Pressure Canner - what do you have and how do yu like it?

[FarmerDenise]

I want to buy a pressure canner and I would like to know what your experience is with the one you have.
Please include what brand and size and any other pertinent information you want to share.
I know my mom and grandma used the hot water bath canner for everything, but I'm not comfortable with that. And my freezer is "FULL"!!!

 

[tfpets]

Hi, I just read your post. I have a really nice pressure canner that my husband got me at Walmart, it holds 7+ quart jars, its at home so I cant tell you what brand it is.......and to tell you the truth, I havent used it yet!! It's beautiful though!

I do use my two big hot water boiling canners and swear by them! DH got me the pressure one last year, and, well, I'm still afraid to use it!! I guess I'm just not ready to learn a new way yet??

Good luck deciding, Canning has been a lot of fun for me! I just need to break an old habit and get into a new one!

Dehydrating has been fun too!

Tina

Hey, Where are you in Northern California??

 

[VT Chicklit]

Hi, I have a Presto and a Mirro and I love both of them. My Presto will hold 7 quarts and the Mirro will hold 7 pints. I got both at tag sales. The Mirro cost $10 and the Presto cost $2. They both were in good shape and the rubber seals were not dammaged. The Presto was missing its weight (regulates pressure) but I had one with the Mirro, so it didnt matter. New ones are quite costly so you might want to put a post on your local Craigs List or FreeCycle and you might get lucky. The money you save could be used for more jars! Good Luck!

 

[tfpets]

Yes, the Presto is what I have! Good to know its a nice one! I have the whole thing and it has great books in it, with instructions for use too...it was a wonderful gift, I just have to get around to using it! This year's garden was a bust, and I dont get to the Farmers Market in town as often as I'd like! If anyone would give me any Sour Pickle recipes without sugar in them, I may give it a try!!

Tina

 

[FarmerDenise]

Thanks for responding to my question. I am going to keep looking for a pressure canner, in the meantime I'll continue to can what I can using the hot water bath method. We also dry a lot of our stuff. I just wish I could can stuff like beans, corn and meat, that is why I want a pressure canner.
I used a sour pickle recipe this year, but we haven't tried it yet. It used 1/2 cup whole dill seeds. Good thing I grow and harvest my own. Here is the recipe:
It is from "The Complete Book of Pickles and Relishes" by Leonard Louis Levinson.
Dill Pickles (14 calories per cucumber)
1 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tsp whole peppercorns, 6 whole cloves, 1/2 cup whole dill seed, 2 quarts cider vnegar, 1 quart water, 1 cup salt, Cucumbers (3 to 4 inches) for 4 quarts.
Sterilize 4 quart jars. Combine all ingredients except cucumbers. Bring to a boil. Scrub cucumbers, but do not peel. Fill quart jars with the cucumbers. Cover with boiling vinegar. Seal. Makes 4 quarts.

 

[farmerlor]

I have an All American 930. BIG canner. But I use it often and generally fill it up since I have lots of kids to feed. The one thing you have to remember before getting a canner this size is whether it's going to fit under your hood above the stove.

 

[lnm03]

I have a very old pressure canner that I have been using for the past three years now and I ABSOLUTLEY love it! I have only done tomatoes with it but it is super easy and I havent had anything go bad yet!

I have done some jellies but used a waterbath for those.

I am definately interested in canning some other things out of our garden aside from tomatoes but we never have enough after we use what we need to cook with as it grows. We have a fairly large garden already but I am going to make it bigger this year!

 

[obsessed]

I have a Presto but have never used it.

 

[MontanaMama]

Mine is a Presto too. I've had it for more than 15 years. You have to keep the rubber seals in good condition and replace them occasionally, but it is a quality canner.
One of my favorite things to pressure can is...I hate to say cuz I am a new member over at that BYC...old hens. the meat turns out so tender and then makes great soup.

 

[SKR8PN]

We have TWO of the Presto 16 qt units and use them quite a bit. We have two so we can have one heating up while the other is cooling down. We also invested in the extra canning rack for each one so we can process 14 pints at one time.
If you don't have one,I would HIGHLY recommend you get a copy of the Ball canning guide.......