I get to buy a canner! Now I have questions...

[DianeS]

I'm excited. My mom was going to give me her old one, but when I was there a couple weeks ago, she couldn't find it. So she told me to pick out one online and she'd buy it for me! Woohoo! BUT - I thought I knew what I was looking for, but the more I look the more questions I have. Hoping you all can help me.

I believe I can use a *pressure* canner to do both waterbath and pressure canning - correct?

Can I pressure *cook* with any pressure canner? (or do I need a special kind?)

Some pressure canners have a guage on top with numbers, some just have something that looks like a tab. What is the difference, and the pros and cons to each?

Is the canner *full* of water when you use it? I'm figuring the weight of that water is going to get awfully heavy. I could lift a 16-quart full of water, but a 23 quart is pushing it.

And what utensils will I actually use? They sell sets like this one: Utensil Set but will I use any of it besides the one that gets jars out of the hot water?

The two I am thinking about are these:

16 Quart aluminum pressure cooker

23 Quart aluminum pressure canner

But they have some that are close to $300 in price! What extras could they have to justify that cost when most are so much less?

I think that about covers it. If I'm missing any pieces of information, please fill me in!

 

[Hinotori]

I have several funnels, a jar lifter, and the stick w/ magnet lid lifter. All I've needed on that stuff.

I have this http://www.amazon.com/All-American-...&sr=8-1&keywords=all+american+pressure+canner pressure canner. You can water bath can in them. Just don't crank the lid down. I just set it there a little cocked when I use it for that. No gasket on it to worry about. I've had no issue with it. It's a nice heavy canner.

I've been told that it is fine to cook in a pressure canner, but not can in a pressure cooker. I haven't tried because of the size of mine, and my dislike of cleaning the big pots unless I have to.

 

[Mickey328]

Hi Diane

Yes, you can use a pressure canner either for canning or cooking. I never use mine to cook in simply because it's so darn big! Like Hinotori said, cleaning out those big pots is a pain, LOL...and I never make that much of anything anyway. You can use it as a water bath as well, but then it WILL be heavy because when waterbath canning, the water needs to be an inch over the top of the jars. When you pressure can, the water only needs to be a couple of inches deep...the steam and pressure is what processes the contents. You wouldn't need to lift it when it's full though...if doing a water bath, you would fill it part way, put the jars in and add water as needed. When done, you remove the jars first and then there's not as much water in it. If it's still too heavy to empty, just use a big measuring cup to empty some of the water till you can lift it.

Personally, I would recommend a canner with a dial...it shows the current pressure inside and you need to know that to process correctly; certain foods need to be processed at certain pressures.

Size and composition have a lot to do with the price...stainless steel is a lot more expensive than aluminum. It has a lot to recommend it but unless you're doing a lot of actual cooking in it, I wouldn't spend the extra money for the stainless steel. Mine is aluminum and works great. When I got mine, I got one that's tall enough that I can do a double stack of pints...it will hold 16 pint jars. LOL, I have to pull the stove out from the wall about 6 inches so the top of the canner clears the range hood/microwave above it. I like the larger size because it takes so much longer to pressure can than to water bath. Once your jars are in and you lock it down, it takes a while to get up to pressure, then it has to process for anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes, then you have to remove it from the heat and let it pressure down...it can take 2-3 hours to do one batch, so I like to do a lot at once.

For utensils...you definitely need a funnel...it gets more stuff in the jar and less on the counter, LOL. Jar lifters are very helpful as well. The magnet for getting the lids out of the hot water is handy but when I can't find mine, I use a pair of pincer things...not nearly as easy, but do-able.

It's possible to can in a pressure cooker, but since most have a "set" pressure, it's less accurate and since they're smaller, you can only do small quantities at a time.

HTH
Mickey

 

[BarredBuff]

Pressure canners can be used as a cooker or a canner. But make sure you buy a canner not a cooker. Cookers cannot be canned in safely. As far as waterbath canning, the only thing that turns out well in a pressure canner is tomatoes. Fruits, pickles, jams, jellies, etc. will do the best in a waterbath canner.

As far as canning equipment, that is a good little set. You will use all of that except maybe the ring wrench.

When you waterbath can the canner will be filled up, when you pressure can there will be 2 to 3 inches in the bottom.

You have a good brand of canner picked out, and it is common. That's good because if you have to have replacement parts on it, they won't be hard to locate. I also like dial guages, we have a weighted gauge as well and its harder to operate. I prefer the All-American 21 Quart these hold 7 quarts, and 19 pints. They also are very sturdy and heavy grade, and require no rubber seal. These have a metal to metal seal. They are however more expensive. We got one of these and I fell in love with it.

Happy canning!

 

[moolie]

Get the biggest pressure canner you can, I have a 1970s 18L Presto that used to be my Mom's and it is wonderful. It does 2 layers of 8 pints or 1 layer of 7 quarts--bigger canners can take 2 layers of quarts and if you pressure can a lot in quarts (I don't) you should get a larger model to accommodate that.

I regularly use it for both water bath and pressure canning, no problems with either, I just use a lid from another large pot when I'm water bath canning. I like using my pressure canner for water bath canning because it is made of such thick aluminium, and aluminium conducts heat so well, that it gets boiling super quickly as I'm preparing the jars and holds that heat while I'm loading it so it gets back to boiling very quickly once I get the lid back on again.

You definitely can cook in it, and a secret that no one else above has mentioned is that you can put another pot inside the pressure canner on top of the rack and cook in that pot (don't put a lid on the inner pot and make sure it is big enough to contain any "boil over"--keeps the big pot clean. The inner pot must be all-metal, no plastic handles or anything that will melt.

For tools, I always use the wide-mouth funnel (I have two), the jar lifting tongs, and the magnetic wand for getting lids out of hot water--can't say I use any other "official" canning tools.

When you can, you need to leave "headspace" at the top of the jar, and they sell (or include in the kit) a measuring device for this--no need for it because for 1" headspace you stop filling at the bottom of the screw band area on the jar where the thick bit of glass is, for 1/2" you fill up halfway up the screwband area on the jar, and for 1/4" you fill up 3/4 of the screw band area.

 

[ORChick]

I have the 23 qt. Presto that you linked to above. It takes 2 levels of pints, or one of quarts. It is also OK on a glass top stove, which I have, and the All American is not. If you go for a Presto you can get a 3 part weighted gauge, but that needs to be ordered extra; It is great because you have the ability both to see (dial gauge) and hear (weighted gauge) what is happening, and don't have to be constantly watching the canner, but can do other things in the general area at the same time. If you get the 2 level one (2 levels of pints) you might consider getting a second rack as well, to put between the layers. I didn't at first, and, while you can just put the second layer directly on the first, I don't think it is recommended, and it is certainly a little unsteady. As to tools, I use the funnel and the jar lifter, but don't have the magnet. For lifting lids I use a pair of chopsticks (a chopstick is also good for working bubbles out of the jars.) I hesitated getting the bigger canner as we are only two in the house, and I thought it might be overkill. But then I realized that you can do fewer jars in a big canner, but cannot do more jars in a smaller one . I haven't filled it very often, but occasionally I do, and am glad for the extra space.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm considering getting a bigger canner. I like the idea of the 'double-decker' for all the reasons mentioned, but also, I'm thinking about being able to can twice as much for the same amount (or close) of electricity.

DH says 'go for it'!

 

[FarmerJamie]

I'm considering getting a bigger canner. I like the idea of the 'double-decker' for all the reasons mentioned, but also, I'm thinking about being able to can twice as much for the same amount (or close) of electricity.

DH says 'go for it'!

Just be certain your method of heating the bigger canner allows you to control the temps easily. I've said before around here, I use a propane burner setup in the garage, not the stove in the kitchen. Depending on the stove top, it may not handle the larger size effectively.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks for pointing that out...we have a propane turkey fryer thingy that would probably do just fine out on the back porch. And BONUS, we could sit around and roast marshmallows at the same time!

 

[cheepo]

isn't that a wonderful gift....!!!!!

and good tip moolie about a pot inside the canner...
would never have thought of that...

Get the biggest you can afford...however...I did go for the 30 quart all american...
thinking I would be able to do a second level of quarts..will only acomidate one level...
had i known that i probably wouldn't have gone so heavily large...this for me probably is
i am in canada...and i learned after that our quarts are larger..