First try with a pressure canner... Question??

[Frosting]

The loss of liquid can be due to not keeping the pressure steady too. If your having trouble regulating the jiggle and are constantly adjusting the burner that could have caused it.

 

[Farmfresh]

If you ARE going to BUY a new canner - All American is the ONLY way to go. I guess I am a little opinionated about this.

Expensive? Yes! Long term investment? ... I used my mother-in-laws canner when I was first learning ... it was about 30 years old when I STARTED using it! I have since bit the bullet and purchased a new one. I love it. It has BOTH pressure weight AND gauges and it needs no seals to have to replace. The quality just can't be beat.

For now however, I (the ultra cheap one) would just use your old canner and practice till you learn it. A canner with the pressure weight has no gauges to go wrong and as long as your seal is good you can use it for sometime yet.

 

[TanksHill]

Free that button is a safety lock. If the canner is still under pressure it's stands up. When no pressure is present it drops.

I found that when I used mine for beans the 10 min vent time then canning time made the beans a bit soft. But I guess it is necessary for achieving the proper temp.

I guess it's better than nothing.

 

[TanksHill]

If you ARE going to BUY a new canner - All American is the ONLY way to go. I guess I am a little opinionated about this.

Expensive? Yes! Long term investment? ... I used my mother-in-laws canner when I was first learning ... it was about 30 years old when I STARTED using it! I have since bit the bullet and purchased a new one. I love it. It has BOTH pressure weight AND gauges and it needs no seals to have to replace. The quality just can't be beat.

For now however, I (the ultra cheap one) would just use your old canner and practice till you learn it. A canner with the pressure weight has no gauges to go wrong and as long as your seal is good you can use it for sometime yet.

I thought about getting the All American off e bay. I just couldn't stomach the price. I ended up with the Presto. It works fine I think. I do have some steam escaping near the handle. Do you think this is a problem? I have only used it twice the seal couldn't be bad, could it???

 

[Farmfresh]

I would buy a new seal. That couldn't cost too much.

Sometimes the seals get stiff and brittle just sitting. Another option might be to add a little petroleum jelly to the seal and see if that helps or makes it worse. Just an idea.

There should not be steam escaping anywhere except under the pressure weight when it jiggles and sometimes around the safety plug in the lid until about 5 pounds of pressure builds up.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Thanks all... Mom's old canner works just fine, and I think that I will stick with it for now. I Will see how the next batch comes out with letting it cool down by itself. It will be a couple of weeks I think before the next batch of beans is ready to be canned. The canner is so nice and heavy, I feel that I will be greatly let down by the modern ones in how well they are built. I live under 1000 feet, so I do not have to worry about the readings.

Firem3.... I am "retired" from the service now, I put in 11 years as a call man in Charlton, Mass. I have had the user ID for so long (mid 90's) I just can't stand to loose it. I am known by it on so many forums now.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Sometimes the seals get stiff and brittle just sitting. Another option might be to add a little petroleum jelly to the seal and see if that helps or makes it worse. Just an idea.

FYI, I have seen the lube mentioned many times on the internet while researching, and it has always been vegetable oil. You may have problems with petroleum jelly. There is a chance it may break down the seal.
Petroleum Jelly breaks down rubber, and I assume the seals are not silicon on the canners.

 

[TanksHill]

Thanks to you both. I'll check the book and oil it up.

 

[freemotion]

Don't forget, those who are contemplating buying a pressure canner, that the type of stove you have is also a factor. The bigger canners will crack a ceramic top electric stove.

 

[Frosting]

I had a seal that I had to through into boiling water to heat up first and then it sealed fine.