Just ordered my new canner

[beavis]

Pics...

 

[hoodat]

Looks as though we Californios think alike. Made in USA still does mean quality in some things. There's a big difference between the right tools and ALMOST the right tools.

 

[hoodat]

I was just wondering - given the relatively high price of this canner - if canning groups could be formed like garden clubs. Then each member could chip in on the price and you could do your canning as a co-op or Kaffee Kaltch type operation. That would also allow members who have too much for fresh eating but not enough for canning to pool their resources and divide the canned vegiies up afterwards.

 

[Hencackle]

I was just wondering - given the relatively high price of this canner - if canning groups could be formed like garden clubs. Then each member could chip in on the price and you could do your canning as a co-op or Kaffee Kaltch type operation. That would also allow members who have too much for fresh eating but not enough for canning to pool their resources and divide the canned vegiies up afterwards.

I have heard about community canning kitchens aka cannerys. Some still exist in smaller, close-knit rural areas. If one isn't around near you, I think it would be a wonderful to revive the idea even if a small group met at someone's home or church. If you form a group where one of your members happens to write about the experiences in a blog, he/she will help get the ball rolling in other communities.

Home Canning Away from Home

 

[RickF]

How easy is the whole issue of sealing one of these when you use it.. I was reading some of the reviews of various models on Amazon and some were getting bad marks due to sticking lids and the need to use Vaseline as part of the normal sealing process.

We've currently got a large Presto 23qt (or 22?) pressure cooker/canner that we bought at Fred Meyer in Oregon a couple of years back while visiting my mother.. It works great and I actually prefer it over our other (smaller) Fagor 6qt pressure cooker which now likes to be finicky when creating a seal.. My wife used it last night when making dinner and the Fagor refused to seal without a lot of fiddling.. Perhaps it needs a new rubber seal. We used to wash it in the dishwasher -- perhaps that's part of the problem..

Anyway, I wonder if one of these All American versions might be less finicky.. I might be able to swap a new 8qt All American for my Fagor a bit down the line.. Hmm..

 

[hoodat]

How easy is the whole issue of sealing one of these when you use it.. I was reading some of the reviews of various models on Amazon and some were getting bad marks due to sticking lids and the need to use Vaseline as part of the normal sealing process.

We've currently got a large Presto 23qt (or 22?) pressure cooker/canner that we bought at Fred Meyer in Oregon a couple of years back while visiting my mother.. It works great and I actually prefer it over our other (smaller) Fagor 6qt pressure cooker which now likes to be finicky when creating a seal.. My wife used it last night when making Chicken Adobo and the Fagor refused to seal.. Perhaps it needs a new rubber seal. We used to wash it in the dishwasher -- perhaps that's part of the problem..

Anyway, I wonder if one of these All American versions might be less finicky.. I might be able to swap a new 8qt All American for my Fagor a bit down the line.. Hmm..

The ruber seals should never go in the dishwasher. The detergent used in them is too harsh. It takes some of the strettch out of the seal.
With the metal to metal seals it takes a bit of getting used to. You have to tighten them down like you would the head on an automobile engine. Go around them just getting them down snug and then start at one and go around again giving each nut a half turn. Keep doing that till you can't get them any tighter by hand and you should get a good seal. Occasionally it gets stubborn and you get a small steam leak. So long as you are careful not to run it dry that's no problem. Your pressure will not be effected that much.

 

[RickF]

Thanks for the tips!

 

[beavis]

For the All-American pressure cooker, a slight coating of olive oil on the inner beveled edge is all the manufacturer recommends for the metal to metal seal.

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

I have never pressure canned, and so attended a canning class last night put on by our extension agency. It was really well attended (over 100), and one of the women there recommended this brand of pressure canner over the rest.

She also said that one of the advantages of this canner was that it had a plate that could be used, so pint jars could be stacked and more jars canned at one time.

 

[hoodat]

I have never pressure canned, and so attended a canning class last night put on by our extension agency. It was really well attended (over 100), and one of the women there recommended this brand of pressure canner over the rest.

She also said that one of the advantages of this canner was that it had a plate that could be used, so pint jars could be stacked and more jars canned at one time.

I used mine for the first time today. She was right about the stacking. I was able to do 16 pints of wax beans in just one cycle. Since there is only me to feed at present I'm doing most of my canning in pint jars. When I first tested it with only 3 inches of water and otherwise empty it had quite a steam leak but the instruction book said that might happen the first few times it is used and stops afer several uses. Today is the first time I've used it to actually can and there was not the slightest steam leak. I'm very happy with it. Now on to the maters. I'll probably can them in quarts since I use them often in my cooking.