Choosing a pressure canner? ... Got it!

[aggieterpkatie]

What kind of rack do you need to stack pints? Mine (Presto 23 qt) came with a metal disc with holes in it, but that's supposed to go between the jars and the bottom of the canner. You're not supposed to use that between layers of jars, are you? Do you have to buy the rack separately?

 

[AnnaRaven]

What kind of rack do you need to stack pints? Mine (Presto 23 qt) came with a metal disc with holes in it, but that's supposed to go between the jars and the bottom of the canner. You're not supposed to use that between layers of jars, are you? Do you have to buy the rack separately?

You can buy one separately , (it looks just like the one on the bottom), or you can theoretically stack them diagonal on top of the bottom row. I bought one.

 

[ORChick]

What kind of rack do you need to stack pints? Mine (Presto 23 qt) came with a metal disc with holes in it, but that's supposed to go between the jars and the bottom of the canner. You're not supposed to use that between layers of jars, are you? Do you have to buy the rack separately?

Freemotion says you can stack them, but offset so that one top jar sits on two bottom jars. I intend to do it that way, but also keep an eye out for an appropriately sized cooling rack or something like that at the thrift store.
BTW, I love your little guy in your avatar

 

[freemotion]

I bought an extra rack but it ended up working better to just stack the jars. If the second layer isn't full, you can't really stack them in between....so I end up stacking them right on top of each other. The problem with this is that if some food leaks out, as it often does, the top jar is now glued to the lid of the bottom jar.

No biggie. Just use extra care when removing the jars....use your tongs on the top jar and quickly lift both jars into your other hand, protected by an old towel, so the bottom jar doesn't drop off suddenly and smash. Then carefully let them cool and seal for 24 hours. The next day, I fill the sink with hot soapy water and soak and clean all the jars. I just lay the stuck ones on their side so they can soak free. The almost always pop upright once released!

As for new vs used jars....most of my jars were given to me used....VERY used. Yes, occasionally a jar breaks in the canner or doesn't seal, but this can happen with the new jars, fresh out of the box, too. I always run my finger around the rim before filling the jars anyways, to feel for nicks, and eyeball each jar in good light to inspect for cracks. This is why you should always accept free jars, even if you have plenty. There will be some breakage. To me, the lost food (rare) is worth it in exchange for the free jars.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Thanks for the tips!!

 

[freemotion]

And always remember that an unsealed jar = dinner tonight!

 

[ORChick]

Yesterday I pulled all the various cuts of beef that I have for cutting into stew meat out of the freezer, and today I made a large pot of (the beginnings of) beef gulasch (I say beginnings of, because I left out the spices, so that they don't go weird in the canner) - basically browned beef cubes, lots of onions, some garlic, some tomato paste, paprika, and beef stock. I filled 3 quart jars, and the rest will be dinner. And then I put the jars in the canner. And now I have an observation, and a question.

The observation is that I need to remember to use the loo before canning meat - 1 1/2 hours is a long time! And/or I should avoid drinking cups of tea while the processing is going on. That little jiggler and its little puffs of steam were sending urgent messages to my bladder, and I almost cut the whole thing short by 10 minutes, but didn't dare .

And the question: I've found that once things are up to pressure I can turn my (glass top) stove down to almost bare minimum to keep things jiggling merrily along. But today (my first go at meat canning) after about 45 minutes the whole thing started to run amok; even at "LO" the pressure started to rise, and the jiggler went nuts. I had to turn the heat off altogether to bring it back down, only turning it back on as the jiggler slowed down. I did this once or twice (never letting it stop jiggling), and then everything was fine again; It maintained a nice even rocking motion, and the gauge was right where it should be. So, what happened? Was there perhaps some sort of blockage in the vent (from where?) that loosened on its own? And what are my options if this happens again, and doesn't resolve on its own? I suppose I could stand over it for 45 minutes turning the heat on and off; or turn the whole thing off, let it lose pressure, clean the vent, and start over. I have a feeling you experts are going to suggest the latter.
The pressure just now went down so that I could open the lid, and none of the jars broke - which was my first thought when the vent appeared to be clogged. And the vent is clear now, though I knew it would be once everything settled down. Any ideas to help this newbie?

 

[farmerlor]

Yesterday I pulled all the various cuts of beef that I have for cutting into stew meat out of the freezer, and today I made a large pot of (the beginnings of) beef gulasch (I say beginnings of, because I left out the spices, so that they don't go weird in the canner) - basically browned beef cubes, lots of onions, some garlic, some tomato paste, paprika, and beef stock. I filled 3 quart jars, and the rest will be dinner. And then I put the jars in the canner. And now I have an observation, and a question.

The observation is that I need to remember to use the loo before canning meat - 1 1/2 hours is a long time! And/or I should avoid drinking cups of tea while the processing is going on. That little jiggler and its little puffs of steam were sending urgent messages to my bladder, and I almost cut the whole thing short by 10 minutes, but didn't dare .

And the question: I've found that once things are up to pressure I can turn my (glass top) stove down to almost bare minimum to keep things jiggling merrily along. But today (my first go at meat canning) after about 45 minutes the whole thing started to run amok; even at "LO" the pressure started to rise, and the jiggler went nuts. I had to turn the heat off altogether to bring it back down, only turning it back on as the jiggler slowed down. I did this once or twice (never letting it stop jiggling), and then everything was fine again; It maintained a nice even rocking motion, and the gauge was right where it should be. So, what happened? Was there perhaps some sort of blockage in the vent (from where?) that loosened on its own? And what are my options if this happens again, and doesn't resolve on its own? I suppose I could stand over it for 45 minutes turning the heat on and off; or turn the whole thing off, let it lose pressure, clean the vent, and start over. I have a feeling you experts are going to suggest the latter.
The pressure just now went down so that I could open the lid, and none of the jars broke - which was my first thought when the vent appeared to be clogged. And the vent is clear now, though I knew it would be once everything settled down. Any ideas to help this newbie?

Unfortunately, the ONLY problem I ever had canning on a glass top stove was heat regulation. If I'd been at sea level instead of at 6800 feet I don't think I could have lowered the heat enough to keep the pressure right but luckily I have to can at a higher pressure so it was okay. Yes, your only option (barring running out and buying a gas stove) is to stay there and turn the heat off for a few minutes, let the pressure fall a little and turn it back on again.

 

[freemotion]

Yep, that was my biggest issue with the electric (glass top) stove and canning, too. The constant adjustment of the heat, and the knobs were behind the canner, so I always burned my wrist on canning days. :/ Didn't stop me, though, just annoyed me.

It is harder to regulate a small load than a full load, I've noticed. Electric stoves also seem to surge now and then. There is not partially on....it is full on, full off to get a low heat, and full on all the time for high heat. When the canner is fully pressurized, it seems more vulnerable to these fluctuations.

Nope, you are not allowed to go pee.

ETA: Today and yesterday I completed 81 jars of catfood (= 81 days worth for two giant cats) and 6 quarts plus one pint of very rich chicken broth. Woohoo! And because the kitchen was so occupied, we had previously canned chili for supper.

 

[ORChick]

Actually, except for those 5 minutes or so, keeping things on an even keel worked very well. Once it was up to pressure I found that it stayed there quite nicely at almost minimum temperature (and I am below the 1000 ft mark; about 600 ft). It was just that one surge, which I still don't understand. Still, it was an object lesson not to leave things - even for a few minutes, even when they seem to be doing well Tomorrow I get to try it again - I made a lovely lot of beef stock, which I will can, but in the process I got a large bowl of meat scraps, carrots, and rutabegas. The chickens told me this morning that this mixture is very welcome as a winter addition to their diet, but there is too much for the next few days. So I'll use the opportunity to paractice a bit more
Odd - I have spent years avoiding this pressure canning thing as I could only envision canned veg. - which I dislike. But now that I've expanded my thought processes I am actively looking for things to can