Topic: What are your can’t do without items or gadgets?

[Jeannine]

Jay, there is a seller on e bay who ships over the big  pressure canning pan, I sold mine before I went to the UK and was lost without it so had one shipped over and I know of at least 2 forum members who used the same seller after I told them,,it is not as expensive as you might think.

XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

My best gadgets are my Sabatier knife set, no other knifes cut cleanly and smoothly straight along the length of a carrot.

My apple pealer is becoming a fixture.   I like my veg steamer though prefer a round one so it heats the plates as well.

Cannot do without the pressure cooker currently have a Lidl one.  Takes cooking bacon wedges into best quality ham in 15 mins, lovely soup, baked beans and stews.

All time favourite is my Norwegian cheese knife, which produces very thin slices of cheese.  My mother bought back from Norway before I was born and we managed to get a new wooden handle at a craft event.  No modern type one seems to be as good.

[Jayb]

Jay, there is a seller on e bay who ships over the big  pressure canning pan, I sold mine before I went to the UK and was lost without it so had one shipped over and I know of at least 2 forum members who used the same seller after I told them,,it is not as expensive as you might think.

XX Jeannine

Thanks Jeannine, I'll go and take a look.

[peanuts]

What is widely used in France is a sterilisateur, or bouilluer.  It is just a big boiling pot, and easy to use.  There is a thermometer that sits in it, visible from the top, so it is fairly easy to keep a constant 100º. This size cost about €35 I think.  It takes about 30 small paté jars, or 16   larger jars, e.g. 750ml size. Worth bringing one back from France if you come over Jayb?

[galina]

I have the Weck equivalent which is red and enamelled.  Mine is an ancient hand-me-down, probably from my grandmother, given to me by my mother.  Thermometer still intact.

I have seen more modern ones (but same function) sold by Lidl supermarket in early summer,  They had the type that doubles up as steam juicer.  Worth keeping an eye out for if you have one near you.

However, any large, tall saucepan will do if the jars are covered by water.  If the jars are not too tall, I use a pressure cooker (not pressurised for waterbathing) because it has a handy insert to keep jars off the base, but I can't fit many in.   I have even used a large pasta pot with several folded tea towels as a base layer before I had a proper waterbath steriliser pot.

[artichoke]

If you look up Japanese Razor Hoe on Amazon UK, you'll see my latest obsession. It is a hook shape that  slices through just about everything at the perfect angle, and has the weight and sharpness to deal with any weeds. It's marvellous for clearing out under fruit bushes and between leeks and strawberry plants and leaves the ground looking freshly cultivated.

Apart from that his has to be my wonderful Austrian scythe. Over the two months I have had it I have brought all my overgrown weeds crashing down, and cleared pathways between my plots and neglected neighbouring plots, and alongside a huge overgrown brambly hedge. It has given me the heart to realise that I CAN recover the plots and bring them back into productivity, after a slightly discouraged period.

[raisedbedted]

I second the Japanese Razor Hoe.  I've had mine for 6 months and it, along with my Mattock, is my must have tool.  So valued in fact that its the only tool that I will MAKE SURE I have put back.  I did buy a Hori Hori (Japanese Weeding Knife) at the same time but it is so lethal looking that I would be afraid to go out in public with it.