canning

[Great-Kazoo]

I have a Fagor 8 qt pressure canner. I have canning supplies, but haven't tried canning yet. I'm concerned about the weighted pressure valve. I assume it is for sea level and not this altitude. How can I find out? Should I just try and contact the company and order a new one? My mom has had this pressure cooker for 20ish years and gave it to me.

The gauge is measuring the pressure of the internal not external. You have 0 at rest and pressure climbs as time/temp increase. 20 lbs of pressure / PSI is 20lbs of pressure.

[Irving]

The gauge is measuring the pressure of the internal not external. You have 0 at rest and pressure climbs as time/temp increase. 20 lbs of pressure / PSI is 20lbs of pressure.

In the book they recommend slightly longer cook times for our altitude. Should I be able to follow that and be good to go?

[jerrymrc]

In the book they recommend slightly longer cook times for our altitude. Should I be able to follow that and be good to go?

For pressure canning it is more pressure. For water bath it is more time. Your type of canner with the wiggler should have 10-15 lbs on it. Use the 15lb setting for up here.

[rbeau30]

There are lots of places that check pressure guages, most places like Amerigas that sell different gasses under pressure, Welding Supply places, etc should be able to test your guage.

[roberth]

When I was at Costco yesterday I didn't see any Ball jars for canning. They move them around or they finally sold out. Glad I got a bunch when they could be found.

[rbeau30]

When I was at Costco yesterday I didn't see any Ball jars for canning. They move them around or they finally sold out. Glad I got a bunch when they could be found.

I have enough empties that I can wait until seasonal sales at Walmart or Ace Hardware or any other place. I also sometimes have luck at thrift stores.

[Irving]

That's the thing Jerry, I can't adjust it and I assume it came with the 10lb. Do I need the 15lb before attempting to can?

[rbeau30]

That's the thing Jerry, I can't adjust it and I assume it came with the 10lb. Do I need the 15lb before attempting to can?

Yes, Don't play around with botulism. http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/home_canning.html

It is rare, and if you follow the theories and rules while canning it is really hard to get. Like:
- Always process the full extent of the recipe (including altitude adjustments)
- If the pressure dips below the minimum (IE: 15 lbs), I always restart the clock.

- The design of the jar and lid helps you know if a food is bad.
If jar "pops" while being stored... throw contents out.
Don't store with rings screwed on, it may prevent a lid from "popping" and indicating bad food.
Don't stack jars, this may prevent a lid from popping, indicating bad food.
look and smell, if a food smells bad when opening throw away.

- Bring food up to boiling before serving whenever possible.
- The botulin (sp?) toxin is neutralized with heat, so even if there is a very very very very minute amount after all your precautions and the lid does not pop, the botulizm organizm should be made dormant again at 210 (or lower at our altuitude) and the boiling neutralizes the toxin that the organizm makes.

I've heard that canning isn't as effective for long term storage as dehydrating, due to the altitude here. Any thoughts?

I have successfully eaten items over 5 years old up here (water bath canned jelly/pickles, and pressure canned chili and beef stock) and it tasted like canned food.

The reason why you need higher pressure here is that it takes more pressure to get the contents of your canner to the temperature where the Botulism organism dies. You cannot kill it with just boiling water, it goes dormant. Water boils at a lower temp here, therefore it never gets above lets say 205 degrees. In order to get it to 240 degrees you need to put it under pressure. It just takes more pressure to get the water to 240 degrees here than at sea level.


Ohhh and OP, if you want to get REALLY cheap with canning you can get reusable lids! I have never used them, and have heard mixed reviews... but perhaps it is worth a try.
http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/

[jerrymrc]

That's the thing Jerry, I can't adjust it and I assume it came with the 10lb. Do I need the 15lb before attempting to can?

Take a closer look. they come in two styles, round and tree. The round one has 3 holes and the tree type one should be in 3 pieces. If it is only a tree type and is solid those are used for most canners that have a dial gauge as well. They are set to start relieving pressure @15 lbs so the real blow off does not go.

Post a couple of pics.

[rbeau30]

...The round one has 3 holes and the tree type one should be in 3 pieces. If it is only a tree type and is solid those are used for most canners that have a dial gauge as well. They are set to start relieving pressure @15 lbs so the real blow off does not go.

Like when you try canning with a turkey-fryer burner.

I have seen some like jerry is describing. The round one is a cylinder with 3 different positions around the rounded edges? Each corresponding to a different pressure.


My grandma had an old one with just a weight and no guage... She said she could tell the right temp by the sound it made.