What to look for in a pressure canner

Welcome Angi,

Learning how to can has been on my to do list for quite a while.  I've been looking for/at pressure cookers for a few years...... and I don't know what to look for!  What is big enough?  What should I look for in a quality cooker?  The ones I have found for sale were fairly pricey and I could never decide to buy without knowing more about what I should be looking for.

The most common sizes of pressure canner I have seen are 16 or 23 quart. A 16 quart pan holds 7 quart jars at a time. I find that a good size for me. The 23 quart hold another layer of jars or top, so 14 quart jars. That's also a large heavy beastie, which doesn't work with my strength or my kitchen :D

Presto seems to be a good beginner canner. I like my 16 quart one. If I were picking you a canner, I'd get you one of them. If you ever decide you needed better, you'll know what you are looking for at that point.

:D

I agree with Pearl. You can get a Presto canner that hold 7 quart or 9 pint jars for under $100. I have one and love it. I also have an All American that holds a double layer of pints, so 17 pints, and love it too. But it is much more pricy and much heavier.

I have 3 pressure canners, a1940s version with 8 screws and pressure gauge, a 23 quart and 16 quart.  When canning 60 lbs of Tuna I’m using all 3 all day.  Each batch requires 90 minutes at 15 lb of pressure per my very, very old canning book.

I wanted to ask Angi, if when at sea level do I still process for 90 minutes?  The batches I processed last summer the fish seems over done.  I love the taste of home canned tuna.

I also can beef which makes a really quick dinner with mashed potatoes and a salad.

Welcome Angi,

We have been canning for more than 40 years and we love your book. I would recommend everyone to read the sample as I have to see the quality of your work. I would recommend buying quality equipment, as Angi has recommended in her book, the cost is very little if you use them for many years. I like the detail about brand and sourcing of the equipment. The detail in the book allows even us old canners to learn new things. The book is delightful.

Thank you for this wonderful resource.

Canners: Start with the one-layer canner. As you become better you will need a second one, buy the double layer canner. When you have used them for many years and the larger one becomes more difficult to handle because your hands are worn out, give it to the kids or better yet have the grandchildren come over and help with the canning. Everyone loves to eat and storing food is something to pass on to your family.

PS, you can never have enough JARS.

Our canners range from 25-60 years old.  I like older canning companies that still make parts for replacement.  If they are selling seals and pressure regulators that means they have been well used with no major problems.

Deb Cadiente wrote:I have 3 pressure canners, a1940s version with 8 screws and pressure gauge, a 23 quart and 16 quart.  When canning 60 lbs of Tuna I’m using all 3 all day.  Each batch requires 90 minutes at 15 lb of pressure per my very, very old canning book.

I wanted to ask Angi, if when at sea level do I still process for 90 minutes?  The batches I processed last summer the fish seems over done.  I love the taste of home canned tuna.

I also can beef which makes a really quick dinner with mashed potatoes and a salad.

When pressure canning the processing time doesn't change depending on altitude like it does when you water bath can.  To adjust for altitude you increase the pressure. The correct time for tuna is 100 minutes for pints and half pints. You can use oil or water to pack tuna. I don't know why the tuna would have tasted overdone, but it wasn't processed too long.

Another idea is to co-ordinate with another canner when you are doing a lot of canning. My sister has an All American that can double stack pints. Whenever one of us is canning soups in pints for lunches we borrow the other person's All American. This way we can get 34 pints done in each batch. We've also had marathon days together where we start early in the morning and get three rounds of canning done using both canners. We end up with over 100 jars of food from just that one day. This is great for canning a year's supply of dried beans and soup lunches. My point is, don't overlook your local community for collaboration.