A household autoclave has long been an indispensable kitchen attribute for many zealous owners who prefer to cook a variety of canned meat and fish , vegetable snacks, compotes and juices at home. This unique machine allows you to simply, quickly and safely process large quantities of products at one time. Another important advantage of this method of conservation is that all the ingredients retain their beneficial and nutritional properties.
Types of Autoclaves
At present, on sale you can find home-made autoclaves of three modifications: electric, with heating on a gas stove and combined, in which the possibility of both methods of operation is provided. In addition, the models differ in functionality, volume and power, which allows each consumer to choose the right option for themselves. The price of an autoclave, depending on its technical features, can vary from 25,000 to 45,000 rubles.
Once the preparation of canned food by the autoclave method was considered a rather risky occupation due to the high explosiveness of old models of such units. But modern products are completely safe, as they have multi-stage protection mechanisms, special locks, safety valves in their design to prevent excessive pressure build-up and automatic shutdown systems.
Effective Pest Control
Back in the 19th century, microbiological scientists proved that the death of vegetative forms of microorganisms present in food products occurs when they are cooked for an hour at a temperature of 60 ° C. This process was called pasteurization, but it had one serious drawback - at this temperature, spore forms of microbes and bacteria were not destroyed. Only sterilization of products under high-temperature conditions could ensure complete neutralization. But even in boiling liquid at 100 ° C, some dangerous organisms, for example, botulism bacteria, survived. Therefore, it was necessary to find a solution to increase the processing temperature.
It was established experimentally that if pressure is created inside the vessel, the boiling point will rise above 120 ° C. Thus, the first prototypes of sterilizers were developed.
A household canning autoclave also functions. It 100% eliminates harmful microorganisms. In this case, no other devices (crock-pots, pressure cookers and other devices) do not have such efficiency. The autoclave method of preparing canned food allows not only to make them completely safe, but also to be stored for a very long time.
Design
The autoclave is a hermetically sealed container of a generally cylindrical shape, equipped with a lid. All structural elements are made of durable metal. The cover of the device is equipped with a pressure gauge designed to control pressure, a thermometer and a fitting for injecting and venting air.
All models of devices are characterized by a fairly simple principle of operation. They provide quick heating and when loaded, during the time required for the preparation of canned food, they operate at constant temperature (about 120 ° C) and pressure (about 4.5 atm.)
Electric models are fully automated. Some of them are equipped with an electronic control unit. Please note that if you want to purchase an automated autoclave, its price will be significantly higher than for simple gas modifications.
The principle of operation of the autoclave system
In an unpressurized container, such as a pan, it is impossible to heat the water more than its boiling point. That is, when it reaches 100 ° C, the liquid ceases to heat up. This happens in connection with its intense evaporation during heating. With a long boil, water from a liquid state passes into a completely gaseous state - steam.
Home autoclaves have a sealed design, inside of which a certain pressure is created by means of water vapor. The higher the temperature of the liquid, the stronger the evaporation and, consequently, the greater the pressure in the system. A modern household autoclave, regardless of modification, provides fractional evacuation, that is, oxygen is removed in several cycles, due to which the latent heat generated in the process of increasing pressure is characterized by a huge penetrating force that destroys the spores of microorganisms.
Due to the increased temperature, the preparation of products in an autoclave is much faster than by cooking in the usual way. For example, to stew fresh cabbage, just 1 minute is enough, for green beans - 5 minutes, and for a whole 3 kg chicken - about 20 minutes. Due to the quick cooking under pressure, a household autoclave allows you to save all the taste and vitamin value of the products.
Terms of Use
Despite the design features of different models, they all work according to the same scheme. The instruction for a home autoclave contains data on technical specifications (internal volume, dimensions, weight, working pressure and temperature), as well as operating requirements that must be followed. In general, the algorithm for using these devices is as follows:
- Preparation of cans of the appropriate volume (0.5 or 1 liter).
- Filling the container with the necessary ingredients (there are a variety of recipes for the autoclave).
- Rolling filled jars with metal lids (to avoid bloating and tearing of the lids, the products should not reach the edge of the neck by 2-3 cm).
- Laying on the bottom of the autoclave a dense fabric gasket or wooden grill (to protect the cans, it is recommended to lay a cloth between their walls)
- Loading containers into a household autoclave in several "floors".
- Pour water into the unit capacity to the level specified in the instructions.
- Closing the autoclave and creating initial pressure using the pump (make sure that the installation is closed tightly and that the air does not poison anywhere).
- Heating the device until the necessary pressure is created (the operation manual should contain a table of the dependence of temperature indicators on pressure).
- Cooking (recipes for an autoclave usually indicate the cooking time for canned pork, beef, chicken, rabbit, fish, various types of game and vegetables).
- A gradual decrease in pressure after the required time (heating is reduced gradually until the heat source is completely turned off).
- Cooling installation.
- Slow pressure relief in the apparatus by lightly pressing the spool.
- Disclosure of the autoclave and extraction of ready-made preservation.
It should be noted that with sudden heating and cooling, discharge and increase in pressure, there is a risk of spontaneous opening of the cans, so all transitions should be performed smoothly. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to leave a working autoclave unattended, since it is necessary to constantly monitor the pressure.
Choosing the best model
When choosing a device, you should focus on operating conditions and the number of cans of 0.5 or 1 liter, which can be loaded at a time. For example, if it is supposed to preserve small batches of products, then buying a 46-liter unit is impractical, since it is possible to do with a compact and inexpensive gas model of 20-25 liters.
When buying, it is imperative to inquire about the availability of a quality certificate and manufacturer's warranty.
Sterilization modes
These indicators are determined by the configuration of the apparatus, heating methods, heat transfer characteristics and other criteria. The optimal cooking modes of certain products are often selected experimentally, focusing on prescription recommendations.
Benefits of Using Autoclaves
This is the high quality and safety of home canning products. Quick and easy cooking. Extended shelf life of finished products.