…… Digital pressure canning

[SouthernBreeze]

Your house, your life. I'll stick to using my stove top pressure canners.

Yep. Good for you.

 

[nomifyle]

Just a heads up the USDA/FDA has not approved any electrical pressure cookers for canning food!

National Center for Home Food Preservation | USDA Publications

well certainly not pressure "cookers", they are different.

 

[meezy]

Your house, your life. I'll stick to using my stove top pressure canners.

The reference you quoted is talking about pressure cookers used as canners. This is not a pressure cooker. You aren't supposed to cook in it at all. It is specifically a canner. A pressure canner has to meet minimum specifications -- for example, it has to fit a minimum of 4 quart jars standing up. The digital canner does that. I actually think it's safer than stovetop canning because it's all automatic, ensures an even heating process, adjusts pressure by temperature. There's no guesswork and a very small learning curve.

 

[meezy]

I have a Ball Electric Canner and use it at least several times a month. I'll make batches of pasta sauce - some for immediate use, some to put away. All year I have been getting the Family Packs of chicken and meats and using some immediately, and canning the rest to put away.

I love it. It is easy. I don't have to sit in the kitchen watching a gauge all day.

The Ball electric canner is intended for water bath canning only, not pressure. The pasta sauce might be OK, depending on the ingredients, but it's definitely not safe to can meat in it. Meat has to be pressure-canned.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

The reference you quoted is talking about pressure cookers used as canners. This is not a pressure cooker. You aren't supposed to cook in it at all. It is specifically a canner. A pressure canner has to meet minimum specifications -- for example,
it has to fit a minimum of 4 quart jars standing up. The digital canner does that. I actually think it's safer than stovetop canning because it's all automatic, ensures an even heating process, adjusts pressure by temperature. There's no guesswork and a very small learning curve.

Thank you, meezy. I've talked to a couple of people (not on the forum) who have been using this particular pressure canner for a couple of years now. They are sold on them, and won't use anything else. I wouldn't have given in and spent the money on one if I didn't think they were up to the task, plus, it is the only type I feel safe using.

 

[Publius]

Digital pressure cooker I did not know we even had analog pressure cookers.

 

[meezy]

Digital pressure cooker I did not know we even had analog pressure cookers.

Well, the Instant Pot and Ninja are digital pressure cookers, for example. And Presto makes one that looks almost identical to the pressure canner, but a little smaller and less expensive.

 

[nomifyle]

The reference you quoted is talking about pressure cookers used as canners. This is not a pressure cooker. You aren't supposed to cook in it at all. It is specifically a canner. A pressure canner has to meet minimum specifications -- for example, it has to fit a minimum of 4 quart jars standing up. The digital canner does that. I actually think it's safer than stovetop canning because it's all automatic, ensures an even heating process, adjusts pressure by temperature. There's no guesswork and a very small learning curve.

My Power xl says to use pint jars, quarts will not fit in it

 

[meezy]

My Power xl says to use pint jars, quarts will not fit in it

I'm just going by what the canning reference posted earlier says: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE01_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

There's a science behind it -- evidently if the canner isn't big enough, it can't hold the jars at the proper temperature/pressure for a long enough time to be safe. So although people say you can use the Power XL for pressure canning, the USDA does not recommend it, and calls it a pressure cooker instead of a pressure canner.

No judging. For a long time I canned everything with a Mirro 8-quart stovetop canner, which I have been informed is also not approved for canning, although when I bought it they called it a canner. Oh well.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Just a heads up the USDA/FDA has not approved any electrical pressure cookers for canning food!

National Center for Home Food Preservation | USDA Publications

I stand corrected.

Still, the reviews I read on Amazon and elsewhere, plus folks here who have already used the canner, lend me to believe that the gizmo I just got will be able to safely do the job.

i hope that is correct, because last year I had a very productive garden, but I could not preserve much of my bountiful harvest because I had no way to can the food. Well, technically I didn’t loose the food. I gave my neighbors alot of it, and fed some of it to the chickens.

This year, though, I would like to be able to preserve alot of my harvest.

 

[nomifyle]

I stand corrected.

Still, the reviews I read on Amazon and elsewhere, plus folks here who have already used the canner, lend me to believe that the gizmo I just got will be able to safely do the job.

i hope that is correct, because last year I had a very productive garden, but I could not preserve much of my bountiful harvest because I had no way to can the food. Well, technically I didn’t loose the food. I gave my neighbors alot of it, and fed some of it to the chickens.

This year, though, I would like to be able to preserve alot of my harvest.

You will be fine preserving your garden food

 

[nomifyle]

I want to start with canning dried beans.

 

[meezy]

I want to start with canning dried beans.

That was the first thing I canned with the Presto. Kidney beans. Very easy! I soaked them overnight, drained, rinsed and put them in the jars with boiling water. I was really surprised at how little they expanded in the canner. I only filled the jars up halfway thinking they would expand. Wrong! Next time I'm filling them the same as I do everything else. Already used some in chili -- they were great.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Don't laugh, ya'll! I'm going to be canning water, today. Yep, this will be my first attempt at pressure canning. I'm so nervous! Cary is going to help me walk through the process, reading the instructions with me. I don't have any old sealing lids, so I'll be using newer ones. I hate that these will be going to waste, since they're so hard to find, but I've got to do this, first. Cary has some projects of his own to do, before we get started.

 

[nomifyle]

I finally got my 8 qt power xl up off the floor. Shame on me, I should have had it in a plastic bag because some potatoes that I had stored above it spoiled and dripped their nasty ness on top of my unit. So now I'm carefully cleaning it off. Nothing got into the works of it, thank God, but its a slimy mess to clean up, its dried so when I put water on it that makes it slimy.

 

[meezy]

Don't laugh, ya'll! I'm going to be canning water, today. Yep, this will be my first attempt at pressure canning. I'm so nervous! Cary is going to help me walk through the process, reading the instructions with me. I don't have any old sealing lids, so I'll be using newer ones. I hate that these will be going to waste, since they're so hard to find, but I've got to do this, first. Cary has some projects of his own to do, before we get started.

I've not had any trouble finding them. In fact Walmart.com has them (almost) half price right now. You don't really have to use the lids for a trial run, just jars filled with water, unless you want to see whether or not they seal properly. Anyway, I always save the old lids for other things, like using a jar to store sugar or leftover soup in the fridge. Mark it with a big X so you know it's used.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

I absolutely love this canner! I just finished my first canning session, and it was so easy! Just follow the step by step instructions, and it wasn't complicated at all. I never once felt threatened by it. It made no sounds at all like those old "jigglers" do. Another thing I like about it is that it didn't heat the house up at all.

 

[Marie]

Seconding Summerthyme on babysitting the canners. I have a very old gauge pressure canner. I park my rear on a chair and watch the gauge. If it climbs I adjust it. I'm sure those new fangled electric ones I would be no different. I've water bathed everything till a couple years ago because I didn't have a pressure canner. It saves alot of time for me. I can an enormous amount yearly and don't have much help so I tire of 3 to 4 hour canning batches

 

[nomifyle]

Both of my XL's came with a scratch restant inner pot. When I first got them I ordered a ss one for the 8 qt, but the one for the 6 qt seemed too expensive at the time. I guess the price of the 6 at ss inner pot seems reasonable now, all things considered.

I ordered the 6qt and I also ordered an accessory kit that will work in both pots for many things.

Amazon.com

I recently got into steaming eggs instead of boiling them. Twice now I've almost burned up the pot because I would walk away and for get it. The accessory kit has a steamer pot so I'm looking forward to using the digital pot for steaming eggs and many other things.

Now I just have to read up on how to use these pots.

The reason I have two pots is because one is none and two is one.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Don't laugh, ya'll! I'm going to be canning water, today. Yep, this will be my first attempt at pressure canning. I'm so nervous! Cary is going to help me walk through the process, reading the instructions with me. I don't have any old sealing lids, so I'll be using newer ones. I hate that these will be going to waste, since they're so hard to find, but I've got to do this, first. Cary has some projects of his own to do, before we get started.

Please let us know how it went.

Others - like myself - hope to learn from your experience.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Please let us know how it went.

Others - like myself - hope to learn from your experience.

Barry, it was a breeze! I just followed the easy to understand instructions step by step, and it went great. I canned 5 pints of water, and they all sealed! Like I said, I didn't feel threatened by this canner at all. It never made a sound, and didn't heat up the house by using the stove. Since it was my first time using a pressure canner, I stayed right with it to make sure it was doing what the instruction book said it was supposed to be doing all along the way. There is a digital readout display window, and it tells you what it's doing and how long each step will take. I love it!

If everything goes as planned, I'm canning ground beef, Monday. Maybe, Tuesday, depending on Cary's schedule of projects. The AC went out in my car, and we need to take it to the shop for repair. I don't know what day he plans to do that, yet.

 

[Wildwood]

On canning meat, the only meat I've canned was raw, fresh from butchering. Chunk it up in pieces an inch or so square, fill the jar with as little air space as possible, add a teaspoon or two of salt, and can it. It makes it's own juice, and cooks the contents THOROUGHLY. You can put up precooked foods like soups and stews, but you absolutely do not need to precook anything before canning it. We canned large salmon (with large bones), and you don't need to scale/skin the fish before canning, or remove the bones. The scales disappear, and the bones get so soft (still a bit chalky/crunchy) that you can chew them up and eat them if you want. We usually took the larger bones, such as the spine, out to feed to dogs or chickens, but the smaller bones were fine. Even chicken bones get soft (crunchy, but soft) when canned. I always fed those to the dogs without any problems, as they can't splinter.

Kathleen

I've done both raw and hot packed meat and I prefer the raw but everyone is different. You can create anything with the raw packed meat...even shred it. You are more restricted with the hot packed, precooked meat.

For all you new canners...make sure the temp of the water you have in your pressure canner is the same temp as whatever is inside your jars starting out. I judge by touch.

When canning raw packed meat, I like to let my filled and closed canner heat very slowly for the first twenty to thirty minutes, giving everything inside a chance to be pretty warm before turning things up a notch. The same thing applies to cooling down. Most siphoning and breaking of jars can be prevented with a slow build up of heat and a slow cooling down period.

I keep going back and forth on the digital canners but y'all are making me want one again. I've heard conflicting info but I suspect it is probably fear mongering. Just remember to cook everything for ten minutes before consuming. That means a simmer that lasts ten minutes or an oven that is preheated. I confess that I do make chicken salad out of canned meat that I don't simmer for ten minutes but only the recently canned and I've done this long enough to know when I've got a securely sealed jar. I always listen for that rush of air when I release the lid...plus I sometimes like to live dangerously.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

About the only meat I'm interested in canning is ground beef. I plan to brown it first. Once I get that mastered, I'll move on to other meats. Ground beef is what takes up most of my freezer space. I've got a whole lot of it, since we eat a lot of it. My problem is finding a place to store all the canned meat. My pantry is already full. I found a bit of space for maybe 2 cases of meat, and that's it. I absolutely don't know where I can put more than that.

 

[Wildwood]

About the only meat I'm interested in canning is ground beef. I plan to brown it first. Once I get that mastered, I'll move on to other meats. Ground beef is what takes up most of my freezer space. I've got a whole lot of it, since we eat a lot of it. My problem is finding a place to store all the canned meat. My pantry is already full. I found a bit of space for maybe 2 cases of meat, and that's it. I absolutely don't know where I can put more than that.

Ground beef and chicken are our main meats. It's what we like.

I buy boneless, skinless chicken for canning so it couldn't be easier. I like a mix of white and dark meat so buy breasts and thighs. I also add a little water to my chicken...my mother was horrified lol but I never have dried out chicken sticking up out of the liquids and it's all so moist and tender plus I get a little bit of broth.

You can dry can ground beef too and it does taste more like freshly browned hamburger IMHO. I only add salt and water to my canned meat since I never know how I'm going to be using it. Lately, I've found half the recommended salt works better since I often use spice mixes or sauces that include salt for some of my recipes. You don't have to add salt at all but I like a little. Salt will keep your jars from freezing if you are storing them in an uncontrolled climate.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Ground beef and chicken are our main meats. It's what we like.

I buy boneless, skinless chicken for canning so it couldn't be easier. I like a mix of white and dark meat so buy breasts and thighs. I also add a little water to my chicken...my mother was horrified lol but I never have dried out chicken sticking up out of the liquids and it's all so moist and tender plus I get a little bit of broth.

You can dry can ground beef too and it does taste more like freshly browned hamburger IMHO. I only add salt and water to my canned meat since I never know how I'm going to be using it. Lately, I've found half the recommended salt works better since I often use spice mixes or sauces that include salt for some of my recipes. You don't have to add salt at all but I like a little. Salt will keep your jars from freezing if you are storing them in an uncontrolled climate.

My canner says to cover the ground beef with boiling water or broth, so I'm going to do it that way. For the time being, while I'm still learning, I want to follow the instructions, strictly. I've already got around 100 cans of store bought chicken breasts, so I don't need to can that. I do plan to can beef meatballs, though.

 

[Wildwood]

My canner says to cover the ground beef with boiling water or broth, so I'm going to do it that way. For the time being, while I'm still learning, I want to follow the instructions, strictly. I've already got around 100 cans of store bought chicken breasts, so I don't need to can that. I do plan to can beef meatballs, though.

That is the recommended way. The first time I ever saw the dry canning was with a digital canner, I think Nesco, on a youtube channel. She also dry canned potatoes and they looked great but i've never tried that. The dry canning is considered "rebel" canning. You are wise to stick with the tried and true until you get comfortable with it. I've canned meat loaf in the tall jelly jars. They are narrow and allow the heat to reach the middle of the jar but that would be a project to tackle after you have a little bit of experience. I've never done meat balls but need to. The grands and DH would love those.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

That is the recommended way. The first time I ever saw the dry canning was with a digital canner, I think Nesco, on a youtube channel. She also dry canned potatoes and they looked great but i've never tried that. The dry canning is considered "rebel" canning. You are wise to stick with the tried and true until you get comfortable with it. I've canned meat loaf in the tall jelly jars. They are narrow and allow the heat to reach the middle of the jar but that would be a project to tackle after you have a little bit of experience. I've never done meat balls but need to. The grands and DH would love those.

Cary loves meatballs and a brown gravy made German style like his mom use to make. I try to copy her recipe, but use my own version. Mine is quicker. I'm not going to can the gravy with the meatballs, since the recipe has a bit of vinegar in it. I'll just use broth.

 

[Wildwood]

Cary loves meatballs and a brown gravy made German style like his mom use to make. I try to copy her recipe, but use my own version. Mine is quicker. I'm not going to can the gravy with the meatballs, since the recipe has a bit of vinegar in it. I'll just use broth.

That sounds good. I bet that touch of vinegar in the gravy makes it really good. I lived in Germany as a child and even though I was a very picky eater, I loved all their food.

 

[summerthyme]

The potential issue with dry canning, especially something dense like potatoes, is air is a very poor conductor of heat, compared to water. There's a chance of the center of the potatoes not getting hot enough to kill off botulism spores.

My basic rule for "breaking the rules" when canning is whether a commercial product exists that is similar to what I want to do. I still (against "modern" advice) can pumpkin puree, using the last official USDA times and pressures. They stopped recommending it because too many people use shortcuts, and if you don't exhaust the canner for the full 10 minutes before putting the weight on, it's possible the center of the puree (especially if it's very dry/dense) won't reach and stay at 255* long enough for safety.

I've never seen commercially "dry" canned potatoes. That suggests to me that even the commercial canneries with recording thermometers don't find it to be a safe process...

Summerthyme

 

[Millwright]

My thoughts on electric pressure canners...

I haven't been into the guts of one and have to assume some things.

They have no mechanical indicator of pressure...the rattle weight on top and mechanical gauge.

You are trusting your food supply and health to some pressure sensors made by chicoms.

It makes sense that the FDA would never put a stamp on them.

With a regular canner, quality control is 100% on you.

 

[Wildwood]

The potential issue with dry canning, especially something dense like potatoes, is air is a very poor conductor of heat, compared to water. There's a chance of the center of the potatoes not getting hot enough to kill off botulism spores.

My basic rule for "breaking the rules" when canning is whether a commercial product exists that is similar to what I want to do. I still (against "modern" advice) can pumpkin puree, using the last official USDA times and pressures. They stopped recommending it because too many people use shortcuts, and if you don't exhaust the canner for the full 10 minutes before putting the weight on, it's possible the center of the puree (especially if it's very dry/dense) won't reach and stay at 255* long enough for safety.

I've never seen commercially "dry" canned potatoes. That suggests to me that even the commercial canneries with recording thermometers don't find it to be a safe process...

Summerthyme

That's a very good point. They were cubed fairly small but still I'm not sure air would conduct heat as well as liquid.

 

[summerthyme]

That's a very good point. They were cubed fairly small but still I'm not sure air would conduct heat as well as liquid.

Physics proves it does not.

Summerthyme

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Please let us know how it went.

Others - like myself - hope to learn from your experience.

Barry, once you use your canner, be sure and let me know how you like yours! I've got 6 pints of ground beef going in mine right now. It's my first time actually canning anything besides water, LOL.

 

[CaryC]

And here they are!

SB did a great job.

 

[nomifyle]

View attachment 339917

And here they are!

SB did a great job.

They look beautiful, now let them get cool.

 

[CaryC]

They look beautiful, now let them get cool.

They are cool just look at 'em LOL. I think SB said it would take 24 days to cool. LOL I guess we'll eat out till then. She said she has done enough cooking til then. And now its my turn, guess we'll have Pizza tonight.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

They are cool just look at 'em LOL. I think SB said it would take 24 days to cool. LOL I guess we'll eat out till then. She said she has done enough cooking til then. And now its my turn, guess we'll have Pizza tonight.

Knock it off, Dear! But, thanks for posting the photo!

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Barry, once you use your canner, be sure and let me know how you like yours! I've got 6 pints of ground beef going in mine right now. It's my first time actually canning anything besides water, LOL.

It will be awhile before I use the canner. I am swamped with things to do right now. But I will let you know how it went when I finally do use it.

 

[Shotsie]

Barry, the store is in Pontotoc county in the city of Pontotoc on hwy 15 north of town. The name of the store is Moore's. It's a huge farm and ranch place. Your best bet would be to google the store for directions from where you're located. If you could find their phone number from their website, it would possibly be to your advantage to call, before making the drive down here. There was only one canner left on the shelf when I got mine.

I have a new stove like yours, and NO, you can't get water to boil long enough to do canning of any type. So, Cary went out, and bought regular stove elements for it. It works now, without shutting on and off. It's a safety feature that comes with new stoves, I think. I hated it, until Cary switched out all the elements.

eta. Cary just told me that googling will only give you their Facebook page, but at their Facebook page, they give their website.

You should be thankful that your cousin went and got it.

Because like dude it is a trap. Yeah a BIG TRAP.

The place is huge, HUGE. And the first thing you see when you walk in is outdoor furnishings, and gadgets, we almost didn't make it to the appliance aisle. Then it's women's clothing, which emptied the savings account. But we pressed on, loaded down as we were, and found the appliance aisle. Put the car up for sale, and got a flat bed buggy.

Then being the intelligent being in the family, I figure, since my senses are starting to come back, we'd by pass all the trap stuff, and go back via the men's side of the store. O. My. Gosh. It was a trap, cuz like dude I mortgaged the house and had to get a mule to pull the flat bed buggy.

Even when putting the buggy up, I spotted some stuff outside that I hadn't seen before, but now I was getting some fresh air, and could resist.

And got back in the rental 18 wheeler.

On the way there, SB kept saying: This is to far to drive the gas, the gas. And when we were checking out, SB told the clerk, "See ya next week."

I'm going to have to get a job.

O and BTW: for your new stove, any appliance or hardware store that sells stove eyes, will have what you need to replace those "safety" ones. Cost about 25.00. All you need to do is make sure of the size, and there are usually only two sizes, and the plug ends. One is a circular looking outfit, and the other is sort of like an electric plug. Get yours and pull yours out and replace no problem.
P
Hope that helps.

If you want to kill some time, don't go to Moore's you'd be better off going on a cruise.

So glad to read that there are replacement options for these new stove burners. We want to replace our kitchen appliances and our hold out has been the new stove because of the burners not getting hot enough to can. When I have talked to salesmen on several occasions they just say they won’t get hot enough to allow canning. Don’t give the option of replacing the burner after purchased. At least now I know they can be replaced. Thanks for the info.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

So glad to read that there are replacement options for these new stove burners. We want to replace our kitchen appliances and our hold out has been the new stove because of the burners not getting hot enough to can. When I have talked to salesmen on several occasions they just say they won’t get hot enough to allow canning. Don’t give the option of replacing the burner after purchased. At least now I know they can be replaced. Thanks for the info.

Since replacing mine, I haven't tried using my water bath canner on the elements. I don't know if they will get that hot, but I don't have any problem with keeping water boiling, or deep frying foods. The elements don't cool down and heat back up the way the old ones did.