Canning

Pressure Canning in the Instant Pot Max

July 21, 2022 -  Here is the evidence on whether or not we believe the Instant Pot Max is safe to use for pressure canning. We present scientific evidence to support our claim. Correction: The Presto digital canner has NOT been approved by the USDA. Their faked logo and disingenuous language..."meets USDA canning guidelines" is disappointing.

We do not sell or promote any products. Any products we mention or show on our videos have been purchased with our own money and are recommended or not based on our own experience. Here is the information on the logger. I purchased the HiTemp 140 logger with the 2" stem and no shield from Thermoworks in American Fork, Utah. You will also need the connection kit and a windows computer. The software is a free download from their site. Call and talk to them--they were very helpful--great customer service. https://www.thermoworks.com/hitemp140...

Pressure Canning Beef Stew

July 22, 2022 -  See safety note below! Beef Stew is a simple meal in a jar to pressure can. Use your favorite vegetables along with beef chunks and have a supply of these handy meals to use at a moment's notice. Use no thickening agent when canning beef stew. Rather, open the jar, drain the liquid into a pot and stir in 2 Tbsp flour and heat. When thickened, add the remaining contents from the jar and heat through. Delicious! Safety Note: Several of you have commented on my violating the recommended head space in this video. It is true. While I usually follow USDA guidelines to the letter in our videos, in this one, I slipped back to my usual practice. Headspace is all about physics and because I know physics, and because of over 50 years of canning experience, I know which foods I can pack a bit more of in jars. If you have any doubts about doing this yourself, then don't! The safest way to can is to follow the USDA recommendations.

Testing the Nesco Smart Canner

July 22, 2022 - We tested the Nesco Smart Canner for its safety in pressure canning four different foods: green beans, pinto beans, raw pack chicken, and spaghetti sauce with meat. We do not sell or promote any products. Any products we mention or show on our videos have been purchased with our own money and are recommended or not based on our own experience.

The Changing World of Pressure Canning

July 22, 2022 -

Concepts Principals for canning:

  • Know what not to can
  • Know about botulism
  • The importance of acidity of foods
  • The basics of water bath canning
  • The basics of pressure canning
  • Where to go to get good information

So many voices out there making one claim or another. So difficult to tell which voice is right. Where can we go for the right information and why is there so much turmoil right now? We discuss this paradigm shift we are currently experiencing in pressure canning equipment and what an inexperienced canner can do to find solid information. The 3 Primary Source Texts

  1.  USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Read free online: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/pu... Or buy complete booklet from Amazon or elsewhere: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide... - Straight to the PDF version: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE01_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf
  2. The New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/All-Ball-Book-...
  3. 3. Bernardin Home Preserving: https://www.bernardin.ca/EN/Products/...

Comparing the Presto Digital and Instant Pot Max for Pressure Canning

July 22, 2022 - We have done scientific testing on both these pots and found them safe for us to use at our elevation at 5000 FT. This video compares the pros and cons of both using a bit of science information to underscore our findings. IMPORTANT! We just did a follow-up video to this one on pressure canning ground beef in both of these canners. I also added some clarification about how the Presto Digital works. There is good news here about the Presto Digital! It will be released Saturday June 25th. Link to our Pressure Canning for Beginners video: https://youtu.be/3AjNM_wHx1M

How to Make Ghee

 


Ghee is a delicious form of clarified butter originating from India where it has been used in cooking for hundreds of years. The water and milk solids are removed making it healthier to eat. It is easy to make and if properly packaged, can be stored in a cool dark place for years without refrigeration. Note: We lost our video for about 90 seconds. Here is what happened during that time--After the butter reached the clarification stage, we turned the heat up to 7 and caramelized the sugars on the bottom of the pan. The video picks up again just as we had removed the pot from the heat.