# Pressure canning anxiety



## semimoonman (Oct 31, 2012)

Hi, I could use some advice about pressure canning. I've been water bath canning for a very long time and am confident playing around with and modifying those recipes. I'm confident that I can keep the pH under 4.6 (and half of my mother's recipes that I grew up eating are not USDA approved today--yet none of us are dead yet...). However, I've never pressure canned and find it a bit intimidating, but it is seeming more and more necessary. 

Our freezer is pretty full, and soon we are going to need to start preserving the summer harvest. Also, we work pretty long, exhausting jobs fall through spring and need easy, ready meals for that time. Also, I'd like to free up freezer space by canning our currently frozen stock. 

I be grateful if some of you could look over my prep, tell me if I'm missing anything, and answer a few questions about recipes.

Here's my prep:

I have my mother-in-law's old All American canner (model 921 or 925) from the 1970s. It's a metal to metal seal so no gasket to worry about. I bought a replacement weight as the old one was gone. I also have a replacement gauge in case it's necessary. I have all the standard water bath canning materials. 
I've read the All American pressure canner manual, plus this http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html, as well as a few other sites and blogs. I know that I'm at less than 1,000 ft of elevation. 

I'm going to start with canning stock from the freezer. 


Here are my concerns:

1) I have a glass (ceramic) top electric stove. The canner manual says not to use the canner on a glass top stove. However, we have been using this pressure canner as a water bath canner on this stove for the past year to no ill effects. According to the stove manufacturer, the canner is just barely small enough to work on the stove top. Is there something different about pressure canning that makes it worse for the stove? 

2) All of the standard botulin related pressure canning fears. Just follow the instructions and get over it, right?

3) The stock that I have in the freezer is super concentrated (a 4x reduction). Is that still okay to can? I'd like to can it in Â½ pints since a Â½ pint is actually a quart, but I only see processing times and pressures for pints and quarts. Should I just follow the guidelines for pints? Is there a danger to over processing?

4) Are there any guidelines for what can and cannot be pressure canned--like the pH in water bath canning? Eventually I'd like to be able to can things like beef stew and chili, but I'd like to be able to use my own recipes. For example, all the beef stew pressure canning recipes I see have potatoes in them, but I prefer beef stew without potatoes. Can I just leave out the potatoes? 
The only caution I've seen about ingredients is to avoid thickeners that aren't Sure Gel. 

Sorry for the long post, and I look forward to your advice!

Sem


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## Homesteader (Jul 13, 2002)

semimoonman: I did a thread a while back about the glass top stove issue. Due to the sensors some of them have, that turn the heat down very fast for a time, I personally would not use one, but that's me. Here is a link to the thread:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...-research-today-glass-top-stoves-canning.html

Yes, the bot fears are something you just have to get over. If you follow the rules you will be fine!

On question 3: I would use the pint time. No danger in going too long, no.

You also are advised not to can pasta, dense foods like, pumpkin puree as an example, or a solid block of meat. (many folks do it anyway, you have to make your choice on that), dairy.

As to your own recipes, the rule is, take the ingredient that has the longest processing time if you were to process it alone, and you use that time.

Hope this helps!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I worry far less about product from pressure canning than I do from water bath canning.

I would buy an outdoor propane burner rather than use a glass top stove. My one tip to a newby pressure canner is let the pressure come down on its own. Don't rush it or the quick pressure change will cause you jars to release pressure and food.


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## puddlejumper007 (Jan 12, 2008)

i guess the main thing i would stress, never leave the room when running a pressure canner. stay right with it. i take a chair and sit there with a book, or other chores to do right there . i can with a camper stove on my deck. only have to be concerned with the wind blowing out the fire, so put up a wind block. you can do it, just do not get distracted...good luck


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I canned with my AA canner on a ceramic glass top with no issues. The big one is cracking the stove and if you've already passed that test! I never had an issue with burners cycling off, I now can on a coil electric, no issues there either. You're going to know if the burner cycles off as the pressure will go down. I think it varies a lot depending on the stove. 

Our go to quick canned meals in the winter are beef stew, chili, taco meat and meat balls. Starch and viscosity are the big concerns with canning, so leaving out the potatoes is actually a good thing. With chili I can it with a few beans, but add another jar of beans when heated up.


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## Melesine (Jan 17, 2012)

I've canned on a glass top quite a bit without any problems, I've also used it on coil electric and gas. The only thing I'd really worry about is making sure the canner doesn't overhang the burner of the glass top more than is recommended. I think it's 1 inch overhang max. In my case, my canner fit with no overhang. I have a dial gauge and also use the weighted gauge with mine.


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## semimoonman (Oct 31, 2012)

In doing some more research, I found this: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...-harvest/430096-electric-pressure-canner.html

I'm thinking that I might get an electric burner. That way I can be sure that the burner is always on. Plus, the stove is always to crowded when canning. 

Thanks for all of your advice.


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

I'm right there with you, Sem. I've BWB canned off and on for years but have had such a phobia about the pressure canner. I got a 23 qt. Presto with a gauge some years back and tried it a few times. I was in a sweat the whole time and was afraid to take my eye off the gauge. A few months ago I bought a 16 qt Presto with the weights. I think I'll do much better with the smaller one, without the gauge. 

I'm trying to go through and eliminate all my fears about the PC. One thing that is helping me is watching canning videos on You Tube. I've watched dozens of them and it's making me more comfortable with the process.


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## wife89 (Jun 29, 2011)

I was looking at getting a pressure canner this year, I too have a glass top stove. I wonder if it would be better to get a hot plate. 

Rachel


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## Calico Katie (Sep 12, 2003)

I saw Kellene Bishops's video on using butane stoves and was sold on the idea. I bought one like hers from Amazon, about $22. From what I've read, you can get the cans of butane from Asian markets very cheaply.
Here's the link to her video.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0DcqUDFhg[/ame]

In her video on canning ground beef, at one point if you look behind her you'll see one of these on the kitchen counter under a 23 qt. All American canner loaded down with quart jars of ground beef. If it's strong enough to use for that, I think it can handle my little Presto!


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