pressure cooker vs. canner

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

Has anyone out there ever canned green beans with a pressure cooker? Just got one for my birthday, but I think what I meant to ask for was a pressure canner? Anyone? Thanks, Mary

-- Mary (mlogan298@yahoo.com), January 21, 2001

Answers

I'm assuming that a pressure cooker is the smaller cookers with a handle that is used for general cooking. The problem with them is they aren't big enough. I have several pressure canners and some of mine will accomodate quart jars on the bottom with another layer of pint jars on top. One I have isn't as deep and I can just put one layer of jars in it. When getting a pressure canner get the bigger size if it will fit on your stove. Measure the distance between your burners and vent-a-hood to see if you can fit the one you want on your stove. One house I lived in I discovered my canner wouldn't fit under the vent-a-hood!

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), January 21, 2001.

Mary: I don't know why you couldn't can green beans in one of the smaller pressure cookers--just maybe 4 pint jars at a time or something. Once you figure in the cost of the electricity or propane, though, it might not be cost effective. Takes just as long to do a few small jars as a whole big canner full of them. My sister just got a large pressure canner for $20 in response to an ad she ran in her freebie paper asking for canning jars. Says the canner looks brand new. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), January 21, 2001.

You didn't say how big yours is, they are both the same thing mine is an 8qt. and can hold 4 /1qt. jars or more of smaller sized jars as I have racks to put between layers of jars for stability.If yours is big enough for jars whatever the size, with a rack in the bottom (must have so the water can circulate under the jars)you can use it to can.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), January 24, 2001.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ