Before we talk about pressure canner cooker and answer can pressure cookers be used for canning food, let us say something about the process itself. Canning is a process of storing food that is supposed to last for longer period of time. It is a science actually, and is updated regularly with new recipes, equipment that can be used, timing that needs to be taken and all other important factors that will influence the consumption of that food.
Most important thing about canning is safety, so don't attempt to create your own recipes, try only tested ones. Also, use only pressure canner cooker that you know will work well with the recipe you want to try.
There are plenty of manufacturers who certify that their pressure cookers are suitable for canning, there are a lot of experts who will tell you that regular cookers won't be good for that job. They recommend using specific pressure canner cooker for this purposes. It is possible to use pressure cooker with regular lid for small batches of water bath canning. The fact still stands though, pressure cookers are really not recommended for canning because of one simple fact. Pressure canner cookers take longer periods of time for cooling and heating.
This time is important, because it is taken into account when figuring out what are the standard canning timetables. Pressure canner cooker that have smaller loads will need less time for cooling and heating. And its clear why that makes problem for accurate timing when canning food.
As you know, there are many pressure canner cookers that you can buy online and in stores, but you have to be careful what kind of pressure canner cooker you are buying. They are not all the same and can cause you problem with your canning recipes. What's worse, you can ruin the whole supply of food you wanted to can.
To answer more correctly, pressure cookers have less metal, they are smaller in diameter and use less water then pressure canners. Cookers are usually 6,8 and 10 inches wide, while pressure cooker canners have 19, 21 and 25 inches in diameter. This is a lot of difference and affects the recipe you are trying to follow.
Come up and come down times are therefore different, but they should be the same because there are exact times that were used to establish a reasonable margin of safety. The margin is 12D and it represents the amount of heat that is required to cause a 12 log reduction in bacteria for all low acid foods.
Before pressure canner cooker, the pressure saucepan was used as an alternative for home canning. Usually, ten minutes more were added to the process in order to keep the food safe. But later it was discovered that was not the fact because there were different sizes of pressure saucepans and they were not tested properly. Therefore, the recommendation is that you do not use them. And this also goes for pressure canner cooker you can find in Wal-Mart right now.
We recommend that you find All-American pressure canner or Presto pressure canner and use them. If you already have pressure cooker, please avoid using them as canners. I know you want to save money, but by using wrong equipment, you can spend money on wasted food, and what is worse, you can endanger your health.
There are plenty of choices, even online, to find suitable Presto pressure canner as well as All-American pressure canner. Stay away from some advices people may give you, that using pressure canner cooker is OK. Trust the research and the experts, they know what they are talking about.
5 comments:
Pressure canner cookers take longer periods of time for cooling and heating
followed by:
Pressure canner cooker that have smaller loads will need less time for cooling and heating.
Huh?
Anonymous said...
I'm not sure how much stock I should put in a post that looks as if it was written by a grade school student. When you write, you need to proofread your material multiple times. And if you haven't the command of the English language and the structure in which it should be written, then make sure you get someone else who IS capable to proofread and rework it for you.
... to which i reply:
Well, it should not be you who castes the first stone in so far as your own posting has several grammatical errors:
For example:
your "..as if it was written.." is incorrect, for that sentence requires the 'subjunctive' form of the verb. "..as if it WERE written .." would be correct.
Also, among other errors is this: "...who IS capable to proofread ..".
'Capable', in this structure, requires this: "..who is capable of proofreading.." , not the infinitive form that you used.
Lesson: give us a break!
From what I have read the main difference between pressure cooking and canning is the pressures involved.
When you heat a liquid, such as water, the temperature at which the liquid boils is determined by the air pressure at the surface of the liquid. That's why there are corrections for altitude, the higher up you are the lower the air pressure and the lower the temperature at which water boils.
By increasing the pressure you increase the temperature at which the liquid boils. Heat transfer is faster at higher temperatures.
Heat is required for two things:
1. Create a partial vacuum and soften the lid gasket material to create a proper seal; and
2. Heat the food up high enough and long enough to sterilize the product.
A pressure cooker works at about 5 PSI ( pounds per square inch) while a pressure canner can be set for 5 ( cooking) 10 ( normal canning) and 15 ( high altitude or special recipe).
There are two types of canning:
1. High acid;and
2. Everything else.
High acid can be done in a water bath and is typically used for jams, jellies and tomato sauces. A pressure cooker can be used for this but so can a regular pot.
Everything else requires a pressure canner so that the proper temperature can be reached for the correct length of time.
WE PURCHASED A NESCO PRESSURE COOKER AND IT DOESN'T FUNCTION CORRECTLY. THE UNIT WAS RETURNED TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT IT IS DEFECTIVE. THE NESCO COMPANY DIDN'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED. THEY WANTED US TO PAY ADDITIONALLY FOR REPAIRS THAT WERE TOTALLY UNRELATED TO WEAR AND USAGE. WE WON'T MAKE THE SAME PURCHASE MISTAKE AGAIN.
okay, so all said, then what is the brand, and the name of the item I am to look for to can green beans, a pressure canner. can you suggest one that i can use on glass top stove, and what they are expected to cost perhaps?
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