Learning Things and Other Random Information
Yesterday, i canned a pumpkin. That was fun.
But when it was all finished, i knew something was amiss.
See how there's liquid only half way up? It was supposed to be all the way up. And it was when i started.
When i started canning the pumpkin, knowing i plan to use it before the year's out, i said that i would do it as a learning experience. I sure did learn something.
Here's what i learned: when using a pressure canner, it is important to allow the pressure to decrease slowly after canning, leaving the weight in its place. Otherwise, the pressure decreases faster in the canner than in the jars, and some rule of physics forces the jars to give up their liquid. And that's what happened to me.
Successful learning experience.
In other news, i let my chicks out of their pen today. It has been a whole week since i put them in it, but there were flaws in my system, and they escaped a couple of those days. The point is...tonight, which was the test, they still went back and slept under the brooder, where they are not supposed to sleep. Argh!
For a moment i considered letting them sleep there and see how it went. But then i decided to make it fun. I knew i needed to get them back in their pen in the coop, but i have also been needing to get a good inventory of what i have, i.e., breeds, genders, ages, etc. This sort of thing, sorting, listing, knowing, excites me a lot. I think i was out there for over an hour, sorting chicks into separate cages and then examining them to determine gender and then writing down my results, and then finally returning them to their reinforced pen.
Poor things. It's going to be another week.
Poor me. It's going to be another week. We really must beat this into their little brains somehow.
But i am very happy that i got my inventory.
On yet more random information, tomorrow, i am participating in a community garage sale. I'm hoping to make money and friends.
I'm getting very sleepy, and i have more work to do before bed.
Goodnight, friends.
Thanks for reading.
But when it was all finished, i knew something was amiss.
See how there's liquid only half way up? It was supposed to be all the way up. And it was when i started.
When i started canning the pumpkin, knowing i plan to use it before the year's out, i said that i would do it as a learning experience. I sure did learn something.
Here's what i learned: when using a pressure canner, it is important to allow the pressure to decrease slowly after canning, leaving the weight in its place. Otherwise, the pressure decreases faster in the canner than in the jars, and some rule of physics forces the jars to give up their liquid. And that's what happened to me.
Successful learning experience.
In other news, i let my chicks out of their pen today. It has been a whole week since i put them in it, but there were flaws in my system, and they escaped a couple of those days. The point is...tonight, which was the test, they still went back and slept under the brooder, where they are not supposed to sleep. Argh!
For a moment i considered letting them sleep there and see how it went. But then i decided to make it fun. I knew i needed to get them back in their pen in the coop, but i have also been needing to get a good inventory of what i have, i.e., breeds, genders, ages, etc. This sort of thing, sorting, listing, knowing, excites me a lot. I think i was out there for over an hour, sorting chicks into separate cages and then examining them to determine gender and then writing down my results, and then finally returning them to their reinforced pen.
Poor things. It's going to be another week.
Poor me. It's going to be another week. We really must beat this into their little brains somehow.
But i am very happy that i got my inventory.
On yet more random information, tomorrow, i am participating in a community garage sale. I'm hoping to make money and friends.
I'm getting very sleepy, and i have more work to do before bed.
Goodnight, friends.
Thanks for reading.
Hope you got some rest, because that sale sounds like a ton of fun !
ReplyDeleteThe canning phenomenon is called siphoning. And you are exactly right -- it is essential that you allow the canner to cool naturally. I also then leave the jars in the canner, canner lid in place, for an additional 30 minutes or so, because sometimes when you take them out right away, they still siphon their liquid sitting on the counter!
To me, one of the freakiest things is when the contents of the jar are still bubbling two hours later!
Speaking of bubbling, I have noticed that any pressure canned jar that isn't bubbling when i take it out of the canner will frequently not seal. Go figure!
ooh good tip. and good vocabulary word. =)
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