Pressure Cooker / Pressure Canner

[itsybitsy]

Can anyone provide clarification as to whether a pressure cooker can be used for canning foods, or if it does in fact have to be a pressure canner? I've done some research on the web, but I'm getting a lot of mixed messages.

[okra]

I have also been looking into the use of pressure cookers for bottling and yes they can be used. A lot of confusion is caused by the use of the word canning in the USA which we call bottling in the UK

[itsybitsy]

I have also been looking into the use of pressure cookers for bottling and yes they can be used. A lot of confusion is caused by the use of the word canning in the USA which we call bottling in the UK

Thanks. I'd really like to see some evidence of that, please, as I have looked all over the internet and different sources are giving me different answers, hence my confusion. Have you actually used a pressure cooker to can stuff? If so, a step-by-step guide would be very much appreciated.

[metatron]

There the same thing, the only real difference is pressure canners tend to be made slightly more robustly and come with an insert to keep the jars off the bottom, but the same pressures and temperatures can be achieved. If you want more information your best bet is to read How to Store Your Home Grown Produce by John Harrison its 100% UK centred where as nearly everything on the net is American.

All his books are good btw and well worth the money (most are under £5 on Amazon), I'm looking forward to his next one Make Your Own Beer, Wine and Cider.

[jean405]

There the same thing, the only real difference is pressure canners tend to be made slightly more robustly and come with an insert to keep the jars off the bottom, but the same pressures and temperatures can be achieved. If you want more information your best bet is to read How to Store Your Home Grown Produce by John Harrison its 100% UK centred where as nearly everything on the net is American.

All his books are good btw and well worth the money (most are under £5 on Amazon), I'm looking forward to his next one Make Your Own Beer, Wine and Cider.

They are the same thing, it's only the size that is different, I will fire up my old laptop, and try and find the files about this and post it. Jean

[metatron]

There the same thing, the only real difference is pressure canners tend to be made slightly more robustly and come with an insert to keep the jars off the bottom, but the same pressures and temperatures can be achieved. If you want more information your best bet is to read How to Store Your Home Grown Produce by John Harrison its 100% UK centred where as nearly everything on the net is American.

All his books are good btw and well worth the money (most are under £5 on Amazon), I'm looking forward to his next one Make Your Own Beer, Wine and Cider.

They are the same thing, it's only the size that is different, I will fire up my old laptop, and try and find the files about this and post it. Jean

I find that pressure cookers tend to use quite thin stainless steel (well the cheap two I have), pressure canners are thicker but it does not really matter at the end of the day they both do the same thing.
Part of the book, I recommend buying it.

[jean405]

They are the same thing, it's only the size that is different, I will fire up my old laptop, and try and find the files about this and post it. Jean

Here is the file:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/u ... nners.html


If your pressure cooker can hold 4x1 liter jars, you can can in it using the pressures and times on this website.


Have fun and be careful
Jean

[itsybitsy]

Thanks Jean. I did look at the Hawkins Big Boy but it's very expensive - it's more expensive for the Big Boy pressure cooker then it is to buy a canner. If I could get away with a pressure cooker that would be great, but I'd sooner spend the extra money and get the correct equipment if ther is any margin for error - I'm terrified I poison myself!

What do you think? Canner, or cooker?

[jean405]

Thanks Jean. I did look at the Hawkins Big Boy but it's very expensive! If I could get away with a pressure cooker that would be great, but I'd sooner spend the extra money and get the correct equipment if ther is any margin for error - I'm terrified I poison myself!

What do you think? Canner, or cooker?

Yes I'm scared I might poison myself too that's why you have to be careful. I was a member of a canning yahoo group for about a year before I even dared trying to can, and I check the look and smell of every jar I open, even though you can't smell botulism. Yesterday I took a jar of pink grapefruit segments out of my food store, and the lid wasn't in the down position, sure enough the jar had lost it's seal. I checked the other jars and they were ok, and I'm still alive to tell the tale. If we want to prep our own foods, we have to be careful, and follow instructions to the letter every single time we can. If you look at youtube videos of europeans canning, they are for the most part using pressure cookers, or water bath method, check out, (photos, not video)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hardworkin ... ts/881202/

If I didn't have a canner I would use a cooker, with pints and smaller jars for canning meat, there must be a way to test the food in the jars before consumption to see if it is off

Jean

ps Itsybitsy, I edited the first post because I was a bit off topic.

[welshprepper]

Hi I got both pressure cooker and canning I use the pressure cooker for all low acid foods they call it water bath in USA and canner for meats etc they are very much the same but without the weights you cannot tell what pressure is inside so with that in mind if your only thinking of canning fruit go for a pressure cooker but if u want to can meals and meat etc go for a canner hope this help message me if you want more info