Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

SageHill

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YAY on the canner being early. I can't remember if mine lets you set the pressure since everything is set at the start. It's been awhile since I used the pressure canner feature. Everything this year so far has been water bath in it.
OH - and you probably already do this, but add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water - keeps it from getting that white deposit on the sides. If the Quick Start guide isn't laminated, then laminate it I keep it in the pot so I don't have to remember the steps to set it up. I ~think~ I read that it adjusts the pressure? Or maybe automatically takes altitude into account?? It's been a few years since I got it. I just mostly do it all muscle memory now.
PS --
Glass cook top - there may be something you can put on it to put your old canner on. I know there is some disc that can be used on induction cooktops so you can use pots that normally don't work on induction. ~maybe there is something similar for the canner on a regular glass top??
All gas/propane here though
 
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Ridgetop

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Forgot to post that DH and DS1 went to the Explorer to get it towed to the shop so it can get its's new $800 ignition. The first Auto Club guy couldn't do anything because he couldn't get the steering whee to unlock so he called a car locksmith. WOW! He found the chip where Doofus had glued the key back into the key fob backwards. He was able to make another key. DH went to Galpin and bought a new key with chip. DS1 got online and ordered 2 new fobs with blank chips. When they get here, he will reprogram them for the car. Total cost $125.00!

DH called Galpin and spoke to the repair mgr. and said he didn't need the new ignition after all. Steve was not happy because he had already ordered the part. Galpin's locksmith had said they would have to order a new ignition without even checking the key for the chip! Too bad for them!

And DD2 and Doofus still never allowed to borrow anything again.
 

SageHill

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Steve was not happy because he had already ordered the part. Galpin's locksmith had said they would have to order a new ignition without even checking the key for the chip! Too bad for them!
EXACTLY! Too bad for them. What?? They can not cancel an order? Can't send it back? AND they wouldn't even look for the chip? Gue$$ they wanted $omething. $erve$ them right.
YAY so glad it's working out better for you. :clap
 

Ridgetop

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Will have to buy propane stove for water bath canning. Will buy second electric canner if I decide I want to continue canning. BUT need to plug them in separately.

First, I had to read the instructions over and over again. Pretty thorough instructions divided into 5 or 6 sections. Kept rereading the previous sections I did each step. Once I figured that out, it went more smoothly. I thawed 6 large Ziploc bags of frozen spaghetti sauce and heated it to boiling. Did 2 batches (10 quarts) last night. I like that once the canner is in pressure canning mode you don't have to check the pressure, but it takes a lot longer to make batches of jars than in a regular stove canner. If you routinely do large batches of food, you probably remove the finished jars out of the canner and immediately put in a new batch of filled jars. You can't do that in this canner since it has to cool down and depressurize for about an hour before you can remove the jars. So it is a much slower pace of canning large amounts of veg or meat.

Once I had the canner working, I really liked not having to watch the pressure gauge. You have to follow several steps about 10-20 minutes apart. This takes time. Once the pressure canning part starts you have time to go about your other work, leave the canner, etc. Once the canning part is over the canner will cool itself down. You have nothing to do with it until the pressure drops at which time it is safe to remove the lid and take out the jars.

This am I got up early and filled another 5 jars with 4 spaghetti sauce and 1 pork verde. Started the canner and realized I had not made coffee yet. Started the coffee and blew a breaker. :oops:Reflipped the breaker, moved the coffee pot to another outlet, and it blew again. :mad:Moved the coffee pot to the laundry room and read the instructions for restarting the canner. Luckily it had not gotten to the stage of putting on the regulator.

DH wanted to know why coffee pot was in the laundry room. Explained to him and DS1 that running it with the canner had blown the circuit. DH said it shouldn't have done that since he put all electric in kitchen on separate circuits. 15 minutes into the pressure cycle DS1 was making breakfast. I told him to plug the toaster into the laundry room outlet to avoid blowing the breaker while the canner was working. He refused saying he had already made toast that morning with no problem. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the breaker blew shutting the canner off in mid pressure phase. :rant I blew up at DS1 who tried to defend himself. He said just plug the canner back in. I explained (VERY LOUDLY) that it didn't work that way. That I would have to start all the phases all over again after letting the pressure drop and cooling the canner for 15 minutes. A lot of time and work wasted AND food would probably not taste as good after having to do an additional amount of time under pressure. :somad

Waiting for the canner to drop pressure and cool off so I can start it again. 😤🤬

Restarted the program. DH wondering why the canner would cause the circuits to blow this am and not last night. Told him that last night no one made coffee or used a toaster. Told him that when the canner pulled electric power at the same time the coffee maker or toaster did, it would cause the breaker to blow. Got a little snarky and said I didn't think I would have to explain that to a lineman. Not nice of me but not feeling very nice right now.

DS2 went out to clean his kitten cage. He brought home 6 little feral kittens from work a couple weeks ago. He has been keeping them in a dog crate in the barn before releasing them as barn cats. He already had one escape when putting them into the cage from the transport box. This morning another kitten made a bolt for freedom. He is now down to 4 kittens and is trying to rig up a cage in the barn from X-pens. Good luck. Loud disagreement between Angel and Ozel over who got to eat the cat poop. Angel won. I better worm all dogs tonight.

Canner still venting. Will probably take several hours to finish this load. Then I have another load to go in. Not sure how this will work in Texas since that house has all electric appliances, and not a lot of circuits since built in 1972. Will have to warn everyone NOT to use any appliances while canning. Or may have a separate circuit run on porch when we run the barn and shed electric. If we put up a large haybarn across the drive where we can park might consider closing in current carport or even just put in some cabinets and a countertop with new circuit and outlets for canning in carport. Or for freezer if we enclose it. Not sure if I have enough Prime left to get all this done. LOL

Going to cut down some boxes to pack quart jars while I watch out for canner. I am considering putting painter's tape over all the outlets while I am canning.
 

Mini Horses

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Well, that is not a favorable report on the canner. 🙄. It wasn't on my wish list then, for sure not now. Nope, I'll just keep my All American jiggling along. But, hey, thanks for saving me $$. 😂

Ya know, those electrical guys NEVER listen. 🤐👎 mechanics either.
 

SageHill

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Well dang on the guys - but then - guys will be guys o_O . I haven't had a problem with the canner and blowing circuits - but then this house is new. It is nice to not have to sit and watch the pot though. LOL
DH wondering why the canner would cause the circuits to blow this am and not last night.
As I read that I had visions of him turning things on and off as the canner was running :lol::barnie
Love the idea of closing in the carport and adding a new circuit and cabinets etc. A friend of mine here has
a couple of dedicated rooms for baking and canning - though she sells quite a bit, 90% is grown by her and the rest is all locally grown. One thing to remember in Texas you'll be cooking and canning for a lot less folks! ;)
 

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