Really basic canning question

[Shiloh Acres]

Ok, I feel silly for asking, but I need to know. And I am pretty much a total newbie to the whole thing. I watched my grandma can all kinds of things, but my memories are getting too fuzzy ...

My neighbor cans all kinds of stuff and we trade off jams and butters. So far though I've made freezer jam. She was telling me I needed to buy a certain kind of cooker with a gauge in order to can things, and it's pretty pricey for me right now. I have a plain old aluminum pressure cooker with a little top that rocks when pressure is reached, locking top, and all. I thought I could just use that, but she said for tomatoes or meat-based things it won't work? Maybe she's not really understanding what I have, but I'm pretty sure she means I need a graded pressure gauge.

And the other thing ... I save ALL glass jars. I had planned to use some of them for canning if the lids with bands would fit. I used to buy jarred tomatoes and jarred peaches in jars marked Atlas with measuring lines on the side. She said I shouldn't use anything but packaged canning jars or they might explode?

So this probably is a silly question, but I don't want to have unsafe food or exploding jars -- but I also don't want to spend money I don't have to? Thanks all!

 

[Kim_NC]

You need a pressure canner to can foods - which is different than a pressure cooker. Some canners have a weighted gauge, some have a dial gauge. Canners also have a rack that's placed in the bottom to keep the glass jars off the bottom of the canner.

Could you post a picture of what you have? I sounds like a cooker, not a canner.

I reuse commercial jars for water bath canning things like fruits, tomatoes, etc, provided a standard mason lid will fit them. Usually the glass in those jars is thinner than masons. So, I don't use them to pressure can. Pressure canning is more stressful for the glass which does increase the chance of breakage.

Try your local craigslist or yardsales for a canner. Often they show up cheap there. Or post a 'WTB" (want to buy) ad on craigslist.

 

[SKR8PN]

Foods high in acid, like tomatoes, or fruits, can be canned in a water bath canner. Any meat and foods low in acid, like green beans, should be processed in a pressure canner. We personally, never use any jars other than regular canning jars because we do a lot of pressure canning, but I know a lot of folks that use old mayo jars and such, with good success for water bath canning.

I would highly recommend you get yourself a copy of the Ball canning book. It has all the recommended and safe canning times and pressures listed, as well as some great recipes. We are on our second copy, having worn the first to pieces.

 

[pioneergirl]

I have Atlas, Kerr, Ball, and some jars with no name at all! I buy them at yard sales, thrift stores, and have loads of them given to me. As long as they aren't cracked or the lip doesn't have any defects (chips, bubbles, etc) they are safe to use. I have both a weighted guage canner and a dial gauge type. The weighted gauge I use for the boil bath, and the dial for pressure canning.

I'm with SKR8PN, get a Ball canning book. Mine is well used and well worn! Its a great book and will help with pretty much all of your canning issues.

Kim_NC is right as well, the commercial jars aren't what they used to be, and shouldn't be used in the pressure canner, but the boil bath should be fine. Make sure you pre-heat them before placing in the veggies/fruit so they don't explode.

 

[freemotion]

The exceptions to the "no commercial product jars" rule are the products that are sold in real canning jars. In my area, that means Classico brand spaghetti sauce. I've received a few of these from friends. One friend would dumpster-dive in her upstairs neighbor's recycle bin for me! Good friend!

These jars are sometimes an odd size, though, but still very usable. So I'd use your jars marked "Atlas." If you are concerned, just put one in per batch to test it, that way you will only lose one jar if I am wrong.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks so much everyone!

I think I probably DO have a pressure cooker. I'll see if I can post a pic though. It did come with a rack to raise things up just a bit.

I'll check on the book too. Thanks!

Right now I am looking at mostly tomatoes, peppers, pickles, salsas, jams, etc. I'd heard of canning meat-type things and hadn't decided on that, but I DO make and save broth and it would be nice to get that out of the freezer. I didn't get a garden in time to plant a great variety this year. I'll keep an eye on CL though -- thanks for the suggestion.

And Classico sauces ARE one of the things I had in mind. I THOUGHT those were canning jars! They put the sauce on sale for $1 so I had bought up a lot of them. The peaches come in canning jars too.

I do save all other jars, but the canning lids won't fit them all (most have very shallow threads) and I have plenty of other uses for them. I love glass storage over plastic anyday.

Thanks again, very much!

 

[Lady Henevere]

My canner came with instructions on how to use it as a pressure cooker too, so the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. But do be sure yours is meant to be used as a canner. (The fact that it comes with a rack makes me think that perhaps it may be intended to be a canner too, but I'm new at this so I'm not sure -- maybe pressure cookers also come with racks?). Here's some info on the differences: http://missvickie.com/canning/cookercanner.html http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/555779

I have saved the Atlas Mason jars from spaghetti sauce too and plan to use them for canning (with the single jar suggestion Free posted below).

 

[raiquee]

Hello!

I'm new to canning, but wanted to just pip in. It seems most of the things you listed can be canned by water bath canning, unless you wanted to put you peppers in water (I was assuming pickled hot peppers). Stock will need to be pressure canned, and I am kinda in the same scenario as you. Most of the things I want to can I can can via water bath. Except stock, but I figure I can put them in baggies and freeze flat, then align them upright in a row. We have a lot of freezer space (3 of them) so I'm not worried too much. Although, not paying to freeze something you can can....? but if you are running your freezer anyways it's the same electric bill if not less (more frozen things=better insulation=less kicking in of the freezer)....? I just can't bring myself to spend 200 something dollars on something that could possibly blow up in my face, and use up my precious canning jars for!