[Blindtlk] canning food

[Julie J.]

About a year ago I started thinking about pressure canning food.  You know like your Grandma used to do, storing garden veggies for use in January.   I asked on this list if anyone knew any blind people using pressure canners.  that led me to the cooking list and one person who had some helpful info.  

A couple of weeks ago I finally purchased a canner.  I got a Presto 16 quart, which was the least expensive option at WalMart.  I left it sit in the box because well...honestly it freaked me out.  I mean we are talking about pressurized steam and food born illnesses, what could possibly go wrong? *smile*I really did want to can food, it was a stretch for me though.

Finally yesterday I got it out and canned some corn.  It wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.  It is totally doable by a blind person.   The particular model I bought does not have a visual pressure gauge.  It has a weighted valve cover.  There are rings that slide onto the weight, the more rings means more weight and therefore more pressure needed to make it move.  

You can hear and feel the steam and various valve mechanisms to know when to put on the weight, when it has reached pressure and when it has depressurized so you can open it.   I did two batches of corn last night.  The first one my sighted teenage son helped with.  Mostly because I wasn’t certain if I could manage it completely nonvisually or what alternatives I could use.  Figuring out blindness alternatives on the fly is usually no big deal for me, but to be honest the pressure canner had me a little concerned.  I didn’t want to get stuck wondering if some valve or another was doing what it was supposed to while sorting out how I could assess the situation nonvisually.  A mistake could have been really bad.

We managed the first batch pretty handily.  There were only a few very minor snags.  Getting the lid on turned out to be the most difficult part.  It’s not really a blindness issue, just a tricky lid.  I’m going to take a closer look at it today when it’s cool and I can take my time.   Also recognizing when the various valves do something, what that means and what it sounds like required that first batch to fully make sense.  I also discovered that having some kitchen tools specific for canning would be really helpful.  A wide mouth funnel and jar puller would have been a big help.

Then my son went over to his friends house, because he is a teenage boy and because pressure canning is kind of boring compared to just about anything involving his friends.   So I was left entirely on my own for the second batch.  No problems at all.  I think it was easier the second time around because I knew what to expect.

I have 14 quart jars of sweet corn sitting on my kitchen counter and probably another 7 will be canned today.  That is a lot of corn!  Did I mention my husband is a farmer?  Yeah, so we have some corn!  *smile*

Thanks to all of you for your help and encouragement!  Pressure canning has been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but was honestly very afraid.  You guys have helped me to get honest with myself and to not let my blindness stop me.  Thank you!

Julie