16 August 2022 Processing Beans Carrots Beets

[Susan BBPM]

Presure canning is easy and safe, imo. The internet babble has destroyed a method for no good reason. I now never do water bath method. Hand blender and hand strainer has made presure canning practical and easy. The tools are not too expensive in NA.
Presto canner, butterfly strainer, Swiss hand blender, one large cooking pot, one liter jars, and you are inbusiness. And don't believe most manufacturers babble.

It's finding the large cooking pot in the UK! But I'm realizing my solution is simple - just buy half litre jars!! Much cheaper than buying a pot to fit my IL jars.

In the UK I think health and safety have warned people off due to the small risk of botulism if it's not done correctly. In the UK we need health warnings on bags of nuts to tell us 'this product may contain nuts' - I kid you not!!!

I'm very keen to get into it properly.

 

[Susan BBPM]

You really don't need to be. I was worried, but then I picked up a second hand one in a charity shop and realised that besides the regular valve on top that lets out the steam at the correct pressure there is a safety valve in case that fails. It blows out a rod in a rubber seating, so very simple that I don't think anything could go wrong with it, except maybe the rubber perishes and it blows too easily.

Oliver, I bought one several months ago. I'd saved my broad beans last year as dried beans planning to use them in chilli con carne etc. Then discovered that you need to boil them for hours to soften them. What with energy prices going up it's cheaper buying cans of kidney beans.

So, I got a pressure cooker. But haven't yet been brave enough to take it out of the box.

My mum had one years ago and I was terrified by all the hissing and banging that hers made. But I guess they've improved since then - that's going back nearly 50 years.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Then discovered that you need to boil them for hours to soften them.

Soak them in a solution of bicarbonate of soda first, then put a teaspoonful in when you boil them. It works with dried chick peas and should be good to cut cooking time down to something reasonable.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Soak them in a solution of bicarbonate of soda first, then put a teaspoonful in when you boil them. It works with dried chick peas and should be good to cut cooking time down to something reasonable.

A quick google search proves your assumption to be right!

This article claims studies have shown it reduces gas (farting) from eating beans, halves cooking time and improves texture.

Perfect. Thank you!!

https://www.eatingwell.com/article/292167/the-weird-reason-you-should-be-adding-baking-soda-to-your-beans/

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Sometimes it surprises me the things I know

 

[Durgan]

I haven't been able to find anything deep enough. Or at least, not for sale in the UK.
I've got 1L jars. The pans on sale here only seem to be big enough four 500ml jars.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRESTO-P...283603270716?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10

PRESTO PRESSURE CANNER AND COOKER 23-QUART Model 01781​

 

[skinyea]

Our guide to the Presto 23 Quart Pressure Canner 01781/4

Read our anatomy of the Presto 01781/4 Pressure Canner to discover what goes into making up this pressure canner.

pressurecanning.co.uk

this is the one you suggested I get. have been using it the last 3 years. love it.

 

[Durgan]

this is the one you suggested I get. have been using it the last 3 years. love it.

Great minds think alike.I love it too.

 

[skinyea]

Great minds think alike.I love it too.

you all are the great minds. I have learned alot from this site. thank you all

 

[Susan BBPM]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRESTO-P...283603270716?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10

PRESTO PRESSURE CANNER AND COOKER 23-QUART Model 01781​

Once again though - US seller. Postage and import charges bump the price up too much.

This is the problem. Anything canning related that IS sold in the UK (and you really struggle to find the pans) is massively expensive. Presumably because the UK seller has paid the import and shipping charges. I really resent paying more for shipping and import charges than the product costs!

The cheapest solution is a standard UK sized large pan and half litre jars.

I found one for sale in the UK - imported from the US. On Amazon.com it costs $89 (£73.96), on the Amazon.co.uk site it costs £186. So 61% of the cost is in shipping charges and import taxes. You can buy canning kits cheaply enough here, but they contain everything BUT the pot.

 

[skinyea]

Once again though - US seller. Postage and import charges bump the price up too much.

This is the problem. Anything canning related that IS sold in the UK (and you really struggle to find the pans) is massively expensive. Presumably because the UK seller has paid the import and shipping charges. I really resent paying more for shipping and import charges than the product costs!

The cheapest solution is a standard UK sized large pan and half litre jars.

I found one for sale in the UK - imported from the US. On Amazon.com it costs $89 (£73.96), on the Amazon.co.uk site it costs £186. So 61% of the cost is in shipping charges and import taxes. You can buy canning kits cheaply enough here, but they contain everything BUT the pot.

I would just move to the usa.

 

[Durgan]

Educate about pressure canning.

 

[Susan BBPM]

I would just move to the usa.

The crazy thing is that you can get canning books, canning jars, canning kits with all the funnels, tongs and the basket for lifting the jars out of the pan - all reasonably priced! But you simply cannot get big enough pans to use it with!!

 

[Susan BBPM]

Educate about pressure canning.

I jus did so and discovered that you can really only use water bath canning for high acid foods. Which at the moment is all I'm interested in, but I definitely would go for a pressure canner if they were more reasonably priced here. Maybe prices will come down, or maybe I'll get the bug and the price of importing will be worthwhile. Don't think I'm dismissing your advice - already I'm forming the sales pitch to my husband LOL

Anyway, I just went on to Amazon to search for some half litre kilner jars and lo and behold, I find a reasonably price canning pan!!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/McSunley-Induction-Canner-21-5-Silver/dp/B091DBC32X/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2N6U0JP4JI975&keywords=canning+equipment&qid=1660982575&sprefix=canning%2Caps%2C80&sr=8-12

 

[Oliver Buckle]

But you simply cannot get big enough pans to use it with!!

Is there an Indian community with a shop that sells cooking equipment anywhere near you? I have seen some great pans in the ones in Tooting.