Canning question

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May I use my presser cooker instead of a boiling water bath. I thought I read in my pr. cooker book that I could prepare my jars, put them in the presser cooker, bring up the heat until the weight starts to jiggle and then shut off the heat and let it cool naturally. But, now I can't find the spot where I read that. I have canned applebutter this way and was just wondering if it is OK/safe. Seems to be a much easier, faster way.

My presser cooker is a Presto.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), April 26, 2000

Answers

Yes you can use a canner/pressure cooker. You can pick up a Blue Book from Wal-Mart or K-Mart in the canning section. The book is full of recipes and tips on canning both with water or pressure. You could also go to your local library and check out some books on canning. They might even have the Blue Book. There is also a Kerr Book as well I think but I know it is really easy to find the Blue Book. I have never canned with my pressure cannner but my sister has and she says that it is really easy. There are some foods that she says that needs to be pressure canned instead of water bathed because they turn out better. If you have any other questions I can look in my many books at home for you.

-- lon (maewag@hotmail.com), April 27, 2000.

I rarely use my water bath canner anymore, takes too long and heats the kitchen up too much. When I use my pressure canner, if the item is something that may be canned in a water bath canner (ex: tomatoes, applesauce, fruit...), I bring the pressure up to 15 pounds, then let drop naturally. (Okay, I go to bed, then take the jars out of the canner when I get up!) If the item requires processing, I follow the examples in my cookbook. You can check at your local Cooperative Extension Office for canning worksheets which gives the processing times per pint and quart. The Ball and Kerr books are also good. Many cookbooks from the 50's and 60's have canning sections - I would trust their instructions more than ones from the WWII era. I have a copy of How To Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method by the staff of Organic Gardening and Farming magazine that has a good section on canning and freezing - I have seen copies of this book at both the local library and used book stores, both of which would be good locations to look for other canning books. Ditto the Salvation Army, thrift stores and auctions. Do Ball or Kerr have a web site? That might be another idea... Good luck with your canning - it's really great to walk into the pantry and look at all the colorful jars and know that you are providing for your family.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), April 27, 2000.

Last year when my friend and I were trying to get lids cheaper, we called Ball Corp. We were told that Ball and Kerr are the same now and that the Alltrista co. sellsthe lids. www.ball.com will tell you to go to www.alltrista.com. We were also told that we could get the lids cheaper if we ordered 500 boxes or more, then we were told we couldn't do that at all. Sure would be nice to get the lids cheaper.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 27, 2000.

Thanks to everyone for the answers. I got my book out today and read through it again and found that section. Sure glad. It is so much easier than watching a boiling water bath.

Canned my first batch of spinach yesterday. Happy canning season!

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), April 27, 2000.


You can also find canning information on the USDA homecanning site as well as food saftey. They even had the charts for meat of every kind. I printed out the meat tables and clipped them to my ball book

-- Susie*Ks (goodartfarm@msn.com), April 28, 2000.


Cindy - Contrary to what the manufacturers would like you to believe, you can reuse canning lids 2 or 3 times - as long as there is enough rubber remaining. The lid will either seal or it won't - there's no safety question here. Likewise, mayonnaise (etc.) jars are OK to can in. In my experience they are no more likely to break than standard mason jars. Of course you have to make sure the opening will fit a regular canning jar lid. Last year I was able to buy lids for 25 cents a dozen when they went on sale in the fall! I have noticed that Kerr lids don't have as substantial a rubber gasket as they used to - some "cheap" brands are better.

-- Sam in W.Va. (snorris@dnr.state.wv.us), April 28, 2000.

In total aggrement with Sam. I reuse seals every year, usually using them for Jelly or other non-pressure canning. I love the new Miricle Whip jars, the new plastic lids, are the exact same (minus the color) that you can purchase in Lehmans. They only fit small mouth jars, but are excellent for replacing the seals/lids when you open a jar, and only use a little of it. I also use them for holding milk in the fridge. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 28, 2000.

Some of you guys (and gals) have much bigger stones than I have! I only re-use jar lids for puppy-dog food, and sometimes they do seal. Sometimes they don't. And sometimes they are "iffy"! If I am going to go to the trouble of putting by, I'll spend the 6 cents per jar for new lids. Of course, I always buy at the end of the season, when stores want to get rid of them. (I have also NEVER bought Christmas wrapping paper except on the 26th of December!). I know I have many of you in disagreement, but reusing the lids is, to me, false economy. Whatever the road you travel, GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), May 02, 2000.

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