My Transcontinental Pressure Canner
Notice anything odd about this photo of my suitcase while I was packing it for a recent trip from Brooklyn to California, and then back to NY followed by Jerusalem via Moscow?
Yes, that large shiny thing in the middle. That’s a pressure canner. A brand, spanking new one. But I already had one in Brooklyn, where my tiny one bedroom can’t really hold too many objects as large as this one.
That’s not why I packed it, though. I packed it because I was about to be on the road for 2 months, with a deadline on a food preservation book at the end of that time. I need my food gear with me while I finish the food pres book.
So I stuffed the canner full of clothes. My suitcase didn’t quite close, but I rigged it with some wire twisted and tied between the zipper pulley tabs. And I took it to CA, and back to NY. It followed me through a brief layover in Moscow, and now it’s here with me in Israel.
Where I just finished canning some fish stock in it (it is no longer a virgin canner). Our favorite fish monger at the souk (market) was happy to give us fish heads and bones for free, and I hate to waste free food.
If you’re still not sure why I had to haul this piece of equipment with me across a continent or three, here’s the deal:
You can safely can fruits, pickles, and tomatoes (with added acid) in a boiling water bath using nothing fancier than a big, deep pot and some canning jars and lids. But to safely can un-pickled vegetables and any animal product, you need a pressure canner.
Of course, there are also other food preservation methods including fermentation that don’t require special equipment. But I’m covering ALL of the food preservation methods for my book - you get why I need my gear with me?
Yeah, you can buy pressure canners here. But I already had an extra one, so it seemed silly to spend the money on a third pressure canner. Anyway, all’s well that ends well: me and my pressure canner are safely here in J-town.
(Warning: Shameless Plug) Want to pre-order my next books?:
Northeast Foraging: 120 Wild and Flavorful Edibles from Beach Plums to Wineberries
Preserving Everything: Can, Culture, Pickle, Freeze, Ferment, Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke, and Store Fruits, Vegetables, Milk, Meat, and More
I never go to the beach without mine. Love it for oysters, clams and tuna.
Well, shoot. WordPress cut me off. I’ve never flown with one, but it’s getting so darn hard to fly with even an extra piece of luggage these days. But it’s a great idea. Because who wants to buy another canner when you get to your destination? Lovely blog, Leda. Didn’t know you had it. I subscribed. I think.
You crazy Leda! (but in a good way) I want to know what TSA had to say about that. Anything?
No comment from TSA, but then I didn’t try to take it as a carryon!
What model is your “transportable” pressure canner? Where can I purchase one?
I purchased mine in the U.S. and then hauled it overseas. I also still have one in the States. The one I have here is a Presto brand pressure canner, and I’m happy with it.