Greenliving

Fowlers Vacola supplies

I don't agree with the first site's statement, though, that you MUST not reuse used lids. I have been doing so for years now. The only lids I throw away, are those that are damaged inside (rubber on lids wearing off, etc.).
Hmm...come to think of it, there are more things I don't agree with...but maybe I'm just cranky today. *winks*

On re-using lids, as a rule I don't do this but can see no reason not to if the lids are in good condition and still form a good seal.

It would work out more economical than Vacola for small stuff but the big Vacola jars (my favourite is 1250ml) are so good for bulky things like tomatoes that I want to have in decent quantities for family meals. Fruit would be the same. When I'm preserving a lot of produce the big jars get those crates emptying *fast*.

I still like my electric gizmo too. It's big and processes more jars at a time than any pot I have. The gizmo also gets loaded up and left to do it's thing out in the laundry - not on my stove where I'm busy preparing the next lot.

Lids of both ways are reusuable but if we're comparing new lids on big Vacola jars to new lids on smaller recycled jars, I don't think there would be *that* much difference in the cost per kilo of food stored. Both methods have their uses.

Amanda
PS: All of my Vacola equipment was sought out preloved and was not a huge cost.

Tomatoes and fruit will go in 'proper' Vacola jars. However, they'll be No 20 jars, as the bigger ones will be a bit big for 2 people.

Ray, come preserving, pickling, jamming time, you are more than welcome to vist and have a peek. And a taste, if you are good. *winks*

My name is Valerie & I was so excited when I found our family website www.GreenLivingAustralia.com discussed in your forum, that I had to join up and add my bit.

Regarding using new lids, if you are just staring out preserving food it is best to only use the new lids to avoid any risk of food poisoning.

We are saying in our site that you will get a seal using our new lids and method; however, we cannot say you will get a seal with lids we have not seen and do not know the quality of. The problem is exactly that the rubber on the inside of the lids wears off. Also the rubber can become discoloured even if it still makes a good seal, and as I give a lot of preserves as gifts, I use new lids.

If you are confident that you can determine when lids will still make a good seal, & you have the space to refrigerate any jars that do not seal, then that is great, as it recycles the lids as well as the jars, which is the whole point. Any and all recycling helps as it lessens the load on an already stressed environment.

Regarding the size of our processing pot, we found a huge pot at a asian supermarket, and had the choice of several styles and sizes. They also had some fantastic ingredients, the curry powder is a highlight.

I note that there was mention of the preserving of broadbeans, was this done under pressure or just hot bath? Beans are a low acid produce and need to be "pressure canned" to prevent botulism. Please refer to this page http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile22.stm from the "British Colombia Government Health Files". You may also not that this document stresses in bold print the warning not to reuse lids. This is to ensure that people unfamiliar with the home preserving processes and risks, do not inadvertantly give themselves a bad case of food poisoning. I am hoping that "Spatzbear" did use a pressure canner, and if so can you please tell me where to get one in Australia, I left a perfectly good one back in America and have not found one here yet.

Well I hope I havn't bent you ear too much, and I look forward to spending sometime in this great forum that I only just found.

Much Love & Keep It Green ...... Valerie

First of all, I do not have a source for the mason jar lids in Australia at this time. Lincraft use to carry them but I recently purchases all they had in Brisbane, and they told me they will not be getting anymore. The problem is there is just not a big enough market for them. Therefore, I am currently attempting to make arraignments to import some from America as I too have quite a few of the mason jars and all my lids are worn out.

I understand your position Raymondo. I have two daughter who although they don’t have an immune system problem, they have severe allergies to many perseveres most common in foods and several other chemical allergies. We therefore produce most of our own food and preserving the harvest has become a way of life for us. (And we all know the food you make yourself tastes much better than anything you could buy in a store!)

Green Living started to help people like us salve problems they may run into in attempting to live a healthy and greener lifestyle. However, I am so glad I found this forum and am now in contact with some like-minded people.

Much Love & Keep It Green …… Valerie

I am sorry about your not getting a response to your e-mail to Green Living. We certainly would have answered if we had received it. These things happen though. What was your question? I think Sarah is right and you just cannot get the mason lids here. I will pursue my plan of getting them from some overseas source, as there seems to be a good demand. I can look into manufacturing in the future if viable.

Much Love & Keep it Green ….. Valerie

The delivery is surprisingly quick. I did have one book once that was sent by boat - row boat I think - and took three months, but that only happened once! I can't imagine those lids would be too heavy for airmail.

Just get brave and try mail ordering a few!

Regarding the Bertoli jars, the ones that have Mason on them 500ml and 275ml need the regular size dome lids with the screw on rings. These are the ones we are having so much trouble getting in Australia and will have to be improted,(which I intend on doing right away). I will let you know when I get some in and if anyone else locates any in Australia, we would all love to know.

Much love and keep it green ..... Valerie

I found some in House in Hobart. A number of sizes

OK. I can just about understand the concept that in 2005 a business does NOT have a website (not very forward thinking, but still...), and if Fowlers Vacola/Big Sister/Molly ORourke and co feel they can successfully market their wares without the internet, so be it.

But I cannot understand how the question "can you give me a list of stockists in Brisbane?" is ignored on a phone message, ignored on a fax message, and finally, after 3 emails, gets a fuzzy "No there are not any other stockists in Brisbane of size - most of the better stockists are in country areas in QLD." excuse me???? NO ONE in Brisbane has stock of your lids, rings etc????? and why not just give me a list of Queensland stockists? or South East Queensland stockists? Because I have family that lives at Caboolture, Kilcoy, Gympie, Noosa....if there is a shop with them sitting on their shelves, I'd get to them eventually. (OK, so maybe I'm a bit slack visiting Great Aunt Dorothy, but the promise of FV lids and rings sitting on a shop shelf in Gympie might be all the incentive I need). Or maybe the stockists of FV products is more classified than the CIA most wanted list? Or harder to get than blood out of a stone? OH NO! wait! they have a new marketing ploy - DON"T let anyone sell your stuff, and then no one will buy it, and then you won't have to bother making it! think how much tidier the office will be without all those nasty phone messages, faxes and emails from people wanting to buy your product!

OK, fine, I give in.

Can someone tell me about Mason jars - I can buy a dozen jars complete with lids and rings at KMart for cheaper than I can buy a dozen FV lids and rings from my local Mitre 10 - because I CAN order through them, but any order under $250 will attract a $40 handling fee. (Yeah, sure, spend $20 on a dozen stainless steel lids and rings, $40 on handling). So, can I use my FV unit, but with Mason jars, and just follow the same processing instructions?

*sorry guys - I just had to vent - bought a FV unit with jars 3 weeks ago, and STILL can't get the rings/lids etc I need to actually use it. And I have a freezer FULL of tomatoes, I really wanted to bottle some!*

thanks Ray - I think I'll give up on the FV gear, and just got to KMart and stock up on the Mason Jars. I've been to Valeries site - even posted there! Hopefully Valerie will import some mason lids eventually, and I'll get new lids from her.

thanks - I just can't believe how frustrating dealing with this has been.

And I do know where to get replacement inserts and rings cheaply (at every local grocery store and hardware centre). Unlike the US, Canada is metric so our lids will likely fit your jars/bottles. PP can test when she gets here and send/bring some back if so desired.

Trade you Canadian lids for European seeds ? ;>)

Jennifer

Having said that I've run out of jars. I can't make any jam anymore. No jars. *sob* And I sooo wanted to try the Tomato and Orange Jam in the Tomato Festival Book. *sob sob*

Jennifer, your preserving stint in the historic kitchen sounds interesting. What did you preserve?

Amanda

Does this mean that only "country women" preserve their garden produce? I can't believe that - according to FVacola themselves - not one shop in Brisbane actually has this stuff sitting on a shelf. How do they expect to sell it, if no one can see it to buy it?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20485&item=4361800029&rd=1

This is David, Valerie's brother from Greenliving Australia. We recently bought FV jars and lids from "Barry's Mitre 10" at Woodridge [3208 0004] you should give them a call. One of Barry's daughters is right into helping us out with our home preserving, and just wishes she hads the time to do some herself. They got in a stack of jars, lids, and rings for us, and still have stock.

Cheers .... David

spats - they look FANTASTIC

BTW, I went up to Bilpin a few weeks ago. One of the roadside stalls had no.27 vacola jars of apricots, plums and cherries for sale. $12 each. Not very tightly packed either. Makes it all seem worthwhile.
Danielle

Danielle I found a way to prevent floating is to load them all into a big pot and bring them to the boil very briefly. It seems to get out the air and also produces the juice to pack them in.

There may be other ways to solve it, of course, that's just mine.

Amanda

Ahem, I must confess, I've already used 1 jar last night. I was itching to know what the sound was like that Amanda found so satisfying when opening the jar. Now I know. The phhhhhsssssshhh is the home preservers' symphony. :)

I just wish autumn hadn't arrived with 8 C nights and 19 C days and drizzle and cold. :( How are my tomatoes supposed to ripen up?! I need to make more paste and preserve more and sun-dry more and eat more and give away more and and and... I'm not ready yet for autumn.

Obviously this step isn't absolutely necessary - I just like to do it because it stops the toms floating in the jar and makes me feel like I've crambed more in. :)

Amanda

My Vacola has a thermostat and I just turn the knob to the Hold Boil setting not a temperature as such.

I notice in the book it says for the Thermometer ones - Bring temp slowly up to boiling point 100ΊC (212ΊF) - this will take at least 45 minutes and maintain at boiling point for 15 minutes. Then switch off heat source and allow bottles to stand with preserver lid on, undisturbed, in preserver for another hour before taking out.

No salt just 1 tsp preserving citric for a No.36 jar which holds 1250ml.

Amanda

I bought a very old stovetop vaccola kit with bottles clips and lids from some lovely elderly peple, and have so far only bottled apricots and plums, but tomorrow will start on tomatoes. The book that came with it was published in 1962.

I have also borrowed a dehydrator, and my house is right this minute wafting with plum-leather scent.

I buy seals and other vaccola bits from a local hardware chain, Magnet Mart. I am lucky that I haven't had any trouble getting the bits, unless you count toting three little kids through the hardware shop...

Nice to read about everyone elses fabulous results. I must agree that the sound of the seal being deliberately broken is really satisfying.

Kate

Let me know if you need some supplies. I could even pass some on to somebody going to Brisbane in 2 weeks' time. :)

Smiles SOO

http://centre.net.au/Fowlers_Vacola_Preserving_00064P.html is the place to go for new jars, lids, rings and kits (I just visit to wince at the prices and promise myself to make mine last!).

Anyway, I have only bottled plums so far - they look gorgeous by the way. But they took me most of a day to do, mainly because I had to constantly fiddle with the gas (I couldn't get it low enough for the steady temperature required, and had to keep turning it on, letting it cool, turning it on, etc.). Also, my old book has long cooking times - apparently they are shorter now?

We were planning to bottle tomatoes, but by the time we'd made tomato sauce, tomato chutney, dried tomatoes and tomato soup, there just weren't enough left to make the effort. Next year maybe!