Cheap canning equipment that's not really official equipment.

[averytds]

I've been canning enough years that I have tons of canning things I've aquired. Some thing I like, some I hate and some I've never used. Currently, I've got things spread out over 2 houses at the moment, so I find I'm needing this or that and with gas being so high, sometimes it's just cheaper to go buy new.

At my old house I have an old baby scale, like from a Drs office that I use to weigh ingredients.

Here I went to Wal-mart (only place to shop) and checked out the options. The kitchen scales all either didn't go high enough or were way too pricey IMO.

So I checked out the bathroom scales and was planning on getting the cheapest. Still $10. To be honest I never use the things and short of canning it would get almost no use.

Then I had an idea! Over in the sporting goods I got a $4 fish scale. It measures up to 50lbs in half lb increments. You can hang it up, hook a bag/basket/whatever on the hook and load it up. So I need 20lbs tomatoes, no prob....

When you're done it's small, so it fits easily into a drawer or with you're other canning stuff. I think I'll be tossing the baby scale.

Anybody else found/use something for canning that they like that differs from it's intended use.

 

[nccountrygirl]

My husband has a pair of heat resistant gloves that he uses when he is using the turkey fryer, I use them to put in and remove the jars from the caner, it's alot easier than using the jar lifter and to me it's safer, no chance of the jars dropping or hitting together.

 

[robbobbin]

ooooo, both excellent ideas. Thanks ladies.
We have a deer scale, that is just like the fish scale you describe. I'm gonna check it out.

 

[mirime]

I learned the hard way that a good canner is a 'tamale' pot - because it's taller than the regular canner that they sell.

 

[averytds]

Good ideas. I love dual purpose things.

 

[patandchickens]

I use a stock pot for processing anything in half-pint jars -- it will hold up to 6 half-pints, atop a round cake rack -- because it just seems silly to heat the larger volume of water that my actual canner holds. (I do use the actual canner for quart jars. Oddly, I don't think I've ever done pints at all )

I also use my all-purpose kitchen tongs for taking jars out and putting them back in. Seems quite secure enough to me, although I am not necessarily recommending it as globally safe. I also use those tongs for getting the lids out of the hot water to put on the jars.

When I want to can I always have to retrieve my canning funnel from the kids, who consider it one of their usual toys

Pat

 

[averytds]

LOL Pat. I have 2 funnels and I hide them from the kids. Lost too many lid lifters that way.

I do mostly pints and some qts. Less than 2-3dz 1/2 pints a year. Will have to try with a stock pot. Maybe I'll do more.