Autoclave household has long beenan indispensable kitchen attribute for many zealous hosts who prefer to cook a variety of canned meat and fish, vegetable snacks, compotes and juices at home. This unique device allows you to simply, quickly and safely process large volumes of products at once. Another important advantage of this method of preservation is that all ingredients retain their beneficial and nutritional properties.
Autoclave Types
Currently on sale can be foundHome autoclaves of three modifications: electric, with heating on the gas stove and combined, which provide the possibility of both methods of operation. In addition, the models differ in functionality, volume and power, which allows each consumer to choose the most suitable option for themselves. The price of an autoclave, depending on its technical features, can vary from 25,000 to 45,000 rubles.
Когда-то приготовление консервов автоклавным It was considered a rather risky method because of the high explosiveness of old models of such units. But modern products are completely safe, as they have in their design multi-stage protection mechanisms, special locks, safety valves to prevent excess pressure and automatic shutdown systems.
Effective destruction of harmful organisms
As early as the 19th century, microbiological scientists proved thatthe death of the vegetative forms of microorganisms present in food products occurs when they are heat treated for an hour at 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. Complete neutralization could only ensure the sterilization of products under high temperature conditions. But even in boiling at 100 ° C liquid, some dangerous organisms, for example, botulism bacteria, survived. Consequently, it was necessary to find a solution to increase the temperature of the treatment.
It was established experimentally that if a pressure was created inside the vessel, then the boiling point would rise above 120 ° C. Thus, the first prototypes of sterilizers were developed.
Also the household autoclave forcanning. He is 100% eliminate harmful microorganisms. At the same time no other devices (multicookers, pressure cookers and other devices) do not have such efficiency. The autoclave method of cooking canned food can not only make them completely safe, but also very long stored.
Design
The autoclave is a hermetically sealed.Closing container is generally cylindrical in 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 air injection and release.
All models of devices are characterized quitesimple principle of work. They provide rapid heating and, in the loaded state, for the time required for preparing canned food, they operate at constant temperatures (about 120 ° C) and pressure (about 4.5 atm.)
Electric models are fully automated.Some of them are equipped with an electronic control unit. Consider that if you want to purchase an automated autoclave, its price will be significantly higher than that of simple gas modifications.
The principle of operation of the autoclave system
In a leaky container, such as a saucepan,it is impossible to heat water stronger than its boiling point. That is, when reaching 100 ° C, the liquid stops heating. This happens due to its intense evaporation during the heating process. With a long boil water from the liquid state goes into a completely gaseous - vapor.
Home autoclaves have a hermetic construction,within 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 higher the pressure in the system. A modern household autoclave, regardless of its modification, provides fractional evacuation, that is, oxygen is removed in several cycles, due to which the latent heat generated in the process of pressure increase is characterized by an enormous penetrating force that destroys the spores of microorganisms.
Благодаря повышенной температуре приготовление products in the autoclave is carried out much faster than by cooking in the usual way. For example, just 1 minute is enough for stewing fresh cabbage, 5 minutes for green beans, and about 20 minutes for a whole 3 kg chicken. Due to the fast cooking under pressure, the household autoclave allows to preserve all the taste and vitamin value of the products.
Rules of operation
Despite the design features of differentmodels, they all work according to the same scheme. The instructions for a home autoclave contain data on the technical characteristics (internal volume, dimensions, mass, operating pressure and temperature), as well as the requirements for operation, which must be observed. In general, the algorithm for using these devices is as follows:
- Preparation of cans of the corresponding volume (0.5 or 1 l).
- Filling the container with the necessary ingredients (there are various recipes for an autoclave).
- Rolling of filled cans with metal lids (in order to avoid bloating and tearing of lids, products should not reach the edge of the neck by 2-3 cm).
- Laying on the bottom of the autoclave dense fabric strip or wooden lattice (to protect the cans and it is recommended to lay a cloth between their walls).
- Loading containers in household autoclave in several "floors".
- Pour water into the tank capacity to the level specified in the instructions.
- Closing the autoclave and creating an initial pressure using a pump (you need to make sure that the installation is closed tightly and does not poison the air anywhere).
- Heating the device to create the required pressure (the operating manual should contain a table of temperature dependencies 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 has elapsed (heating is gradually reduced until the heat source is completely turned off).
- Cooling down installation.
- Slow pressure relief in the apparatus by lightly pressing on the valve.
- Opening the autoclave and extracting the finished preservation.
It should be noted that during sudden heating andcooling, dumping and increasing 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, as it is necessary to constantly monitor the pressure.
Selection of the optimal model
When choosing a device should focus onoperating conditions and the number of cans of 0.5 or 1 l, which can be loaded at one time. For example, if you intend to preserve small batches of products, then buying a 46-liter unit is impractical, since it is quite possible to do with a compact and inexpensive gas model of 20-25 liters.
When purchasing, it is imperative to inquire about the availability of a quality certificate and manufacturer’s warranty obligations.
Sterilization modes
These figures are caused by the configurationapparatus, methods of heating, heat exchange characteristics and other criteria. The optimal modes of preparation 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. The speed and ease of cooking. Extended shelf life of finished products.
