More Canning help...

@ditch witch, okay, between you and BlueDuck, I am totally convinced and like I told BlueDuck, I don't mind paying for quality.

Question: Do you think that if I Pressure Can this soup that I can use my wife's fresh homemade noodles or will they turn to mush? I really don't want another disaster so if the answer is 'no' then its no. - Rick

 

I would think that if they're not dried they'll turn to mush. I mean, pressure canning is basically cooking the food. If you have meat in that soup you'll be running it for around 90 minutes at 250 F. Now think how long you have to cook pasta if you just toss it in boiling water which is around 212F. 11 minutes for dried is my timing. See how overcooked it'll get? I've had dried rice turn to a gluey mess in the jar when there wasn't enough liquid. If you use fresh pasta, all nice and soft, it's gonna disintegrate.

But you know, I've never done it with fresh pasta, just cooked, formerly dried pasta. So who knows? Can a jar with them and see. Worst case you have 1 jar that's crap. The dog will still eat it.

 

WOW! I just looked at an 'All American' Canner that holds 7-quarts jars (21.5 quarts): $236...you weren't kidding that they aren't cheap...but I suppose they would last forever...and you're right, it's looks like its build like a Sherman tank!

Amazon.com: All American 921 21-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner: Kitchen & Dining

 

One last question, and please remember that I am dumber than dirt on this subject...
But, I am looking at $90 Pressure Cooker/Canner and the All American for $236, both on Amazon and both look excellent with excellent reviews.

So what reasons can I use to justify an expenditure of paying $146 more for the All American? Cooks faster, heats more even...etc.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S88Z/?tag=survivalmonke-20
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BYCFU/?tag=survivalmonke-20

 

Safety. The All American does not use the gaskets. (Doesn't need them) as mentioned above, all the exploded pics you can find will be of ones like the presto. (Gasketed) also, gaskets wear out and will need to be replaced.

 

@kellory
"Safety. The All American does not use the gaskets. (Doesn't need them) as mentioned above, all the exploded pics you can find will be of ones like the presto. (Gasketed) also, gaskets wear out and will need to be replaced"

That convinced me...LOL!
Rick

 

If I didn't have to have the specific size, I'd get the All American, also. You'll use it your entire life and then hand it to your kids.
I can meat and broth. That way I can make soup or whatever as I want it. I have twenty pounds of albacore to get into the canner in the next couple of weeks. I've heard it's dreadful to can, but honestly, hamburger didn't bother me. In any case, I would suggest you start with chicken. It's super easy and the end product is very useful.

 

@Seepalaces
Yes, we'll order either today or next week. We bought a freezer for the garage and purchased our first 1/4 of beef last summer, still working our way through it as there are only 2 of us. We also have 2 big refrigerators with large freezers but we're thinking of canning a bunch of chicken (sort of as a fallback emergency stash)...plus my soup...but I guess after talking to everyone that we'll forget about the homemade noodles and just throw them in when we cook it. The wife cans a lot, everything that we don't eat that comes from the garden. She also puts up stuff like borsch and Asian dishes (lagman). Most the stuff she puts up doesn't require Pressure Canning but we both agree it is good to have and it will pay for itself.
Question: Why is tuna (Albacore) "dreadful to can"?

Rick

 

Good idea. You will like the texture of your soup much better as well, by adding the dry stuff when you need it.
I've eaten dried spaghetti that had been shelf stored for a year or more, that you could not tell from freshly purchased. In college, I basically lived on ramen noodles. (Prefer to avoid them now as a result)

 

That makes two of us! We were really poor as a kid. I lived with grandmother, no parents, and we ate cheap, lot of Kraft Mac & Cheese (hate the stuff now! ) and Ramen and anything else one could fill up on. LOL! - Rick

 

Most of the building skills I have now, were learned before I was a teenager. (At least introduced) I never knew we were "poor". I never felt poor, and I use thought every kid learned how to plumb, wire, hammer, dig, roof. I didn't know we did it ourselves because we couldn't pay someone else to do it. Self sufficiency should start young, and taught as part of life.

 

Albacore is supposed to be very greasy. I'll tell you about my experience in a week or so.

 

For some reason, Presto and other thin wall canners warn you against using the canner on an outdoor propane burner, All American gives no such warning and many routinely use them over even wood fires. Of Course that would entail extreme fire managment skill though.

 

@Garand69 Thanks! Seepalaces, Ditch Witch, and Kellory have convinced me it is better to put the money up front and buy a good one, 'All American'...money well spent! - Rick

 

@RickR lol ofc I will let you do the experimenting on this one =)

I found you a noodle canning workshop from a year ago

Chicken and noodle workshop April 12 at Duval extension office

This explains why county extension does not recommend canning noodles

my question is 'How do the commercial soup guy do it?
Canning Soups : Extension : Clemson University : South Carolina

 

When I went to the All American canners, it was mainly to get away from the gaskets. I know you can buy a lot of gaskets for the difference in price. Seems like at times when I had a big batch of meat or whatever ready and started, thats when the gasket blew. I generally had a spare on hand but it got to be a pain. When I bought my first All American canner, they were not nearly as expensive as they are now. I loved the thing. As time went on I kept my eyes open for used ones and picked up two more. Only paid $5. for one of them. One of them is quite a bit smaller and I can only do 5 qt. jars at a time, but it really comes in handy for small batches. Being able to use propane is a bonus.

 

I did lots of research before I bought an All American 821, watch for them on Ebay, I got a new one, free shipping for $180.00 and have seen them for less.
Rancher

 

@azrancher Thanks! I will look on eBay today. Yeah, $180 is much easier to swallow than $236... - Rick

 

I got mine on Ebay as well. About 3 days after the order it arrived, I'm thinking holy schnike that was fast left a great reveiw etc etc. Then I noticed it was drop shipped from the manuf. Hey great service either way. 2 weeks later I received a 2nd one, this one from the seller. Sent them two messages that I would gladly ship it back to them if they would send me the postage to do it. Never a reply. It went to another member of the group.

My only caution with ebay is make sure the seller has a great rating.