So THATS what I did wrong!

[Firefyter-Emt]

Well, tonight was take-II with the pressure canner and I have more insight on what I did wrong the last time. I think that I expected more of a steam whistle to start while purging the pot before I gave it the 10 minutes prior to the weight. Tonight, I put up four quarts of beans and I let it just start to blow steam and counted down 10 minutes. This time the weight sealed off the flow 100% and after a while started it's nice gentle jiggle. I got my stove down to #3 on the heat for what gave me a nice every now and then jiggle blow off.

I think that I had that pot way too hot and could never stop the blow off to give me the jiggle. This is why I waited so long for what could be called a jiggle, but I had a constant steam blow off. Combine that with me taking off the weight to let off the steam... well I never had a chance! Tonight it behaved as I remember when my Mom used it. It did not take half and hour to get to preassure, and all seems good. It is cooling now so I hope the jars look perfect when I take them out.

It was a good day for canning, two quarts of green, two quarts of yellow and four deep black pints of blueberry jam with a half pint left over that is in the fridge. The fridge one has already set and all four jars have popped a seal.

While thinking of this, if you have a little left over jam, does anyone else mix in some of the "foam" for the fridge jar? Just curious, I had to loose a lot because of the blueberry chunks to skim the pot and I stirred my "foam bowl" and mixed in the better stuff into my left over fridge stuff. That one has more seeds, but it's still good!

Update: By golly, I think I've got it!~

Full of water, sealed lids and all appears normal! Just look at how nice and black that jam is too!

 

[PamsPride]

Those look beautiful!!

 

[VT-Chicklit]

Wow . . . Nice!

 

[keljonma]

I have pressure cooked, but haven't pressure canned since mom was alive (yes I know they are different pieces of equipment). Very nice picture! Congratulations!


I don't usually get a lot of foam in jam making, so I don't jar it up. It usually ends up on a nice piece of homemade toast, instead.

 

[valmom]

I put up blueberry jam yesterday, too. I don't remember the berries being that plump and sweet before- they must like all the rain we have been having this summer (and they are the only ones who do!)

I like the foam. I don't like the idea of adding oil/butter to the jam so I just let it foam. I scoop the hot jam into the jars with a ladle and don't get much foam in the jars until the last one that I pour in. That jar is MINE!

I sort of wish I had the nerve to pressure can more foods. So far I just water bath can things that aren't likely to kill me. :/

 

[SKR8PN]

Looks good to me Firefyter !! I see we both bought some of those bulk wide mouth lids off of E-bay! 500 of them for 50 bucks with FREE shipping was a deal to good to pass up!

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Thanks all, I will tell you what... If that canner held up to what I did to it the last time, it is tough! Last nights batch took maybe 45 minutes with the cooking part at 3 on our stove. The first batch, because I had over 10psi in the pot before the weight was applied, was cooked at who knows what psi, full heat, for over an hour!

That said, the cooking from last night was very mild and not scary at all. I want to work on some soup next... It is not much harder to make a really big pot of soup than a large one.


The jam did not have better either, I do not like the idea either. The foam skims off pretty easy and I have found that if you let it sit for 5 minutes before you put it in the jars, it does not separate. I stir for about 3 minutes and then start to skim off the foam.

The lids are from out local farmers Co-Op though, they have pretty much everything canning related... Very sweet!

 

[Ldychef2k]

I have been using my new pressure canner all week and have gone nuts. But I have a question. You said that your gauge reads 10 psi BEFORE the weight is put on. Mine stays at zero UNTIL the weight is put on. So far I have had no problems at all, and have canned a whole lot of stuff. Is the gauge supposed to read before the weight seals the stem?

 

[punkin]

Looks good to me Firefyter !! I see we both bought some of those bulk wide mouth lids off of E-bay! 500 of them for 50 bucks with FREE shipping was a deal to good to pass up!

I got mine from there, too. Except I got the 1,000 for 99.99 w/free shipping and split them with a friend.

 

[SKR8PN]

I have been using my new pressure canner all week and have gone nuts. But I have a question. You said that your gauge reads 10 psi BEFORE the weight is put on. Mine stays at zero UNTIL the weight is put on. So far I have had no problems at all, and have canned a whole lot of stuff. Is the gauge supposed to read before the weight seals the stem?

Your pressure gage SHOULD stay at zero until you put the weight on. There is no way it can build pressure with the steam venting out, unless of course you have 10,000 degrees of fire under it!