[Sandy in KS]

I am looking at buying a pressure cooker for cooking older chickens, ducks, and geese. I have never used one before, but I hear they are great for making older birds more tender. I am thinking about an 8 qt., so I can fit a small goose in it. Anybody have any suggestions? I don't see much selection in stores, so have been looking on-line. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Dawndra]

If you buy a used one, take it to your farm bureau & have it tested. I bought one at a fleamarket.... They're the best for tenderizing old birds...

We bought some chickens & butchered them. I canned 1/2 & froze 1/2 for frying. the 1/2 I froze turned out to be THE toughest bird I ever ate! The canned ones were as tender as all get out.

I would also suggest going to estate sales where old people are moing from the country to the city. You can usually find all the supplies you need there, too.

 

[comfortablynumb]

I just pressure cooked a whole roasting chicken last night. the separate from the bone so clean...yum.

and the liquid thats left was so strong i made a gallon and a half of soup....
all from a $3 chicken.
if your gonna cook a turkey you need a BIG canner type, they all work the same. (it still would have to be a small turk unless you chopped it up first maybe?)
I have 4 cookers.... a size for every job. they do tederize meat for sure.... cook the chickie too long and its so tender its slop. :haha:

 

[george darby]

i like to cook them not quite done then brown them in the oven great way to do ribbs too we have several sizes depending on what they need oh and speeds up cooking potatoes great! mirromatic is the better of the comon brands i like it better than presto.im not familiar with the premium brands i would look around i see so many at flea markets ect... watch the seals and be carful to follow instructions for your brand lots of people ar scared of presure cookers but if you use some sense and proper caution there is no need to worry most people who have had trouble disregarded the instructions about what not to cook or overfilled them and some just wandered off and let the burner melt the coocker.....must have been gone a long time but thats thier story on what happened just bought a 20qt for a friend at a fleamarket for 10$ still in the original box..... everything was there

 

[Ken in Minn]

I am looking at buying a pressure cooker for cooking older chickens, ducks, and geese. I have never used one before, but I hear they are great for making older birds more tender. I am thinking about an 8 qt., so I can fit a small goose in it. Anybody have any suggestions? I don't see much selection in stores, so have been looking on-line. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Is this the same as [pressure canner] if it is mywife has a 'Burpee" and she loves it, also has her mothers, don"t use them as much as she used to. the kids are gone. But it used to get used a lot, remember her saying, she used to can over 300 qts a year.
Ken in Minn.

 

[goatlady]

Pressure canners are pressure cookers - just jumbo sized to hold quart jars.

 

[Helena]

I would not buy a canner with the "jiggle" gauge..instead get the one with a temperature gauge that you can acutally watch. The "jiggle" one almost drove me nuts counting how many 'jiggles" in a minute. Good Luck !!

 

[Thumper/inOkla.]

LOL. I prefer the "jiggle" gauge myself, the dial gaure should be tested every year to make sure it is accurate.

But what ever style you choose, stick with the major brands of Mirro, or Presto, I have had 2 pots from lesser brands split down the sides, while setting in the cupboard (thank God, it was not in use at the time it split), the larger one I had used only once, I saved it just for stiring soap in, I think, I could find it, and try to email you a picture if you want to see it

 

[comfortablynumb]

if your very old, and around my area, you will recognize the words "edna's chicken". many years ago when the stubenville pike was a major hiway, my grandmother and her family had a resturant there, they had a secret method people came from far and wide to buy. they pressure cooked the chickies and then deep fried them. people thought that was all the rage, and it was gooood.

KFC makes their chicken that way (used to). We always say the col. stole aunt edna's method. (she was there first)

 

[Sandy in KS]

Gee, thanks everyone for the great advise! I think I will check out the flea markets - maybe I can find one still in the box with all the instructions, etc. I had not thought about getting a pressure canner. I have never canned anything before, but I know I need to start. That way, I would have one large enough to do a small (or cut up) turkey!