[Blindtlk] canning food

Thu Jul 31 14:11:36 UTC 2014

My mom cans food but I've never done it. She does hers different though.

On 7/31/14, cheryl echevarria via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Sounds wonderful Julie.
> I am not sure you know this a number of years ago, the NFBNET.org had put up
> a blind cooks list, the website is
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blind-cooks_nfbnet.org
> Many might find this interesting. and yes they have an active list.
>
>
>
> Cheryl Echevarria, President
> National Federation of the Blind's Travel and Tourism Division
> A proud division of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND - "Live the life
> you want"www.nfbtravel.org
> 631-236-5138
> cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
> expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
> between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want;
> blindness is not what holds you back.
>
>
> Cheryl Echevarria is also the owner of Echevarria Travel
> www.echevarriatravel.com; 631-456-5394 or reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> and  has partnered with Braille Smith. www.braillesmith.com for all her
> braille needs.  Gail Smith is the Secretary of the NFB of Alabama
>
>> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 07:02:58 -0500
>> Subject: [Blindtlk] canning food
>> From: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>
>> 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
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