# pressure canner heat source



## 62flint (Apr 29, 2007)

I have new aluminum pressure canner. I see that it came with a warning against using it with a out side heat source. Can not remember how it was worded but basically talking about a turkey fryer type burner. If you would use such a heat source, the pot would be warped, damaged and could turn in to a small thermonuclear warhead. 
I have a two burner propane out door camp stove that I like to set up and use in the shed. Is there any reason I should be concerned with a propane burner with this canner. Provided I did not try to heat it up in 2 minutes and used some common sense?


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

i can out side all the time on a propane stove no problem . what you don't want is a super high hot burner that you can't control . like any thing from driveing to walking . "ya gotta watch what yer doing " your double burner stove should be fine . out door canning can be a problen with wind and drafts causeing fast tempture changes in your canner but you should be able to avoid this with a lil forthought and being in a shed .


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Been using mine this way for years. Can't even use it on the regular propane stove because the canner is too tall....not enough room to clear putting the jars in because of the hood over the stove.


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

I prefer the safety of the water bath method, which can be done on a standard stove, or an outside heat source without the explosion threat.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Unfortunately, water bath limits you to high acid or high sugar contents. No green beans, carrots, no meats, and so on.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

CKelly78z said:


> I prefer the safety of the water bath method, which can be done on a standard stove, or an outside heat source without the explosion threat.


There really isn't a safety problem when you combine a reasonable understanding with a small modicum of attention. I personally prefer the type with a weight on a stem rather than a gauge because it serves as a vent along with the safety valve. If it gets too active you know to turn the heat down a bit.


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Pressure cookers are safe. And they work with any heat source you can control. If you're afraid of pressure canning, don't do it. There is a lot you can can with a water bath.

Jeff


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Burning temperature of Propane - 3,623 °F

Melting point of aluminum - 1,221°F

Now if you can keep it a safe distance from the flame and use a small enough burner you might get by without warping it. But how does common sense determine a safe distance or burner size until after you've destroyed a few to find the limits.

Your pot, your choice.

WWW


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Burning temperature of Propane - 3,623 °F
> 
> Melting point of aluminum - 1,221°F


Yep. That's why the turkey fryer pots are made of... Um.... Aluminum. 



By the way, you can boil water in a paper cup too.

Jeff


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Burning temperature of Propane - 3,623 °F
> 
> Melting point of aluminum - 1,221°F


Yep. That's why the turkey fryer pots are made of... Um.... Aluminum. 



By the way, you can boil water in a styrofoam cup too.

Jeff


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Or a paper cup. Boiled eggs before with a paper cup in a camp fire. As long as there is liquid in the cup, it won't burn.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I have used an outside burner, many times. Don't go wack-a-doodle with the heat, watch your pressure, you should be fine. Don't turn the flame up for your canner to get to pressure. Let it build on it's on. You will be able to get it dialed in... And ENJOY!!


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

My plan is build a 8x8' or 8x12' shed on skids out in the yard and put a propane kitchen range in it for Sweetie to can with. A variation of the "outdoor kitchen" concept. This will keep a lot of heat out of the house yet provide a draft free place that will be useful a lot of ways, hopefully. 

We also have a turkey fryer type burner. We are very cautious how we use it for any purpose.. Even just boiling large quantities of water we try to not hurry anything. Many people have lost property and lives because of the power those burners have. Keep safe.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

I've been using our turkey boiler for years for pressure canning. Just keep an eye on the pressure gauge or listen to the jiggler. I've also used wood burning stoves and outside wood fires. Never warped a kettle or popped a pressure valve yet.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Burning temperature of Propane - 3,623 °F
> 
> Melting point of aluminum - 1,221°F
> 
> ...


Put some water in the canner and see if you can heat it to 350 degrees, much less to 1221. Pressure canners have relief valves that will scare the day lights out of you long before you obtain 350 degrees. If memory serves 15 lbs pressure is around 250, 100 psi kicks in around 300.


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## Wyobuckaroo (Dec 30, 2011)

If memory serves 15 lbs pressure is around 250, 100 psi kicks in around 300. 
>>>>>>> 
You are right.. Saturated steam at 15 psi = 250 deg F... Saturated steam at 100 psi = 338 deg F.... 
Hydronics, Power Steam Engineering 101.... (a really long time ago)


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

After apartment living for about two years, I didn't even consider canning or jars indoors.
The first thing I built when I got land was a privvy/solar shower,
The second thing was a root cellar, natural floor, buried vent pipe for cool air,
The third thing was cool storage, hard floor, buried cool air pipes.
The 'Summer Kitchen' is right in the end of the cool storage.
It actually got bigger, a screen tent to keep bugs out tripled the size.

The 'Trick' is being able to throttle the flame/heat,
AND,
Having a gauge on your pressure canner.

The All American types (and others) are upgradeable to gauge use easily.
When you reach target pressure, simply throttle back the heat a little at a time until the pressure stops rising.

The first year, when I had nothing, when the root cellar was more a less a hole in ground and I was mixing concrete by hand and learning to lay concrete blocks...
My heat source was a 'Rocket Mass' heater made of (used) bricks.
Talk about having to watch a pot boil! 

I picked up turkey friers at yard sales and at second hand stores for the second year.
I also found & rebuilt a heavy duty, cast iron base 'Camp' stove with two burners. Needed fixed, but it had really good gas control.
You can buy them cheap on eBay now, no eBay 20 years ago for me...

I got into canning ('tin' cans) about 4 years ago after I found an old manual seamer machine that wasn't in too bad of shape, and it's about the same process as glass jars (technically, it's 'bottling' or 'jaring').
I have a few seaming machines now, the big deal with seamed cans is getting the machine set up so it properly closes the 'Tin', and using the correct 'Tin' for the product you are preserving.
Acids like to eat their way out unless you have EXACTLY the correct liner in the can...

If you are a 'Gadget' guy, 'Tinning' is as simple as bottling or jaring.
If you AREN'T a gadget guy, the learning curve might be steep.
(Mechanics & ammo reloaders catch on pretty quickly, those that major in 'Social Media' don't do so well... Go figure...)

Tins, jars or bottles, 
170*F-180*F kills active, growing botulism and other food borne bad stuff,
Around 230*F-240*F at sea level that's around 11 PSIG on my temp sensor kills the heat resistant spores for botulism so it can't sprout and make you sick.

Does anyone is the temp data loggers in your jars/cans?
Stick the logger in a jar, stick the jar in the middle of the mass so it's the last one to get up to temp, and see how long it actually took to reach 230*/240*.


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