Reddit reviews Granite Ware Steel/Porcelain Water-Bath Canner with Rack, 21.5-Quart, Black
We found 10 Reddit comments about Granite Ware Steel/Porcelain Water-Bath Canner with Rack, 21.5-Quart, Black. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
21.5 qt capacity holds 7 one-quart jars, 9 one-pint jars or 13 half-pint jarsPorcelain surface with durable steel core provides excellent heat distribution, reducing heat up time and saves energyCan be used on gas and electric stove tops, Not recommended on glass cooktopsCanning pot made in USADishwasher safe
How to Brew by John Palmer is all that you'll need to begin with, and it is much more comprehensive than The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. I have them both. Don't get me wrong The Complete Joy of Homebrewing is a good book too, but make it your second purchase.
You'll also need a brew kettle. This is an inexpensive one that you can get at Wal-Mart.
> Is that last step for long term canning purposes?
Yes. Because you haven't processed the relish means you need to keep it refrigerated.
Here is a link that explains how to process in a waterbath canner: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html
It looks like you already have the right jars for it, and maybe you have lids as well (when canning, always use NEW lids - don't reuse old ones!). Other than that you just need big pot of boiling water and and rack for holding the jars off the bottom of the pot. A jar lifter might be a nice accessory also.
Some amazon links: Pot and rack only, Pot, rack and accessories.
What I always suggest is to first decide what you're going to can, how much you will be canning at one time and what size jars you will be canning in.
These are important to know because, as others have said, jellies, jams, fruits, pickles and properly acidified tomatoes can be done in a water bath canner, while vegetables and meats must be pressure canned.
Knowing what size of jars you are going to be using makes a difference in what size of canner(s) you will need. If you're canning for a family, you will likely need to use quart sized jars. But if you are a single person or a couple, you will probably only want to do pint jars.
Too, it's customary that jams or jellies are canned in half-pint jars although it is perfectly acceptable to do them in pints if you will use that much jam in a reasonable amount of time once it's been opened. Large mouth jars (both pints and quarts) and their lids are more more expensive than the regular mouth jars. However, meats and things like whole pickles or pickle spears almost require large-mouth jars.
The jar size also matters because some canners don't work with larger sized jars. Also, very large canners will accept two layers of jars which is great for canning many jars at a time but time and energy wasting to use for small batches.
To get started water-bath canning, the only must haves are:
The most affordable places to buy these supplies are going to be somewhere local to you. None are very expensive at all. Some water-bath canners come with a rack inside them, which is both a trivet and a jar lifter itself. New boxes of jars come with lids and rings. The rings (also called bands) are reusable, the lids are not, but anywhere that sells the jars will have more lids. Walmart, Target, K-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, ACE Hardware and places like that will have nearly everything you need for water-bath canning.
As for pressure canning, you will need:
I highly recommend that you read up and shop around before buying a pressure canner. They are somewhat of an investment at between $70 and $400. When you're ready to select a pressure canner, come back and ask and I know everyone around here will help you decide what's right for you. The inexpensive canners are very good but there are also very good reasons to buy a more pricey one and it takes a whole post in itself to discuss them!
Something inexpensive and very nice to have is a little canning set like this no matter which method of canning you do. These tools will be safer to use rather than winging it and will save you infinite amounts of time and frustration. I've seen these same sets at Walmart for something like $8-$10.
I hope this helps!
Under $10
Under $20
$$$ I have this guy on my own wishlist! It's good for canning low-acid items like green beans and beets and etc.
As a bonus, here's a fun book: Put 'Em Up. I have it and it's great! Also, you can make things like jam with little sugar by using pectin, or if you aren't into jams and preserves, you can pickle things and can sauces. It's just generally awesome.
You can just use a big pot; these are still commonly sold for canning and predate the wide availability of pressure cookers.
We use a big pot like this for canning jam; it's deep enough for the jars to be submerged and the wire rack holds the jars so they can be pulled out of the water easily. If you don't actually can the jam, it should keep in the fridge for a few weeks until the shower as long as it is going to be eaten there. You can also freeze jam instead of canning it.
Thanks for the contest :D
To get her started, I would get her a book like this one, and depending on her stove top a water bath canner for gas/electric or flat top, also this set, and don't forget the jars. There are probably other stores than Amazon to buy these things, I usually get great deals at Ace hardware. There are some other great books out there, and depending on what she is interested in, a pressure canner is a big one too.
The recipe you have does not conform to modern standards. Most recipes in the Ball Blue Book (the "canning bible") are usually equal parts vinegar and water, or close to it. Then, after you pack them, you have to "process" the jars in boiling water in a pot, with a rack - a water-bath canning pot. You "process" the jars for a period of time to make sure any residual bacteria are killed.
[This video from Ball, "Canning 101,"] (https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Blue-Book-Guide-Preserving/dp/B00OEJZSNW/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1466649871&sr=1-1&keywords=ball+blue+book) will introduce you to what to do and why.
Your pickles aren't fermenting - they're rotting. They may contain botulism, which is a dangerous toxin that can kill. Please get rid of what you have, making sure to box them up and make sure that animals (pets) can't eat them. Take them somewhere for proper disposal.
It's a pot made for for canning, so it's literally made for boiling water for an extended period of time. It's food-safe as well, if that's your intent.