Canning Pressure Cooking: The Safe Way to Can Vegetables

Canning Pressure Cooking
The Safe Way to Can Vegetables

If your purpose is to can low-acid foods, you need a canning pressure cooker. Be aware that a canning pressure cooker is not the same as a pressure cooker. Regular pressure cookers are not recommended for pressure canning.

Weighted Gauge vs. Counterweight
The canning pressure cooker you purchase has a weighted gauge to indicate and regulate the pressure. Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully as you will need to learn how that weighted gauge rocks. If you opted for a dial gauge pressure cooker that comes equipped with a counterweight, find out if it is a dial gauge system that you can use both as a dial gauge and a weighted gauge. If not, be aware that the counterweight will not rock. It is different from a weighted gauge. Additionally, make sure that your canner is at least big enough to handle four quart jars.

Basic Things You Need to Know

Your dial gauge should be checked for accuracy each year before canning season. Check it at 5, 10, or 15 pounds pressure.

Replace the gauge if it is more than two pounds off. If you can repeatedly during the season, have your canning pressure cooker checked very often. The once-yearly check-up recommendation does not apply to you.

The vegetables you process with your canning pressure cooker should be firm and at its best. That means, they should neither be too ripe nor too immature

Sort the vegetables according to size. Be sure to remove any blemishes, imperfections, etc. from the produce.

Wash the vegetables thoroughly but do not soak them. Scrub the dirt off if necessary.

Inspect your canning jars and bands very carefully. Do not use anything with cracks, nicks, dents, etc.

Follow the manufacturer’s directions on how to prepare the lids

Situate the jars so that the steam is free flowing around them. If your canning pressure cooker is sufficiently large and you want to place another layer of pints, make sure there is a flat rack in between layers.

The usual headspace required for canning pressure cooker foods is one inch. If you use a canning funnel to put the foods in the jars, you can use the funnel’s bottom as your guideline. Between its bottom and the top of the jar is an inch of headspace.

Be very familiar with the canning pressure cooker you purchased. You should know how to operate it before you use it. Follow the manufacturer’s directions precisely. Guesswork is not an option with canning pressure cookers.

Processing time is different for each vegetable. Read your recipe carefully.

Make sure that there is not any pressure left in the canning pressure cooker prior to lifting the lid.

Do not hurry the cooling of the finished jars. Let them cool naturally away from draft. Place the cooling jars on a rack, a folded towel, or on a wooden board – you need good air circulation around the cooling jars.