Читать книгу Canning & Preserving For Dummies - Amelia Jeanroy - Страница 25

You probably already have an assortment of pots, pans, and mixing bowls. If not, don’t worry: You don’t need to purchase everything at one time. Start with a basic assortment and add pieces as you find a need for them.

 Pots: Pots have two looped handles (one on each side of the pot), range in size from 5 to 8 quarts, are deep, and allow ample space for the expansion of your food during a hard-rolling boil. A good-quality, heavy-bottomed pot provides even heat distribution for cooking jams, jellies, or other condiments.

 Saucepans: Saucepans range in size from 1 to 3 quarts. They have a long handle on one side of the pan and usually come with a fitted lid.

 Mixing bowls: Keep a variety of mixing bowl sizes in your kitchen. Look for sets in graduated sizes that stack inside each other for easy storage. Bowls made from glass and stainless steel are the most durable. Purchase mixing bowls with flat, not curved, bases. They won’t slide all over your kitchen counter while you work. When mixing vigorously, place a damp dishtowel under the bowl. This prevents the filled bowl from sliding.

 Colander: Colanders aren’t just for draining pasta. They’re perfect for washing and draining fruits and vegetables. Simply fill your colander with food and immerse it in a sink full of water. Remove the colander from the water and let your food drain while you move on to other tasks.

 Wire basket: A collapsible wire or mesh basket with a lifting handle makes blanching a breeze. (Blanching helps stop the enzyme action in the food, so it stays fresher longer.) Place your filled basket of food into your pot of boiling water. When the blanching time is up, lift the food-filled basket out of the boiling water and then place it into ice water to stop the blanching process.