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Contents

Canner types .......................................................4
Safety features ....................................................6
Caring for your pressure canner .........................6

The canner .....................................................6
Canner lid .......................................................7
Gaskets and sealing rings ..............................8
Petcock, vents, and weights...........................9
Replacing parts...............................................9

Using your pressure canner ................................9

Steps for successful pressure canning...........9
Three serious errors in maintaining proper

temperature.............................................12

Storing your pressure canner............................12
Dial gauge inspection and accuracy .................13
For more information.........................................15

Before you buy a new or used pressure canner,
check to see that it has all these features:

·

Instruction manual

·

Rack for jars

·

Lid that can be locked or clamped down tightly

·

Accurate pressure gauge to register the
amount of steam in the canner

·

Vent port that can be opened and closed to 
exhaust air from the canner

·

Replacement parts available from the company

·

Safety fuse

The author

—Marilyn A. Swanson, former Extension

Food Safety Specialist, University of Idaho

Trade names — To simplify information, trade names have
been used. No endorsement of named products is intended
nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.

2

Summary of Contents for PNW 421

Page 1: ...using and caring for your pressure canner PNW 421 A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication University of Idaho Oregon State University Washington State University ...

Page 2: ...y a new or used pressure canner check to see that it has all these features Instruction manual Rack for jars Lid that can be locked or clamped down tightly Accurate pressure gauge to register the amount of steam in the canner Vent port that can be opened and closed to exhaust air from the canner Replacement parts available from the company Safety fuse The author Marilyn A Swanson former Extension ...

Page 3: ...sed at this temperature At sea level a weighted gauge canner operated at 10 pounds pressure per square inch provides an internal temperature of 240 F A dial gauge canner operated at sea level however must be operated at 10 5 pounds pressure to reach 240 F We recommend operating dial gauge canners at 11 pounds pressure at sea level because it is easier to monitor this pressure on the gauge Higher p...

Page 4: ...urn on lids All pressure canners have a jar rack dial or weighted gauge vent port steam vent to be closed with a coun terweight or weighted gauge and a safety fuse fig 1 some have an automatic vent cover lock Many pres sure canners have gaskets or sealing rings made of rubber or a similar material to prevent steam from escaping between the lid and the kettle rim Others form a tight metal to metal ...

Page 5: ...At altitudes above 1 000 feet they must be operated at canner pressures of 10 pounds per square inch instead of 5 or 15 pounds per square inch instead of 10 The dial gauge is attached to the cover and has a needle to point to the amount of pressure inside the canner Remember to have your new dial gauge tested before you use it Dial gauges also should be checked for accuracy before use each year If...

Page 6: ...f the temperature or the pressure becomes dangerously high Metal alloy plugs melt when the pressure gets too high or the canner boils dry Composition type plugs are blown out by excessive pressure Both can be easily and inexpensively replaced Do not pick at or scratch plugs when cleaning lids The metal rack is another safety feature of the pressure canner The rack keeps jars off the bottom of the ...

Page 7: ...ner more than two thirds full 3 Seal the canner and bring the pressure to 10 pounds 4 Remove the canner from the heat and let it stand 2 to 3 hours 5 Empty the canner and scour its surface with fine steel wool Wash the canner with soapy water then rinse and dry it Canner lid Thoroughly clean the edges of the lid and keep it free from food Do not immerse the lid of a dial gauge pressure canner in w...

Page 8: ...table oil once per year Gaskets on newer model canners are prelubricated and do not need oiling Check your canner s instructions if you don t know whether your gasket has been prelubricated Some gaskets can be reversed after a period of time to ensure a tighter seal A gasket that is worn stretched or hardened should be replaced with a new one Inexpensive replacements are available at most local ha...

Page 9: ...ge area of the bottom will be out of con tact with the heat source preventing the transfer of heat and the buildup of pressure Steps for successful pressure canning 1 Put 2 to 3 inches of hot water in the canner fig 2 When canning fish or other foods with a long pro cessing time add additional water a total of 4 to 5 inches to be certain the canner does not boil dry Place filled jars on the rack u...

Page 10: ...ssure drops below the target pressure reset your timer and process for the entire recommended processing time Quick and large pressure variations during process ing may cause jars to lose liquid Generally weighted gauges on Mirro canners should jiggle about two or three times per minute On Presto canners the weighted gauge should rock slowly throughout the 10 Fig 2 Steps for using your pressure ca...

Page 11: ...der model canners causing steam leaks Pressure loss in older canners should be timed Standard size heavy walled canners require about 30 minutes when loaded with pints and 45 minutes when loaded with quarts Newer thin walled canners cool more rapidly and have vent locks These can ners are depressurized when their vent lock pistons drop to a normal position 7 After the canner has lost pressure remo...

Page 12: ...ped in a canner lowers the temperature and results in underprocessing The highest volume of trapped air occurs in processing raw packed foods in dial gauge canners These canners do not vent air during processing To be safe vent all types of pres sure canners for 10 minutes before pressurizing them 3 Dial gauges can be inaccurate Have your dial gauge checked each year before use Storing your pressu...

Page 13: ...ge you must add the amount of difference to the required pressure so you donʼt underprocess your food For example if the MASTER gauge reads 11 psi and your gauge reads 12 psi 1 pound higher than the master gauge process at 12 psi when the instructions say 11 psi or 13 psi when the instructions say 12 psi or 7 psi when the instruc tions say 6 psi etc If your gauge reads up to two 2 pounds lower tha...

Page 14: ...gon State University and Washington State University PNW 172 Canning Vegetables PNW 194 Canning Seafood PNW 300 Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products PNW 361 Canning Meat Poultry and Game PNW 450 Home Canning Smoked Fish Complete listings of current PNW publications can be found on the following web sites http pubs wsu edu http extension oregonstate edu catalog http www cals uidaho edu edcomm catal...

Page 15: ...n the Oregon State University Extension Service Washington State University Extension and the U S Department of Agriculture cooperating The three participating extension services offer educational programs activi ties and materials without regard to race color national origin religion sex sexual orientation age disability or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran as required by state ...

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