Bottling / 'Canning' Equipment

[SarzWix]

If you go to www.amazon.com (as opposed to '.co.uk') and put a search in for canning or canner you come up with pages of products designed to make it easier to bottle your own produce. Specially designed pots, pans, pressure cookers with proper gauges on, racks, jar lifters.... (Tried to put some pics up, but Amazon have some protection on their pics...)
I want those things! but I can't find anywhere in the UK which supplies them, and I can't find a seller in the US willing to ship them
Do we have regulations about these kind of things? Surely it'd be safer than a stockpot with a teatowel in the bottom?!
If anyone knows where these things can be found, I'd be extremely grateful!

[pigletwillie]

Hi Sarah,

I bought a pressure canner of ebay that came from the states. It cost about £32 plus the same again postage and was delivered within 4 days. Just put in

"pressure canner"

and a raft of them should appear. I bought the 23 quart prestige one.

[SarzWix]

Thank you for that PW, it's coming up to my birthday so may be able to persuade OH to invest... Are they easy to get the hang of?

[pigletwillie]

Very simple. As a companion i recommend getting the "Idiots guide to canning and preserving by Karen Ward as it gives you some important info re botulism, timings etc.

[SarzWix]

Yeah, I read about botulism in my 'Preserved' book (which, incidentally is a great book..), which is why i wanted to get some proper equipment. It's mostly tomato based sauces I want to do, and some info says it's ok to do by 'water-bath' method, some say pressure. Better safe than sorry is what I think!

[yoanbob]

clostridium botulinum, very nasty, can kill you in 5 different ways.

[WiZeR]

hmm I don't get it, what is the difference between a pressure Cooker and a Pressure Canner?

[shirley]

just make sure you see ALL the shipping charges.

[SarzWix]

hmm I don't get it, what is the difference between a pressure Cooker and a Pressure Canner?

A pressure canner has gauges/dials on top to tell you what presure is being achieved inside. To successfully kill off botulism in non-acidic food, a certain pressure must maintained for a set length of time (depending on contents and your altitude ).


Shirley - I emailed a seller yeaterday to check shipping - the Canner was $65, the shipping $95...
I'll keep looking!

[shirley]

Yes the shipping is expensive...I got caught on a purchase from the states. I think but can't recall fully that I was charged some sort of import tax. I had to pay the delivery firm. Never again

[SarzWix]

Heck, never thought about tax.... Is it VAT? I'll have to make sure I allow for that too...
Unfortunately I don't think there's any other option, they're just not available in the UK...

[pigletwillie]

I looked everywhere Sarzwix and had to get one from the states. I buy from there regularly and only once have had to pay import duty.

Also dont forget the exchange rates are pretty much 2-1 so prices are not as bad as they seem.

[Tigger]

We buy lots of things from the States and Canada, particularly for OH's work. There's usually a range of shipping charges, depending on how quickly you need the product. As for import duty, the legislation is out of date and internet purchasing wasn't even thought of when it was implemented, so Customs and Excise select a number of items each day which are then subject to taxation, so you can be today's choice, or you can be lucky.

[SarzWix]

Thanks Tigger, and PW. So, have the money available, just in case.
Have emailed Lakeland, telling them they're missing a gap in the market, with a link to the items on Amazon.com.
Would be much easier if they'd just get it all in stock....!

[stigoftheplot]

what about Harrods, they claim they can sell you anything! Mind you may be cheaper to pay shipping fees etc!