Building a "canning Kitchen" in the dungeon.

[michaels4gardens]

I like to bottle my own food, and have rabbits, chickens, and a big garden. My wife is a neat orderly person, [ am "not so much" that way]
Our processing of meat animals, and canning of garden produce has always caused a little stress. Even though Dove, my wife often helps, she really dislikes clutter, mess, and congestion in the kitchen.
The "canning" also gets in the way of "normal" kitchen activities, and meal preparation...
I decided to make a "canning kitchen" in the dungeon below this house, for all of our canning. Now, my daughter and i, can bring in as much produce as we want, wash it, and process it, without messing up the "upstairs kitchen".
construction of the "canning kitchen", is now underway ...

 

[Ghost]

:goodjob: looking good!

 

[hotzcatz]

You'll probably want to waterproof those boards somehow. Most commercial kitchens have stainless countertops since they are easy to keep sterile. For food surfaces, such as butcher block tables and cutting boards, a lot of the recommended finishes are things such as shellac, but that's sensitive to some alcohols. Not sure if that would be an answer to the wood surfaces there or not.

 

[michaels4gardens]

You'll probably want to waterproof those boards somehow. Most commercial kitchens have stainless countertops since they are easy to keep sterile. For food surfaces, such as butcher block tables and cutting boards, a lot of the recommended finishes are things such as shellac, but that's sensitive to some alcohols. Not sure if that would be an answer to the wood surfaces there or not.

I generally use vegetable oil on the wood surface, and .. after cleaning, .. wipe down with clorox and water...

 

[Shea]

Are you leaving the far right counter at a slant?

 

[michaels4gardens]

Are you leaving the far right counter at a slant?

Yes, that section will get a sheet of metal over it, so "things" that are washed, can be set there to drain, and the drips will run back into the sink.

 

[Homer]

Thanks Michael now I'm going to have to get off my duff and do what I've thought of for several years. I want to build mine outside. I do my canning there to keep the heat out of the house. Heat source is a turkey fryer burner. Seems like when it's time to put up crops here it's hot enough in the house without my help for several days.

I want to use HDPE, high-density polyethylene, to sheet my prep area with. That's the stuff they make cutting boards out of now. The jar loading/dish drying area will get LDPE covering. Much cheaper stuff and I have a 4'x100' roll of that.

One thing you might want to think about is putting a drip edge on the drying area so you don't fill your shoe with hot water.

Cook-on! :chef:

 

[michaels4gardens]

One thing you might want to think about is putting a drip edge on the drying area so you don't fill your shoe with hot water.

Cook-on! :chef:

The metal sheet I ordered, has a 1 inch lip that sticks up on both sides, and it turns down at one end, so it will drip inside the sink.

 

[GBov]

OMG not only does that look amazing and will be sooooo handy for you and your daughter both but it is incredibly thoughtful and nice of you to do!

Made me smile seeing that much niceness in the world. :bow:

 

[michaels4gardens]

got the kitchen mostly done now..

 

[Shea]

Very nice! Im jealous truly.

 

[GBov]

Truly lovely!

 

[michaels4gardens]

You'll probably want to waterproof those boards somehow. Most commercial kitchens have stainless countertops since they are easy to keep sterile. For food surfaces, such as butcher block tables and cutting boards, a lot of the recommended finishes are things such as shellac, but that's sensitive to some alcohols. Not sure if that would be an answer to the wood surfaces there or not.

after sanding and planing the long section of the countertop, I was still unhappy with the uneven surface, [It would still be too hard to keep clean], ...so-- i ordered some metal to cover that section too,
The 5 gal bucket under the sink is a "sand trap", to collect the dirt from washing vegetables, before the water goes on into the drain line.

 

[alforddm]

Can you tell me how you built the sand trap? I need to build one of these so I'm not washing so much clay down my gray water system. Those counters look amazing!

 

[SixGun]

That is absolutely amazing. If all my dreams come true, maybe I can have something like that someday!!

 

[GBov]

That is absolutely amazing. If all my dreams come true, maybe I can have something like that someday!!

Me too! A proper scullery. Cool.

 

[michaels4gardens]

Can you tell me how you built the sand trap? I need to build one of these so I'm not washing so much clay down my gray water system. Those counters look amazing!

I bought 2, - one and a half inch "bulkhead fittings" from ebay [ https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-1-2-1-5-Bulk ... ctupt=true ]
then found a good 5 gal bucket with a tight fitting lid, cut holes in it, and tightened the "bulkhead fittings into the holes, then put a "plastic" threaded 1 1/2 inch nipple in to the holes in the bulkhead fitting, then screwed the drain fitting onto the nipple sticking out of bulkhead fitting, --
and put a different fitting in the existing waste water line, so the water coming from the sink ran into the bucket , then back out of the bucket through the other fitting ..to continue on its way to the sewer...

this " instructables " shows the process, but- it is better to use bulkhead fittings and skip the glue ...
https://www.instructables.com/id/Plaster-Trap/

make sure you use the easy to remove "plastic drain fittings" --so when the bucket needs emptied it is easy to remove , dump out and hook back up again .

__________ Sun Jun 16, 2019 4:24 am __________

Bottling green beans <br /><br /> __________ Mon Jul 22, 2019 3:46 am __________ <br /><br /> Been canning a lot of squash, green beans, and tomatoes...

 

[Shea]

How do you use/can summer squash? I've only ever froze my surplus. But that may b because I prefer it sauted or in stir frys.

 

[michaels4gardens]

How do you use/can summer squash? I've only ever froze my surplus. But that may b because I prefer it sauted or in stir frys.

I put the cut up summer squash [or any kind of squash] in a 6 gal stock pot with a pint of water, heat it until it begins to boil, stirring it a few times, to make sure it doesn't stick and burn. -let simmer until soft, ..
then, drain the water [and a lot of juice from the squash], and pack it into jars [i add no extra water, there is still plenty of water still in it] ...then process in pressure canner. [we often add some bacon in the bottom of each jar..] If I don't add bacon, i add a 1/2 tsp salt / pint ...
We all like squash, so often it is just heated up and eaten,
... other times, it is fried with onions and butter.
JMHO...
Although I often like the frozen vegetables [and meat], more than bottled food...
We have lost "power" a few times, with big freezers full of food...
Spent days in the Florida heat, with a propane burner, trying to bottle it all before it spoiled,
...and still lost a lot of food....
so nowadays, I only freeze a little bit of each ...
The bottled food,
is unaffected by power outages,
.. never gets "freezer burned" ,
...and doesn't continue to "run up" the electrical bill for as long as you have it...

 

[Shea]

Thanks I'll have to try some that way this year. Very good point about the freezer. I do sometimes take for granted that whenever we seem to loose power for multiple days its freezing outside.