Because its nicer to process in the kitchen without a fire in the stove, we did the actual canning of our peaches outside this year on a different stove.
We canned over 30 gallons of Redhaven peaches that came off of three trees.
Nothing but peaches, no water added, no sweetener either.
Hubby and the older children sat around the kitchen table and peeled and sliced, our 7 yr old went back and forth delivering hot peaches, and her brother just older brought me flats and helped pull out the ripe ones. My job was dipping them in the hot water, and feeding the stove wood all day.
The pan in the center is a 16 quart pot. The big pressure canner being used for the water bath holds 7 half gallon jars.
I also stirred peaches once they were sliced and ready to heat.
My husband grew up with the one in our kitchen, it could use some parts replaced where the thinner pieces of steel have burned out.
The one outside is fairly new, but I’m not as used to it.
They do work well for putting the food by. The main work my guys do is tree service, so there is never a shortage of wood.
Hey Mrs. G! I hope your move is going famously!
There was a lot of open air. I dont remember smelling the food much. I smelled smoke though.
I like the smell of the wood smoke on frosty mornings, but it was a bit much after stoking it out there. The stove pipe isn’t that high, and I got more smoke smell than peach smell sometimes.
What really smells good is baking bread. That never gets old.
I remember working on peaches three separate days, and there might have been more. This is a great example of many hands making light work. None of us were overwhelmed, and we enjoyed the project.
Years ago i canned everything eg. Blackberries etc. In peach or apple juice. We seldom use sugar because we really dont need it. Grape juice is another thing i have trouble figuring out why anyone would add sugar to it. Thats a well organized plan you had going there! We need to get you a big floppy hat so you dont get sunburned! Those peaches are going to taste incredible! Pears are the sweetest of all but the juice is thick and cannot be used to can things by itself because its to thick.
have you considered a simple propane burner setup? we have a two burner propane stove that was super cheap and it’s cheap to operate. spills hit the ground and it packs up and stores small.
Its a great suggestion.
We use wood because we have wood…mountains if it. My guys do tree service work and bring home a lot as a matter of course. We heat with wood, cook with wood, can with wood, and have a wood burning water heater hubby made over 7 years ago that could probably heat a swimming pool easily.
We also sell honest cords of mixed wood that is already split for 175 a cord picked up here.
I’m looking to install a wood cook stove in our cabin to serve as both a source of heat as well as a cooking appliance, cook top and oven. But I do have a chicken fryer type burner for outside that works well for canning and which puts out more btu’s than my gas range. Gets a water bath up to temp in a hurry.
