People sometimes assume that you would need a pressure canner only to can jams or to pickle something, however there are various other recipes that utilize a pressure canner. If you are wondering if a pressure canner would be a great addition to your kitchen or you have just bought a pressure canner and are unsure what to use it for, this is the place for you.
Here are three recipes that you are sure to enjoy.
1. Basic Chicken Soup
Although one of the most basic things in life, chicken soup is still a favorite as well as a staple that helps you through a cold or simply warms you up on a cold winter evening. What you’ll need for this recipe is:
- 4 quarts chicken broth
- 4 cups chopped chicken – pre-cooked
- 1 cup of celery
- 2 cups carrots
- 1 cup onion (leeks are okay also)
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Other spices to taste
To make this soup, all you’ll need to do is put the chicken broth as well as the chopped chicken pieces on a dutch oven. Then, add in the vegetables as the broth continues to boil. Add your desired amount of salt and pepper, but keep in mind that the broth could already contain salt and that, while the broth boils, it will reduce making the salt more prominent than before. You should add the minced garlic and any other flavorings at this point. Ladle the soup into cans leaving one inch of head space. Process in pressure canner for 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts.
2. Vegetarian Chili
Whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian this recipe will be great to heat up and easy to make. What you’ll need is:
- 1 cup onion, chopped,
- 6 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 pint canned tomatoes
- 2 pounds dry beans, pinto or kidney
- 7 1/2 cups boiling water
This recipe yields approximately 8 pints. The first step is to wash the beans then leave them soaking overnight in cold water. The next day, drain the water then combine all ingredients in the water and bring mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. After boiling, you can start packing the mixture into jars. Make sure that you add the mix without the liquid first ¾ of the way full then add the liquid in. Leave a one inch head space. Process at 10 pounds pressure for weighted gauge and 11lbs for dial gauge for canning pints for 75 minutes.
3. Sweet and Sour Chicken
Who doesn’t love the great mixture of flavor that sweet and sour food gives a person. For this simple yet delicious recipe you’ll need:
- 4.5 lbs chicken, boneless, skinless breasts cut in 1″ bite sized pieces
- 2 large green peppers chopped
- 1 large red pepper chopped
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 3 – 20 oz cans pineapple chunks drained, reserve juice (unsweetened)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups white vinegar
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons ketchup (Heinz because it contains no thickeners)
- 1 tsp ginger powder
The first step is to sterilize your jars as well as their lids and rings. After that step is done, get a stainless steel pot and add the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, and 2 1/2 cups of pineapple juice and 1/2 cup of water and bring to a light boil until the sugar is dissolved. After taking the mixture off of the heat you can layer the chicken, onions, peppers and pineapple in pint and half jars then you can add the liquid leaving an inch of headspace. For a pint pressure can for a pint and a half or a quart and 75 minutes for pints.
Pressure Canning
Pressure canning can preserve the food you cook for longer periods of time so that you can enjoy it. It is great for both sweet and salty foods. It might seem intimidating at first, but after you get the hang of this process, you will be using this a lot throughout your cooking.
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