Posted in Putting Food By

Whenever the subject of canning comes up, sooner or later the topic will come around to fear of pressure canning.  Everyone, it seems, has heard a horror story from a relative or friend about the time Granny's kettle blew it's lid in the kitchen one day!

Well, I know some of those stories are true, but there is really no reason to fear using a pressure canner in this day and age.  The technology and efficiency of home pressure canning units have come so far from our grandmother's day that it is practically foolproof (and explosion proof!) nowadays.

Pressure canners must be used when putting by vegetables, meats, legumes, and seafood among other things.  The boiling temperature of 212 degrees is simply not hot enough to kill off all of the germs and bacteria lurking within meats and veggies.  Only a pressure canner can achieve temperatures high enough to insure that all harmful substances are destroyed.

Pressure canners are actually fairly simple.  They consist of a large, heavy kettle with a tight fitting lid, usually latched down with screws or screwed down.  Dial gauge pressure canners will have a dial on top that indicates pounds of pressure.  Weighted gauge canners depend on weights which are placed over an opening on the canner.  All will have a petcock to release steam and an overpressure plug to prevent the canner blowing its lid.

My favorite pressure canner is the All American model 921.  It is a 22 quart canner that can be used both as a water bath and a pressure canner.  I like this model because it has a metal to metal seal - no rubber gaskets to wear out, crack or get gummy down the road.  The dial gauge is extremely easy to read and very accurate.  Visit their website www.allamericancanner.com to find out more.

I know pressure canners can be pricey, but they are an investment that should last a lifetime and will pay for themselves many times over.  You might be able to find a good used canner, but I would be very cautious.  If you buy a used unit, be sure to take it to your local cooperative extension office where they should have the equipment to pressure test the gauge to make sure it is accurate.  An accurate pressure gauge is vital to making sure you end up with a safe, edible product.

I was watching the news and saw how many people around the country have lost their power due to the heat wave happening and the overloading of the electrical grid.  One news report showed people throwing out food because it had gone bad.  If only they had a pressure canner, they could have canned most everything in their freezers and refrigerators and been in less need than their neighbors, maybe even in a position to help their neighbors.  Just a thought!

So, please - don't be afraid of pressure canning.  You can put up so many wonderful, healthful, sustaining foods this way.  Not just vegetables, but things like soups and stews, chili, salsa, homemade broths and so much more.  If you are careful and follow directions, your canner will never "blow its lid"!

Lisa Vitello

Lisa is wife to Guy and mom to six great kids.  She is the editor/publisher of the New Harvest Homestead newsletter, a bi-monthly journal for Christian women who love the homestead life.  Each issue covers topics like kitchen gardening, canning & preserving, backyard flocks, crafting, homekeeping - along with lots of Titus 2 encouragement.  Visit her website at www.newharvesthomestead.com.  You can also stop by Lisa's blog here on HSB!