A working kitchen is a must for the homemaker, homesteader and gardener. Canning, preserving, meal making and baking can comprise a successful working kitchen. Here’s how I have been creating a working kitchen during the busy season of the Summer harvest.
As a homemaker and gardener, I have many working parts to my home. The kitchen during the Summer harvest time is the most used and necessary for me. All the burners are going on my stove, the mixer is whipping up some sandwich bread and the counter is holding washed vegetables waiting to be preserved.
In order for this season to go well I need to have several tools and working parts in my kitchen. So let me share what I have in my kitchen repretoire to make my Summer kitchen be achieved.
Canning & Preserving Tools
Preserving the abundant green beans, beets, tomatoes, corn and jams requires having the right equipment. Here is what I use when I need to can.
Hot water bath
Large stock pots
Jars – half pint, pint and quart
Canning Lids – these are my favorite
Jar lifter
Freezer Bags
Vacuum Sealer – optional, but a more long term freezing option
Staying on a budget is important to me also, so I suggest finding some of these items second hand. Many people often have these preservation items on Facebook Marketplace or on rummage sales. Just make sure they work before you buy them.
Working kitchen ~ What tools to use and when
Now that I’ve shared what equipment I use in my working kitchen, let me share how and when I would use these given items.
Hot water bath
In my home the hot water bath is perfect for jam making, salsa, peaches and pickled items (beets and pickles are my favorite). Tomatoes can be hot water bathed, however, I prefer to pressure can these.
If you have never done any canning before, I recommend starting with jam. It is one of the simplest places to start and you can find my honey rhubarb jam recipe here if you want to give it a try!
Pressure Canner
The pressure canner that I use is the Presto 23 quart pressure canner. In my working kitchen during preservation time this item has it’s home on one of my burners on my stove. Some foods that I preserve in my pressure canner are green beans, tomatoes and hopefully meat this year.
I have not been preserving in my pressure canner real long, only three years. Each year I like to add one new canning food to my repreptoire and meat (hopefully) will be this year.
Vacuum Sealer & Storage Bags
Having ways to preserve food in a freezer is also helpful. We put up sweet corn that is either stored in quart freezer bags or vacuum sealed. Vacuum sealing takes a little more time, but stays fresher so much longer.
I also have to share a secret with my tomatoes. Instead of pressure canning them when they are coming in like crazy, I freeze them in a gallon bag to can in the winter months. Wild right! We don’t have to preserve everything as it comes in. Wait until the slower months or when there is more time.
Jars and Lids
These items are pretty obvious to have a working preservation kitchen. Jars are items I try not to ever run out of. Garage sales, Walmart sales and Christmas gifts are ways that I get these necessary items into my home.
There are many canning lids to be found. I’ve tried the most well known brands, the off brands and have settled on these ForJar lids. Finding a lid that seals and works well is crucial to keep your food safe and these lids to just that. I’m not sponsored by this company, I just like what they do for my kitchen.
Dehydrator
This dehydrator was a recent addition to my working kitchen last Fall when I was getting lugs of apples and pears from Azure Standard or from family who shared their bounty. We have dehydrated fruits, made deer jerkey and beef jerkey so far. Herbs, garlic and onions are some other produce items that I would like to try dehydrating.
Other Food Preservation Methods
There are other ways to preserve food than what I do. Other working kitchens I’ve heard of use steam canners, freeze dryers and fermenting other foods.
From what I understand of steam canners, they work similar to hot water baths, but require much less water.
Yes I do make my own saurkraut, kombucha and sourdough, which is all a fermentation process. Some people ferment all sorts of vegetables, which is not part of my working kitchen yet.
The freeze dryer is an amazing way to preserve almost anything. It would be a dream to get one some day. They are however, quite expensive and do take up some space in the home. I guess I can dream right?!
Well friends, it is time for me to get back to my working kitchen as duty calls.
Happy preserving!
Love,
Davee
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