Pressure Canning Question...

Okay so my new presto canner is rocking away as we speak. At my altitude I should be using 10-11 lbs of pressure however the weight they sent appears to be a 15 lb weight (the only one that came with the canner).

So when it rocks it is at 15 and the only way to lower it would be to turn the heat way down so it isn't rocking at all.

What should I do? I assumed it was supposed to rock. Higher pressure seems like it would be okay (as long as it is in the "non-exploding" range) but I don't know. Guess the jars may break if the pressure is too high at 15 psi instead of 10?

Run the pressure canner at 15 PSI. No harm will result from using the higher pressure. And it's much easier to let a weighted gauge regulate the pressure than it is to do it by adjusting the heat.

No more risk than usual of jars breaking ... pressure is same inside and outside of jar, more or less.  (Jars typically seal when they cool, that’s why you don’t tighten rings.)

An altitude-adjusted canning recipe balances pressure (which controls temperature) and duration to ensure the food gets hot enough in the middle for long enough. If your canner doesn’t let you set the desired pressure (and it doesn’t) you need a recipe that has a 15PSI duration for your altitude. You cannot lower the flame or guess at a shorter duration, without risking inadequate temps in the center of your jars.

Hope this helps!

PS for the batch in progress, just let the rocker rock at 15psi for the full duration. You will overcook/overprocess which may may not be ideal but will be perfectly safe.

Thank you both for your prompt replies!

And yeah I turned the heat way down and it stayed at 15 psi. I figured with all of the safety instructions (and liability companies face) it wouldn't explode.

Was canning de-boned pressure cooked dark meat chicken with broth for dog food so it should be fine recipe wise.

As a first timer I was a little bit nervous but now that I finally did it -- it was really fun! Can't wait to can more, next will be hot packed pork in pint sized jars for me.

Awesome! The dogs won’t care at all if their chicken is cooked more than it needed to be. Only time that matters is when you are shooting for minimum safe cook times to preserve color and texture of (especially) fruits and vegetables.

And yeah, as you discovered you don’t need any more heat under the canner than the minimum amount to make the rocker wobble. The rest is wasted making steam to power moving the rocker faster and louder as it escapes!

Okay so I have canned 18 quarts of chicken in broth (.48 a lb on sale!).

One question, the last two batches were 20 lbs of pressure cooked chicken deboned and put in quart jars with the bone broth.  Most all of the liquid ended up' at least 1/2 an inch below the meat after canning. The exposed "dry" meat won't be a problem will it?   I am not packing them "super tight tight" and I read 1 lb per pint so I am putting less in each jar than that ratio.

Also I am realizing canned chicken tastes a whole lot like canned tuna from the store (a "tinny" sort of flavor). No idea why that is, or if there is a way to fix it but the flavor change is noticeable. I am not adding any salt or flavoring since these are technically for the dogs but I could possibly eat a jar too.

The exposed meat above the liquid won't be a problem and will keep fine, though it may be a little dry which won't matter for dog food and if using for people will likely not be noticeable after mixing it into what ever you are cooking.