outdoor setup for canning?

[Nuggetsowner:)]

When I was younger I lived on a farm with my Mom and her husband at the time for a few years. It was so nice. There was a little bld just out the back door alittle way. My Mom's husband called it a summer kitchen. It was not real big, probably 10X10. It had windows all around on three sides that were just screens with shutters that closed in winter. There was a large door on one side. At one time there was a wood fired stove in there but when I lived there only the chimney was left. I have wanted one here at my house for a long time and keep looking for bldgs like it that I could move to this property. So far no luck. Maybe I will just have to break down and give the DH another building project!!

 

[unclejoe]

This was my first year canning and I did all of it on the grill.

So how did that work for you in terms of stability? I've been afraid to try it because of having laaaarge kettles o' boiling water up on a grill that wasn't really made for the weight and isn't necessarily as steady as a rangetop. But if it was sturdy and solid for you, maybe I should at least try it on my bbq and see what happens (like, put kettles full of cold water up there and see what it is like)...

Interested in hearing more,

Pat

I don't know what you consider large. My kettle holds 7 jars. That was the only size Wally-World had.
I put the grill together and made sure all the nuts and bolts were good and tight. It's sitting on a cement slab so it's level and stable. It didn't seem to have any trouble with the weight at all. One problem I did have a couple of times though- wind. I was out there one breezy night and had a hard time getting the water in the kettle to boil. That's the one on the open burner. The wind kept trying to blow out the flame so I went out to the shed and got a 4x8 sheet of plywood, rigged it up next to the grill -problem solved. I'm even considering another grill for next year. It would save a lot of time being able to run 2 at once.
I am going to get another dehydrator before the apples come in because they're going to come at the same time as the watermelon and I reeeally want to make some watermelon leather.
A lot of peaches and pears went out to the horses and chickens because I couldn't process things fast enough and the freezer is already packed with blackberry, strawberry, corn, and peaches.
Anyway, if you have a sturdy grill it works and your not making the AC fight with the stove for dominance in the kitchen.

Joe

 

[VT-Chicklit]

Has anyone tried the set up used to fry a turkey out side? I have one of these setups that we have used twice to fry a turkey. There was too much waist of the oil so I never used it again. I think it now will have a new use. The kettle that comes with the turkey set up is deep. You could probably get away with using your regular hot water bath canner on the burner base, which is very stable. I bet you could even use a pressure canner, because you can control the flame height on the burner base. I am going to have to give this a try.

 

[punkin]

Has anyone tried the set up used to fry a turkey out side? I have one of these setups that we have used twice to fry a turkey. There was too much waist of the oil so I never used it again. I think it now will have a new use. The kettle that comes with the turkey set up is deep. You could probably get away with using your regular hot water bath canner on the burner base, which is very stable. I bet you could even use a pressure canner, because you can control the flame height on the burner base. I am going to have to give this a try.

That just might work, especially if you set it on a sturdy surface that would make it high enough without having to lift so much. I know my Aunt uses hers to boil large amounts of fresh corn in, replacing oil with water. That may also give you another use for something you already have.

 

[heatherv]

My brother gave us one of those for a gift several years ago, and well, we never once used it. I got sick of moving it from house to house (we moved alot) and sold it at the garage sale before our last move. NOW ya give me the idea of a better use for it! I'll hve to see if my parents still have theres! (he gave them one as well)

 

[pioneergirl]

About 4 years ago the DH had to have one..it sat in the garage, never used. Then we got the meat birds and woohoo, used it as the boiling water bath for de-feathering, worked like a champ!! So I'm sure you could use it for boiling water bath canning...we kept ours out of the wind and it was geat!

 

[me&thegals]

Has anyone tried the set up used to fry a turkey out side? I have one of these setups that we have used twice to fry a turkey. There was too much waist of the oil so I never used it again. I think it now will have a new use. The kettle that comes with the turkey set up is deep. You could probably get away with using your regular hot water bath canner on the burner base, which is very stable. I bet you could even use a pressure canner, because you can control the flame height on the burner base. I am going to have to give this a try.

That's a great idea!! My husband was just suggesting that to me We've used ours for great heaps of sweetcorn when we put up corn. Has anyone tried to see how many quart jars fit in the bottom of one of these?