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June 21,1985
Know your pressure canner and how it works
Canning meats, fish, and veget
ables takes higher th a n boiling
tem peratures to kill the bacteria
th a t cause botulism , a danger-
bus illness. The only way to
reach these temperatures is under
pressure, In a pressure cariner
the steam , is confined until it
builds up pressure.
Know y o u r pressure cariner
and how it works.
Essential Parts
insure a tighter seal.
Vents allow air to be exhausted
from the canner and to permit
the release of steam as needed.
A petcock, safety valve or weight
on the vent is used to control
the escape of air or steam. Weight
gauges may also release excess
steam.
Safety plugs go into action
only if pressure or tem peratures
become dangerously high. Metal
alloy plugs melt when pressure
gets too high or the canner boils
dry Com position-type plugs are
blown out by excessive pres
sure. Both types are replaceable.
Checking out the pressure
canner before the canning sea
son. .
with pipe cleaners.
4. Have the dial guage checked
for accuracy each season.
Operating the pressure canner
1. P ut «jars on the rack in the
canner containing two to three
inches of water. M ore water
may be needed for long process
ing times.
2. Fasten canner cover secure
ly. Heat canner rapidly.
3. Leave petcock open or
Closure (cover) of pressure
weight gauge off until steam is
canners lock in place so that
com ing out in a steady stream,
they cannot be lifted by steam.
usually ab o u t ten m inutes after
O lder canners are closed with.a
first steam appears. This allows
thum b-screw type closure. Co
thè air to be expelled and insures
vers oh newer canners usually
th at the pressure obtained will
slide into a locked position.
be true steam pressure. This
Pressure gauges record the
step is essential to get the desired
pressure. The dial gauge or the
1. Reread the directions that processing tem perature;
weight with a sliding core shows came with the canner. W rite the
4. Close the vent. W atch the
the pressure within the canner; m anufacturer if you need a copy gauge closely and when the dia|
you m ust adjust the heat to keep of the use and care manual.
gauge registers the desired pres
the pressure steady. The weight-
2. Check the gasket. If it is sure or when the weight gauge
type gauge perm its pressure to worn, stretched or hardened, signals the pressure has been
rise to a definite point and then replace it. W ash out the ridge reached (measured by frequency
releases, excess steam to keep where the gasket rests and re of jiggling), adjust heat to keep
pressure from going higher.
move any m ineral deposits in the needle steady or the weight^
G askets of rubber or rubber the ridge and on sealing edges exhausting steam ait a slow buri
like com pounds keep steam from With fine steel wool. ■
steady rate. Set the timer. Write
leaking out around the cover.
3. P ut w ater in the canner and dow n the time when processing
M ost gaskets are removeable bring it up to pressure in the begins.
i a n d sh o u ld be re p la c e d as usual way to see th a t it is in
5. W hen processing tim e is
needed. Some can be turned to good working order. Clean vents up, remove canner from heat
Trees may experience stress
Thé sum m er Season can be a
stressful tim e for trees, particu
larlythose planted in and around
hom e landscapes,. ?
M any of the tree problem s
we see in the sum m er are caused
by something affecting the tree’s
root system.
. The m ost com m on cause of
tree stress is the misuse of weed
killers in lawns th a t are growing
above the tree roots. A nother
problem is lack of soil moisture,
especially w ith young trees or
trees planted this past spring.
An old tree usually has its
roots deep enough into dam p
Spil th a t sum m er watering iSri’t
necessary, A young tree, on the
other hand, needs to be w atered
every m onth during its first year
as a p a rt of the home landscape,
and enough w ater should be
applied th at it reaches and sti
m ulates the roots th a t grow
deep into the soil.
The root system of a tree
spreads out in all directions
fro m the trunk. The roots will
d e v e lo p ^ w hatever direction
and /let it cool until pressure
' reaches zero (usually about one
half hour). D o not hurry the
cooling by running w ater over
the canner.
6. Open petcock or remove
weight slowly to prevent a sud
den change or pressure that
might cause liquid to be lost
from jars.
<«7 as Loosen the cover only when
the steam stops flowing freely.
Always lift the back edge of the
lid first so th at the escaping
stearh will be directed away
from your face.
8. Remove ja rs and set top
side up on a rack or folded cloth
tb cool. Allow space for air to
circulate around them . (Note:
spoilage could result if ja rs are
riot removed from the canner
prom ptly after processing).
9. Check the seal on the ja r
the day after canning. If you
find a j a r which has not sealed,
use the food right away or p ro
cess it again using new lids.
10. W ash pressure canner
thoroughly after each use but
d o n ’t put cover in w ater because
this will dam age a dial gauge
and may cause vents to become
clogged. Clean all other parts
carefully and dry thoroughly.
11. Store the canner carefully.
Father and son, Linton and Reggie Winishut, enjoyed the Father's
D ay Breakfast p u t on by 4-Hers last Sunday. Thirty fathers
attended the breakfast with their families.
Camp open to 4-Hers
Any boy or girl (4-H members
will have priority), currently en
rolled in grades 7 through 9 and.
living in one of the four Mid-
Colum bia counties Pr W arm
Springs Reservation, who is inte
rested in an outdoor challenge,
should sign u p fo r the three-day
backpack trip into the Twin
Lakes area south of H ood River.
The cam p will be held August
9-11.
4-H ers will hike in five miles
carrying their own clothing, good
light sleeping bag, hiking shoes,
flashlight, fishing poles, swim
suit, and regular cam p gear (to
wel, soap, bug repellent, etc,).
Horses will pack the food and
cooking utensils.
W hile a t the cam p site 4-R ers
will fish, swim, hike and learn
about the wilderness.
Backpacks and sleeping bags
are available to 4-Hers who do
not have their own backcountry
gear.
This will be an excellent oppor-
tunity to learn outdoor skills
and meet new 4-Hers,
Interested 4-Hers should be
in good health and physical
condition.
Cost for the cam p 8 $25.00.
The W arm Springs4-H Leaders
A sso c ia tio n w ill c o n trib u te
$10.00 to the campers fee. 4-
Hefs will pay the remaining
$15.00.
For further information please
call OSU Extension Service in
W arm Springs. 553-1161, ext,
2 3 8 /2 3 9 . P a rtic ip a n ts fro m
W arm Springs are limited to
six. Sign up early!
FREEDOM
TOBE...
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
EXTENSION
Clay Penhollow
Mollie Driscoll
Guard your card
Did you get a credit card
statem ent in the m a ii today? If
you did, d o n ’t just glance at it.
? Read the statem ent carefully
ip make sure you c a n ac co u n t
fo r all transactions. Credit card
fraud is on the rise. Your card
d oesn’t have to be stolen to be
used illegally.
| Someone may have copied
the number-of your account for
their own use. W hen you make
a purchase, ask for any carbon
çopies of the transactions. Clerks
should make only one .imprint
forthem selves.
Here are other precautions
you can take as well.
£ ?—D on’t give your card num
bers over the phone, unless you’re
the one who initiates the trans
action.
Beware of anyone who calls
you and asks for your card
numbers.
1 p—Destroy your expired cards,
and keep an up-to-date list of
all num bers in case any are lost.
Finally, treat your card like
cash. D on’t loan them out, or
leave them lying around. N ot
only are youTiable for a $50 loss
on every account used fraudu
lently, you absorb those costs
through higher prices.
Give attention to garden irrigation
they find growing room , good
soil and moisture.
C o rrec t g a rd e n irrig atio n ,
doesn’t necessarily require years
of experience, but some atten
As the tree develops, the roots
tion to detail does help.
continue to expand outw ards at
Irrigation requirem ents vary
a rate equal to or even greater
with different soil types and the
than the top growth. The absQrp-
tion roots, which provide the footing depth of various garden
plants. ■
moisture for the tree, are located
' Sandy soil will hold just under
out from the tru n k and are most
one inch of w ater per foot of
active in a zone ab o u t three feet
soil; loams about one and one
inside to three feet outside the
nsjlf inches; and clay soils ahout
driplirie of the tree.
two and one half inches.
" ' Trb'e''roots' may-fektend dirt # C orn, tom atoes an d small
from the trunk as far as the tree sh ru b s draw ;w ater^rdm ihg fop
U tall. The ro o t system of a one or two feet of soil. They
maple tree 30 feet high may need watering less frequently
reach as far as 30 feet aw ay from Than laWn grasses andleafy veg
the trunk; This means th at most etables th at draw water from
nearby trees will have their roots just the upper eight to twelve
underneath your lawn. This also inches of soil.
means th a t weed killers used on ?. In addition, the am ount of
the laWn should b e checked water used daily by plants will
carefully to make sure they will depend on temperature and wind
not harm a nearby tree any way. conditions.
i P lan t sym ptom scan be Used
as a guide to the timé for irriga
tion. W hen in need, of .water,
many plants show a dark, bluish-
green color, or wilting, or both.
These symptoms first appear
during the hottest p art of the
W ith summ er w eather here day.
A nother m ethod is to Use a
m any parents have noticed an
increase in the layridry load. shovel or a soil tube to check
Je a n s get d irtier? sh irts get The ’soil m oistüre content. Dry
changed more oftçn, The syn soil a t a depth of six inches
thetic fibers, knitted fabrics and means watering is needed.
Each irrigation should pro
perm anent press finishes in the
vide
only enough water to reple
laundry absorb grease and oil
easily, Stains may , be hard to nish w hat the pldnts have used.
remove. Perspiration and other It is best to give a thorough
odors cling. Bright colors need soaking and then not irrigate
again until necessary. At least
extra attention.
one inch of w ater about every
M any of today’s garment care
labels recommend warm water five to seven days is recom
washing. Plus, there’s something mended.
Avoid frequent watering with
else that many care labels1 says,
¡small am ounts of water. This
“ Do Not Bleach.”
Before washing, it’s im por 'results in excessive'evaporation
tan t to check care labels. They w ithout deep wetting in the root
give specific washing instructions zone and encourages surface
ro o ts th a t will suffer from
as well as details on fiber con
tent. Get to stains before they {drought unless the surface is
get to you. Some can set per kept damp.
H and sprinkling can be a
m anently by sitting toó long.
D o n ’t o v erload the w asher. waste of time because sufficient
Clothes need room to agitate so w ater is seldom applied.
For most efficient water use,
sóil can be loósened and re
moved. Even distribution o f large irrigate in the early mornirigs.
and sm all item s gets b etter Less wind and lower tem pera
tures mean m ore of the water
cleaning action.
Summer laundry
loads increase
Photo courtesy of Mollie Driscoll
P age 5
gets to therroot zone instead of
being lost to evaporation.
1. ) D o n ’t plant on m ounds,or
hills (a raised soil level with a
rounded top) because water pene
tration is almost nil and mounds
dry out quickly. A flat planting
bed is better for taking in and
renaming riioisture. A basin or
depression formed around plants
such as cucumbers and squash
will catch the w ater and keep it
near the plant roots.
2. ) In the cool, early part of
such as straw or grass to save
water and keep down weeds.
3. ) Practice better-than-usual
weed control. Weeds steal valu
able m oisture th at vegetables
can use.
4. ) Use cans with holes in the
bottom , buried to ground level,
as a reservoir. W ater is more
efficiently applied to the root
zone of individual plants such
as tom atoes and squash.
5. ) Investigate trickle irriga
tion Systems. These along-the-
the growing season, use a pla§-„ r ow plastic ooze-type systems
tic mulch around tomatoes, cu can save half to two-thirds of
cumbers, melons, peppers and the water usually applied to the
other warm season plants. Plas
tic will Warm the soil in addition
to conserving water. Later in
the season use an organic mulch
garden. They put the water right
along the row where it is needed
and allow only a minimum of
evaporation.
Sugarless does not
mean non-caloric
Weight conscious folks who
buy a snack because it’s sugar
less, expecting it to be calorie-
free, ought to read the label
first. T h a t’s the advice of Ex
tension fpods an d nutrition spe
cialist; Jo an W einer who says
the snack may contain just as
many calories.
It’s possible th at it would be
sweetened with so rb ito l and
m anitdl, which contain as many
calories as sugar does, although
the sorbitol and m anitol are not
quite as sweet. Which means it
takes more of these.sugarless
sweeteners to make the snack
sweet. And that means you could
be eating more calories than
you thought,
A product that’s labeled sugar-,
less, th at is not low or reduced
in calories, must be labeled ac
cordingly. There must be a state
ment somewhere b n the pack
age, maybe in very fine print,
that says: Does not promote
tooth decay. Not non-caloric.
Harvest early crops now
Keep the vegetable garden
working for you by harvesting
and replanting. The eariy crops
should be about ready for harv
est to make room for another
Crop.
Early vegetables such as rad
ishes, green onions, peas, and
early spinach, should be nary-
ested soon for best eating. Then
When a row isclear, re-work the
soil and put in an o th er vegeta
ble crop for late summ er.
?
A row of late cabbage could
follow an early crop o f radishes.
A planting of tunips could go
into the area vacated by the
green onion crop.
If you want to brighten up
the garden plot, put in a row of
sumrner annual flow ers.'
When replanting the open
areas, - keep in mind that, the
vegetables planted now will prob
ably be m aturing in the cool
nights of fall. Select cool season
crops for the most part to insure
a harvest. Turnips, endiVe, kale,
cabbage, cauliflower, beets, car
rots, and lettuce, are some of
th e more popular late summer
.c ro p s."
W hen an early crop has m a
nured or arrived at the stage for
best eating, use it. H ome grown
j vegetables are not automatically
top quality unless they are h ar
vested at the right stage.
Photo courtesy o f Mouse Driscoll
Shirley Sanders was one of 18 who traveled last week to Orient to
pick strawberries. The trip was sponsored by the OSU Extension
Office.