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.
Using Your Canning Pressure Cooker
- Place the canning pressure cooker on the largest burner of your stove.
- Place the rack inside the canning pressure cooker, and fill with the recommended amount of water in the canning pressure cooker. If you happen to lose your instructions, place the jars first and place enough water until it reaches to the center of the jars.
- Situate your filled jars, complete with bands and lids, on the rack in the canning pressure canner. That canner should be large enough to accommodate at least four quart jars.
- Seal down the lid of the canning pressure cooker, but do not use the weighted gauge yet. If you have a petcock, leave it open.
- To remove the inside air, wait for the water in the canning pressure canner to boil. After the steam starts escaping on top of the lid, wait at least ten minutes and then cover the vent pipe with the weight.
- To cause pressure inside the canning pressure cooker, add the weighted gauge to the vent pipe. If you have a petcock, just close it. You should soon start hearing hissing noises.
- Remove the weighted gauge from the canning pressure canner if you see any steam coming out from under the lid. If you have a petcock, just open it.
- Upon release of the pressure, take off the lid and remove the rubber gasket carefully as it will be hot. Wipe the rubber gasket dry and stretch it out some. Replace the rubber gasket inside the lid and vent the canning pressure canner again.
- Begin timing as soon as the appropriate level of pressure has been reached. If at any time the pressure goes down below the pressure specified to process the food, you should start your counting time again.
- After the filled jars are done processing, turn off the heat. Allow the steam to escape naturally. Do not remove the weight off the canner, (if you have a petcock, do not open it) until the gauge arrow points to zero.
- If there is steam escaping after you remove the gauge or open the petcock, replace the gauge. You need to wait some more. When all pressure has left the canning cooker, you can take the lid off.
- When opening the canning pressure cooker, you should remove the lid away from you to stop the steam from showering your face. That hot steam will hurt!
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