On 10/09/13 12:50, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Tom Gardner wrote:
On 10/09/13 12:09, Martin Brown wrote:
On 09/09/2013 10:38, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 8 Sep 2013 20:41:55 +0100, Janet wrote:

I've no great experience of pressure cookers, My Mum didn't like 'em
so we never had one at home.

Sudden decreases in pressure are a very bad thing as flash boiling inside some thick goupy stew or soup inside one is a disaster!

OTOH, flashing water into steam *may* be a good way of disrupting
structures and possibly cells. Might be useful when turning
fish/meat/veg into stock.

Easily done by lifting up the weight - and watching the steam
spray 2ft horizontally from each of four holes. Good for startling
guests/kids

Mopping up the stock before use is a little fiddly :-)

At least I could easily and rapidly sterilise it in a
pressure cooker. Oh, wait...

On 9/10/2013 12:14 PM, Martin wrote:
On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:09:20 +0100, Martin Brown
I have distant recollections of conical fountains of scalding soup
flying up into the air plastering the kitchen ceiling and bouncing all
over at my aunts. They are fine if used correctly but there is scope for
considerable excitement if you make a mistake at high pressure.

ISTR some kind of emergency pressure release system triggered on it.

Usually caused by overfilling the pressure cooker.

My mother acquired her pressure cooker from a neighbour, after the
neighbour's kitchen suffered a major eruption of pea soup.

Somebody said ....

""ISTR some kind of emergency pressure release system triggered on it.""

A little valve which had to be replaced every so often.

Our Prestige Pressure Cooker had so much use in the early days that it
developed a rounded bottom and rocked on the cooker.

Nothing to do with gardening I know, but I thought I would join in :-)

(Not a moderated forum yet is it?)

Mike



"Martin" wrote in message
...

On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:09:20 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:


I have distant recollections of conical fountains of scalding soup
flying up into the air plastering the kitchen ceiling and bouncing all
over at my aunts. They are fine if used correctly but there is scope for
considerable excitement if you make a mistake at high pressure.

ISTR some kind of emergency pressure release system triggered on it.

Usually caused by overfilling the pressure cooker.
--

Martin in Zuid Holland

"Malcolm" wrote in message
...

In article , Jeff Layman
writes
On 07/09/2013 13:54, Nick Maclaren wrote:


BUT THE RISK OF DEATH IS *V*E*R*Y* HIGH IF IT DOES HAPPEN.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Think you'll find that although that used to be the case, with antitoxin
treatment and intensive care (mainly artificial respiration), it is down
to around 10%, maybe less.

Am I allowed to mention again (naturally in a whisper) that food-borne
botulism is incredibly rare in this country, so either everyone has
sensibly taken Nick's advice for the last 40-50 years or the risk of you
catching it (noting that the original thread only mentioned bottling fruit
and vegetables) is actually miniscule to non-existent.

So, please take extra care on the ladder when you're picking your own
fruit or as you drive to the shops to buy fruit and vegetables, because
you are at much greater risk of accidents and even death when carrying out
those activities than you are from catching botulism by eating
inadequately sterilised fruit or veg.

--
Malcolm

If I use Kilner jars for bottling, I sterilise them in my oven. Haven't
died of botulism yet.
I haven't tried the other method of sterilising solution, as in winemaking.
It may well work, but I prefer not to risk it.
Too much at stake.

On 12/09/13 23:01, Christina Websell wrote:
If I use Kilner jars for bottling, I sterilise them in my oven. Haven't
died of botulism yet.

Ah, but you're a skewed sample: the people that have
died of botulism haven't replied to this thread

Alternatively: "and you'll go on saying that until
you have died from botulism"

(For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not taking any
position on the method you use to sterilise them
nor on that method's sufficiency).

On 08/09/2013 08:38, Malcolm wrote:

In article , Jeff Layman
writes
On 07/09/2013 13:54, Nick Maclaren wrote:


BUT THE RISK OF DEATH IS *V*E*R*Y* HIGH IF IT DOES HAPPEN.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Think you'll find that although that used to be the case, with
antitoxin treatment and intensive care (mainly artificial
respiration), it is down to around 10%, maybe less.

Am I allowed to mention again (naturally in a whisper) that food-borne
botulism is incredibly rare in this country, so either everyone has
sensibly taken Nick's advice for the last 40-50 years or the risk of you
catching it (noting that the original thread only mentioned bottling
fruit and vegetables) is actually miniscule to non-existent.

It is rare but not quite extinct. The most common cause in the UK seems
to be home bottled herbs and or garlic in oil which combines all the
right ingredients and trace soil impurities in perfect harmony.

It is more a problem in countries where home canning is still popular.

So, please take extra care on the ladder when you're picking your own
fruit or as you drive to the shops to buy fruit and vegetables, because
you are at much greater risk of accidents and even death when carrying
out those activities than you are from catching botulism by eating
inadequately sterilised fruit or veg.

Kitchens are incredibly dangerous places too.
Scalding hot liquids, ovens, hot surfaces and sharp knives.

Fruits and jams are low enough pH to be safe it is only neutral or
slightly alkaline anerobic conditions where there is a serious threat.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 13/09/2013 11:57, Martin wrote:
On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:37:19 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

snip

Kitchens are incredibly dangerous places too.
Scalding hot liquids, ovens, hot surfaces and sharp knives.

Burning fat pans are a major source of house fires.

One of the fabulous fire brigade safety demos consists of a portable
fire proof trailer laid out inside as a kitchen that they create a chip
pan fire inside and then deliberately provoke it with a pint of water
tipped in on a very long stick. The flashover heat can be felt from 30m
away! Afterwards they put it out with a metal lid the safe way.

Apparently the most common root cause they encounter is drunks come home
hungry from pub put chip pan on and fall asleep in front of TV. Peak
fire damage from chip pan fires is Friday and Saturday nights.

These days health and safety means they have to advise you not to tackle
the blaze yourself but to close all the doors and ring 999.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Martin Brown wrote:
Apparently the most common root cause they encounter is drunks come home
hungry from pub put chip pan on and fall asleep in front of TV. Peak
fire damage from chip pan fires is Friday and Saturday nights.

These days health and safety means they have to advise you not to tackle
the blaze yourself but to close all the doors and ring 999.

There is a radio advert that does that exact scenario and gives that
exact advice.

On 13/09/2013 14:47, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Martin Brown wrote:

Apparently the most common root cause they encounter is drunks come home
hungry from pub put chip pan on and fall asleep in front of TV. Peak
fire damage from chip pan fires is Friday and Saturday nights.

These days health and safety means they have to advise you not to tackle
the blaze yourself but to close all the doors and ring 999.

There is a radio advert that does that exact scenario and gives that
exact advice.

If you are drunk then it is definitely the best thing to do.

We used to have fire training based on torching all the confiscated
spare/waste solvent from lab cupboards after the fire inspection in a
big metal tray 6x12' in the carpark.

The main thing I learnt from it was that unless the fire is tiny and not
electrical water based fire extinguishers are only any use for breaking
down locked doors. I have dry powder and CO2 at home.
(and no chip pan or deep fat fryer)

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 13/09/2013 14:47, Victoria Conlan wrote:
Martin Brown wrote:
Apparently the most common root cause they encounter is drunks come home
hungry from pub put chip pan on and fall asleep in front of TV. Peak
fire damage from chip pan fires is Friday and Saturday nights.

These days health and safety means they have to advise you not to tackle
the blaze yourself but to close all the doors and ring 999.

There is a radio advert that does that exact scenario and gives that
exact advice.

But does it tell you which side of the door to be?

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013 13:02:23 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

One of the fabulous fire brigade safety demos consists of a portable
fire proof trailer laid out inside as a kitchen that they create a chip
pan fire inside and then deliberately provoke it with a pint of water
tipped in on a very long stick.

The one I saw was nothing like a pint, probably less than 1/2 a cup.
Haven't see that demo for a long while, wouldn't be surprised if the
elven safety lot have banned it...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 13 Sep 2013 13:47:54 GMT, Victoria Conlan wrote:

These days health and safety means they have to advise you not to
tackle the blaze yourself but to close all the doors and ring 999.

There is a radio advert that does that exact scenario and gives that
exact advice.

Seen on back of fire engine a while back:

"Get out. Stay out, Get Us Out."

Durham Fire Service are extolling people to "Pull Your Finger Out"
with an image of a finger pressing the test button of a smoke alarm.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 12/09/13 23:01, Christina Websell wrote:
If I use Kilner jars for bottling, I sterilise them in my oven. Haven't
died of botulism yet.

Ah, but you're a skewed sample: the people that have
died of botulism haven't replied to this thread

Alternatively: "and you'll go on saying that until
you have died from botulism"

(For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not taking any
position on the method you use to sterilise them
nor on that method's sufficiency).

Seems to work for me. I wouldn't use sterilising solution (which is good
for winemaking)

On 14/09/13 23:32, Christina Websell wrote:
"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
...
On 12/09/13 23:01, Christina Websell wrote:
If I use Kilner jars for bottling, I sterilise them in my oven. Haven't
died of botulism yet.

Ah, but you're a skewed sample: the people that have
died of botulism haven't replied to this thread

Alternatively: "and you'll go on saying that until
you have died from botulism"

(For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not taking any
position on the method you use to sterilise them
nor on that method's sufficiency).

Seems to work for me. I wouldn't use sterilising solution (which is good
for winemaking)


I've walked out into roads without looking, and
I haven't come to any harm. (Yet)

Not looking seems to work for me. (So far).

Seems to work for me. I wouldn't use sterilising solution (which is good
for winemaking)


I've walked out into roads without looking, and
I haven't come to any harm. (Yet)

Not looking seems to work for me. (So far).


The North American natives had a saying
"The gods look after children and the simple minded"