# pressure caning question



## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

ok so this might be an odd question but i have a pressure caner and am looking to can some turkey soup. i was going to use new in the box bottles. now for the question, do i need to sanitize the bottles? i only have one big pot that could be used to boil the bottles and it is full of soup, LOL, i can get another pot but it is a bit of a bother. i'd rather use what i have, if things drop tomorrow i would still only have one large pot. so do i need to sterilize the bottles or will the heat and pressure do that for me if i am using clean bottles?

thanks
dean


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

Anything that will be processed for longer than 10 min does not require the use of pre-sterilzed jars. Just wash and rinse them well in hot soapy water and make sure they are hot before filling them with the soup to keep them from breaking. Dishwasher works great for getting the jars clean and hot and ready to fill.


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## am1too (Dec 30, 2009)

Is there any pressure canner one should not use or trust? The only recognizable names I see available in my area is by special order which also means premium price.


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## Gladrags (Jul 13, 2010)

^^My mom bought my Presto pressure canner right off the shelf at WalMart.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

if the canner is UL listed and holds at least four quarts, then it should be OK. 

That is from the National Center of Home Preserving.

The Presto are inexpensive, and very easy to come by. Amazon has them on sale often, and usualy with free shipping. Just order the three peice weight set if you get one that does not come with it.

Several stores carry them locally, but some only seasonally and right now is not the season they carry them. In my area, Amazon almost always beats the local price.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> Is there any pressure canner one should not use or trust?


I have heard and read about some bad things with the new Mirro brand. They used to be pretty good canners but supposedly the company was sold and the new quality and parts aren't up to standard any longer.

Otherwise you are basically limited to Presto or All American brands. All of the Ball/NCHFP testing was supposedly done with Presto canners and I have a couple that are decades old and going strong.

There are some imported brands out there you see now and then but AFAIK they are just pressure cookers, not canners.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

mine is a mirro brand, a new one, i'm still trying to figure out the right temp. to get it to jiggle properly. but a question did cross my mind. let me start by, i only have time to can on the weekends and in the evenings, i work full time, by the time i get every thing filled and processed its pretty near bed time and i haven't even waited for the machine to depressurize (thats at least another hour) so my question is, after it processes can i just leave the jars in there to cool (seal) untill i get home the next day? mornings are already pretty hectic trying to get me and the kid out the door and off to school/work.

so what say you?

thanks
dean


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

I would make sure whatever one you choose has both a guage and jiggler. Get an extra gasket or two while you are at it. They seem to last a long time, I vacuum sealed mine to keep it from oxidizing. I just did that on a whim, not sure if it's neccasary. 

Mirro and presta are popular brands that should have spare parts available for a long time.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> so my question is, after it processes can i just leave the jars in there to cool (seal) untill i get home the next day?


The guidelines strongly recommend against it. 2 reasons I have read about. 1 is because there are some sorts of bacteria which will grow in that enclosed warm space and can contaminate the food and 2 is because you can't know when or if the jars sealed. If they didn't seal or if they released and then sealed again as they often do then the food may be contaminated because they sucked in the cooled and non-sterilzed air.

On a more practical note some have reported that a so-called reverse vacuum can form which makes the lid almost impossible to remove after several hours. Never had it happen to me but it has to others.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

When I've ended up canning late at night, I use the presto becuase it has the button that pops down so reverse vacumn is less likely to happen, then I set the timmer as I know it takes about 35-40 mn to cool down. 

Then I get back up and take them out of the canner. I'd be afraid to do that with teh AA though, have had a few times were I've had to work to get the lid off and don't want to take a chance.


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

another question; is this normal? quite frankly, it scared the pants off me.
click the link
http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a211/longshot001/?action=view&current=DSCF2978.mp4

thanks
dean


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

Yes that is normal. That looks like a Mirro canner, right? If so it is supposed to jiggle - you said "do a little dance"  3-5 times a min when at the proper pressure. More than 5 times a min is ok but you don't want it to jiggle less than 3 times or to do it all the time.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

longshot38 said:


> another question; is this normal? quite frankly, it scared the pants off me.
> click the link
> http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a211/longshot001/?action=view&current=DSCF2978.mp4
> 
> ...


That sounds perfect to me, just what its sposed to do. As the internal temp build up it creates more pressure. When it gets to the desired pressure it lifts the weight allowing a bit of steam to escape which is what your hearing. This "cools" the inside slightly, just enough to bring the pressure back down to the proper amount. As it heats back up and exceeds the pressure limit... the cycle repeats itself. You know you have yer stove temp right when it cycles 4 or 5 times a minute.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

arrocks said:


> The guidelines strongly recommend against it. 2 reasons I have read about. 1 is because there are some sorts of bacteria which will grow in that enclosed warm space and can contaminate the food
> .


I have to disagree with that logic. The whole idea of using a pressure canner as opposed to a water bath canner is to get the temperature to 240Âº so as to kill every bug known to man (botulism). If you can your product like you are supposed to, there should be no bugs, especially botulism, to "grow in that enclosed warm space". Bacteria is killed at a much lower temperature - 212Âº.


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

I have left mine in after the lid is off. They are still to hot to be moved and with my cool kitchen, they will cool too fast and boil. 

If bacteria are killed in the jar they are not going to majically reappear. I suppose the water would get sour by mine never has. 

If there isn't more than an inch or so of water left and the lid is off it should cool down in a reasonable time. Mine are always cool in the morning.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Margo- regarding "cool too fast and boil", I have noticed that on some of mine. They are sealed but continue to boil. Does this mean I'm taking them out of the canner too soon?


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

Mine "boil" for hours, regardless of how I take them out. They will bubble a little the next day even. It has something to do with the pressure, they aren't even hot. 

I should mention that I am mindful of the sealing jars when mine are in the canner. I don't leave 2 layers of jars in the canner, and they are all out of the canner when I get up the next morning. Usually the lids are all sealing within minutes of taking the lid off. If I move them too quick they will really sputter and boil.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

margoC said:


> Mine "boil" for hours, regardless of how I take them out. They will bubble a little the next day even. It has something to do with the pressure, they aren't even hot.


There is a pretty good chance that you are running a bit too much pressure if they are still bubbling when cool. Not a bad thing, as long as the jars remained sealed, but it does increase the likelyhood of blowing a seal.


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## suitcase_sally (Mar 20, 2006)

I don't know if they product is actually "boiling" as much as it's the vacuum that's pulling air out of the product, equalizing the pressure between the product and the jar vacuum.


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## arrocks (Oct 26, 2011)

> I don't know if they product is actually "boiling" as much as it's the vacuum that's pulling air out of the product, equalizing the pressure between the product and the jar vacuum.


Agree.


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