Canning ???

[Tedrow42]

Won't have room for a fridge and dint like lots o waste, food or cans. I know how to raw pack can but was wondering if any one has tried it over a camp fire.

I got a wish list made and im getting a Coleman propane camp stove.  Description says 3 hr burn on a small tank.  Might switch to duel fuel for this reason.  Being as ill be capping at a secluded national park I was thinking fire would save fuel. Any advice?

 

[highdesertranger]

what time of year? can you even have a fire? what National Park? highdesertranger

 

[TrainChaser]

Forget the campfire -- you just can't keep the pressure steady. I have enough trouble on my electric house stove.

Check out St. Paul Mercantile at http://stpaulmercantile.com -- They have two kerosene stoves that are suitable for canning:

The 22-wick 14000 BTU Canning Stove, Model 2698 ($80) at http://stpaulmercantile.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73&products_id=227

And the 22-wick 14,000 BTU Aluminum Stove, Model A822 ($80) at http://stpaulmercantile.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73&products_id=228

I would STRONGLY recommend a very sturdy support for the loaded canner that fits around the stove. Or use stacked red clay bricks (not concrete). And a sturdy table.

I recently learned a clever trick about traveling with glass jars: Jar Socks. Take an old sock and cut straight across the toe and just below the heel, and make another cut parallet to the top seam just above the heel. Discard the toe and heel. Now, you have two tubes. Place the sock over the jar and trim any excess length (you'll want to label the lid and/or color-code your socks). Place the socked jars in boxes. If you have long socks, you can make several from one sock. Thicker socks would seem better than thin nylon socks; if you don't use this kind, look for some at dollar stores or yard sales, or spread the word among your friends. Cut a narrow wedge vertically from one jar sock, and it becomes a Mug Sock with an exposed handle to keep your drinks hot.

 

[bLEEp]

I can with my Coleman camp stove and a presto 22qt canner frequently as it keeps heat out of the house. Spend the 100 bucks, use pint jars and can away.
bLEEp

 

[IanC]

Won't have room for a fridge and dint like lots o waste, food or cans.

A couple of cases of canned goods would take as much room and weigh as much as a small fridge. And then you'd still have to carry and store the glass jars after they're empty (unless you plan to throw them away) Better to buy canned goods as you need them.

 

[TrainChaser]

"A couple of cases of canned goods would take as much room and weigh as much as a small fridge."

Answer:
* They serve a useful purpose.  
* They are reusable.  
* They don't contain BHA.  
* Your food only contains what you want it to have: no salt, no sugar, no preservatives, no unpronounceable names.  
* Home-canned food is far superior to commercially canned food.
* They don't require refrigeration or any other power.  
* They can keep well for several years. 
* A dozen wide-mouth pint jars weighs 7.2 lbs. 
* A Wynter refrigerator weighs 71 lbs, slightly less than TEN CASES of canning jars.
* Most people wouldn't take ten cases of canning jars.  I don't even OWN ten cases of canning jars.

Have you ever seen a guy with a 700-lb Harley in his camper van?  I have.  It was HIS decision, not mine.  If people want to carry a baby elephant with them, they know the pluses and the minuses.

 

[grandpacamper]

I remember our canning days, bottles everywhere, then the basement flooded & the extension service told us to dump all of it because of contamination. Our canning, food storage ventures were over!

I tend to always over think everything, maybe it's my Asperger's probably is. At my age & taking into account my wife will not be along for the ride, I had imagined so many different methods that my head was spinning. I have finally settled on a medium sized cooler for my insulin, coffee creamer, eggs, veggies & cooked ingredients for my next meal that I decided to go the canned as in Hormel's. I read the ingredients decided the only thing I need to watch is the salt content, keep my RDA below 2300 mgs. One of the other traits of an Asperger is our ability to eat the same thing day in & day out.

No problem there, open a can of chicken breast, drain it, divide it in half, cook 1/2 for lunch & 1/2 for dinner. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on top. Open a can of beans, heat 1/2 C with more cheese sprinkled on top. Cook up a veggie (brussel sprouts, broccoli, carrots or bell peppers & onions) sit back in my camping chair & chow down. An omelet in the morning with chicken & cheese, cottage cheese & apple sauce for my bedtime snack, a must for diabetics. And of course a large cup of coffee with each meal. Does it get any better? I've battled cancer, diabetes, stenosis, polio, club feet so I figured a little BHA will either get me or something else will.

 

[lenny flank]

I figured a little BHA will either get me or something else will.

I used to get a lot of grief from my backpacking friends because I would always cooked canned pasta or soups right in the can. Did it for decades. Still here at 56, and still cook in the can inside the van (on the same alcohol stove that I used while backpacking).

If it kills me in 30 years, I won't mind.  

 

[Tedrow42]

Thanks for the input. I been looking for kero stoves didn't think they still made them. Only so much spam and canned soups a guy can take

 

[highdesertranger]

I use the mason jars, not for canning but for vacuum sealing. I buy dry goods like pasta, oatmeal, rice, beans and such then vacuum seal it with O2 absorbers in the mason jars. I use the smaller ones for spices. this keeps everything fresher longer and keeps the bugs out. TrainChaser that's a great idea with the socks, I have been wrapping mine is plastic wrap but that is wasteful, the socks are reusable. highdesertranger

 

[Michael4104]

"not for canning but for vacuum sealing"

What do you use for a vacuum source?

 

[ArtW]

I'm no canner but I can answer that: heat / cold cycle, with sealing jars
You heat the jar and contents to the right temp, close the lid,and as the heat goes away, the jar is vacuum sealed
If I'm wrong please correct me HDR

 

[highdesertranger]

I use one of these,
http://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/
I have an older one that they don't even make anymore. then for the mason jars I use this,
http://www.foodsaver.com/accessories-and-parts/jar-sealers/
works really well. also with the mason jars when you get a vacuum seal you can check to see if the seal has failed by pushing in the middle of the lid. if the seal failed the lid will push down and pop back up, if it hasn't failed it is sucked down and will not pop back.
like I said this is not canning and will not replace canning but it is excellent for dry foods. highdesertranger

 

[TrainChaser]

+++ on the FoodSaver.  I have the small handheld rechargeable (~$20), works great.  

I bought it about a year ago, and sealed some dry stuff (Frontier no-salt pizza seasoning, which is great for spaghetti); just recently opened it, had to use a churchkey can opener to break the seal.  

But I only use it with regular canning jars because the plastic bags just don't seem to hold the seal very well.  If you have the large machine FoodSaver and the jar sealer (they come in both regular & wide-mouth -- you can buy them separately), just set the handheld FoodSaver tip directly on top of the hole (no hose) in the center of the jar sealer, and press the trigger.  If you have trouble with powdery materials, wipe the jar rim with a damp (not wet) paper towel and immediately set the tin lid on the rim and activate the sealer.

Foods suitable for this method:   
Baking soda
Biscuit & pancake mixes
Bread crumbs
Candy
Cereals & dry oatmeal
Coconut oil
Cornmeal & muffin mix
Couscous, orzo, teff
Cream of Wheat (farina)
Dehydrated vegetables
Dry beans & legumes (a pint jar is usual amount for one pot of beans)
Dry instant mashed or scalloped potato mixes
Dry lentils, barley, quinoa, amaranth, millet
Dry soup mixes
Honey (it never goes bad)
Instant coffee, tea, cocoa mix
Jerky
Pasta
Pretzels
Dry popcorn kernels
Powdered milk
Raisins, banana chips & other dried fruits
Sunflower seeds
Seasonings, spices & soup mixes, incl. those little packets from Ramen soups
Tea bags
White rice, wild rice (brown rice has too much oil, will go rancid if not refrigerated)

White granulated, powdered & brown sugar will practically keep forever in jars, but you DO NOT want to suck the air out, or they turn into bricks.  Just put a regular white plastic lid on it (the kind you use after you've opened canned food and want to refrigerate the leftovers).