
Proper canning jars
Canning lids
Lid rims
Wide mouth funnel
Food mill
Food sieve
Colander
Spoons
Heat proof rubber spatulas
Measuring cups
Different sized bowls
Towels
Bakers cooling rack
Knives
Cutting board
Filtered water (preferably also distilled)
Food to can
Waterproof labels and label marker

Use the Right Kind of Canner

A boiling canner is used for high-acid foods such as fruits, jams, tomatoes, pickles, relishes, preserves, and tomato based salsa and sauces. High-acid foods only need to be brought up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of boiling water, for the specific time specified in the recipe.

A high-pressure canner is used for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, grains, noodles, and low acid sauces. These low-acid foods need to be brought to a temperature of 240 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for the time specified in the recipe.

With either type of canning, it is important to carefully follow the directions for the type of food being canned to ensure quality and food safety.

The Importance of the Right Jars and Lids

It is important to only use jars purchased for canning. Standard canning jars are tempered, and the mouth is specially threaded for canning at home. Do not reuse jars which originally housed store-bought foods, these are not tempered for the canning process and may crack or explode when boiled or pressure canned or even while being handled.

Use flat lids with screw bands made specifically for the brand of canning jars purchased. Do not reuse the flat lid part or reused jar lids from store-bought foods as these may not seal properly and will allow bacteria and spoilage of the food canned.

Carefully inspect the jars for chips or cracks, especially around the rim of the mouth and discard any cracked or chipped jars. Also, carefully inspect the lids for rust or damage and discard any lids with cracks in the rubber seal, a non-existent rubber seal, rust, dings or bends. These lids may not seal correctly and allow for food spoilage.

Other Canning Equipment Needed

When purchasing other canning equipment, use products that are made for home canning, especially when it comes to the pan inserts used to keep the jars upright and the tongs used to remove hot jars from the pans. Not having essential equipment can cause the jars to fall over during the canning process and get water in them. Not having the proper jar tongs can lead to burns or dropped and broken jars.

Other than purchasing replacement jars for broken or chipped jars and purchasing new flat-lids, the rest of the equipment is a one-time purchase and is really an investment. Once purchased, it can be reused multiple times.

Getting the proper equipment before beginning the homemade canning process is indeed a must to save time and money.

Want to learn how to preserve your own food through the home canning method?

With the costs of canned food rising, and the urge to be self-sufficient by growing, home canning is making a resurgence in today's society. Homemade canning is a most enjoyable experience to save money and eat healthier.

Learn how to can your food and get a fully illustrated e-Book of 120 recipes at http://homemadecanning.com.

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FAQ Home Canning - 4 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Home Canning

Here are the four most frequently asked questions about home canning.

Q. When do I need to use a pressure canner?

A. A pressure canner is needed when canning meats and vegetables. If you attempt to process meats and vegetables using the boiling water canner method you will not have a safe canned product. Pressure canner's are much safer to use now a days than in your Grandmother's generation. Follow the instructions before using or if you are still unsure of how to safely use on consider taking a class.

Q. When canning vegetables, do I have to add salt?

A. No, you do not need to add salt when canning vegetables. The use of salt is just a personal preference and is not used as a preservative.

Q. Do I need to use canning jars?

A. Yes, it is very important that you use jars designed for home canning. They will ensure a proper seal by the lids and bands fitting on them correctly. These jars will also with stand the pressure and the heat of a pressure canner. Once you have proper canning jars they can be reused year to year. Just remember to inspect them for chips and cracks before using any jar.

Q. Do I have to buy brand new lids each time?

A. Yes, brand new lids are imperative to achieving a good seal. Lids are one piece of canning equipment that you will want to avoid reusing. Canning jars and bands can be reused each canning season but lids cannot.

And if you would like more information about canning and canning supplies please visit our website at [http://www.jrkfamilyoutdoors.com/canning] You can receive 18 free videos that answer many questions about home canning just by signing up for our newsletter.

By: Rhonda Percell - Wife, Mother of 3, and owner of JRK Family Outdoors

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Canning Food Basics 101

The history of canning food begins back in 1809 when a French confectioner named Nicolas Francois Appert answered the challenge of the French newspaper Le Monde, who had offered a large sum of money to anyone who could invent an inexpensive and effective method of preserving large amounts of food.

Since huge armies of men during the Revolutionary War required large supplies of food on a regular basis, preservation was essential. Mr. Appert experimented and observed that when food was cooked inside a jar, it didn't spoil, unless of course, the seal was compromised. He wasn't able to give the scientific reasons behind why the food didn't spoil, but the fact that it worked was enough at the time.

Fragile glass containers posed a real challenge during transport, they were replaced with wrought-iron canisters (or as we know them, "cans"). Not only were cans less expensive and quicker to make, they were safer to transport.

The soldiers didn't have can openers, so they used what they had to open the cans, which was primarily their bayonets or a rock. The war actually ended before the canning process and the transport of the canned food could be perfected. In 1814, the factory Mr. Appert had built with the prize money he received from the contest, was burned down by Allied soldiers invading France.

In 1810, a gentleman by the name of Peter Durand patented a process of packaging food in sealed airtight wrought-iron cans by using Appert's methods which were already established. Tinned food was expensive for ordinary people to purchase since it took nearly six hours for the food to cook properly on top of the time it took for each can to be hand-made.

In 1812, the first American canning factory was established in New York City by Thomas Kensett. He utilized an improved version of the wrought-iron cans and preserved vegetables, meats, fruits and oysters.

By 1824, meats and stews which were produced using the method discovered by Mr. Appert, were taken to India by Sir William Edward Parry. Tinned food actually became a status symbol in Europe among middle-class households at that time.

By the 1860's, the canning process took less time, going from six hours to around thirty minutes. Many canning companies began to manufacture in greater quantities after the wars ended in the nineteenth century. They were able to sell their canned food to a wider audience as well.

In response to people in Britain during the Victorian era asking for good-quality food they could store in their pantry, companies such as Nestle and Heinz came on the scene with good-quality tinned food for stores to sell to the working class.

During the First World War, military commanders needed large quantities of inexpensive, yet high-calorie food, to feed their soldiers. The answer was tinned foodstuffs such as corned beef and pork and beans.

After the war, the companies who had supplied the tinned food to the soldiers significantly improved the quality of their goods and thus appealed to the civilian market.

The cans we know today are made from tin-coated steel and are used to transport vegetables, meats, fruits, seafood, and some dairy products.

Canning is a method by which food is preserved by sealing food in air-tight jars, cans or pouches, and then completing the process by heating the containers to a temperature of about 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This high temperature effectively destroys any contaminating microorganisms that could be possible health concerns or that would cause spoilage of the food item.

Those who are just beginning to can foods at home should start by canning high acid foods such as tomatoes or fruits. These foods are safely canned by using the boiling water bath method which sanitizes the food using high temperatures, not high pressure. This is the most basic way to preserve food and since it requires inexpensive equipment, it is a great place to start to learn the art of canning.

For canning with the boiling water bath method, you'll need a large covered water bath canner, a jar lifter, a wide mouth canning funnel, a non-metallic spatula or wooden spoon, a pair of rubber gloves, a clean dish cloth, a heavy dish towel, and of course, canning jars with lids and bands.

Some low acid foods can also be canned using the boiling water bath method since vinegar is used for pickling. Vegetables such as cucumbers, beets, and various beans are all good candidates for pickling. All other low acid foods such as vegetables, meats, dairy, poultry and seafood must be canned using both high temperature and pressure.

Today's pressure canners aren't anything like your grandmother's pressure cooker you may remember. Pressure canners are now lightweight, have thin-walled kettles, and most of them feature turn-on lids. They'll also have a removable jar rack, dial or weighted gauge, gasket, an automatic vent/cover lock, a steam vent (otherwise known as a vent port), and a safety fuse.

Once your tightly sealed, canned jars are cooled, label and date them and then store them in a cool, dry, dark place. Anyone who is willing to follow directions and try something new can master the art of canning.

Carl Copeland is motivated to bringing information and resources to others regarding Food Storage, Food Safety, and Food Preparation and its benefits for everyday life. Save money by having your food last longer. More Info at http://www.Food-Storage-Info.com/

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