Canning

[TexPrep]

Just ordered a 21.5 quart All American pressure canner.
Man are those things pricey and hard to find. Went to their sight after deciding on All American and everything is out of stock.
Found one on Amazon finally but it wont be here till the 26th.
I cringed when I heard it was going to go for around $300 bucks,I cringed even harder when I found the going price is now $420 bucks.
It'll do 7 quarts or 19 pint jars.
One thing I found weird that maybe someone can answer.
The 25 quart has the same jar capacity as the 21.5 quart. Why would you buy the larger one when the capacity is the same?

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Hey Tex Prep!

There is a slight difference in the two sizes you mentioned. Not enough in my estimation to order the larger one. I feel your pain on the current price. But, I also guarantee you will see it by next year as being a lifesaver!! I’ve been considering buying a few of the less expensive canners for trade in the future.

921 is the one you purchased.

 

[TexPrep]

Hey Tex Prep!

There is a slight difference in the two sizes you mentioned. Not enough in my estimation to order the larger one. I feel your pain on the current price. But, I also guarantee you will see it by next year as being a lifesaver!! I’ve been considering buying a few of the less expensive canners for trade in the future.

View attachment 17274

921 is the one you purchased.

I really didnt see the need for the 925 either.
Something was said about it not being able to water can with it but I just dont see it.
You have more than 4 inches of room above the quart jars so I dont see why that would be an issue.
If it does turn out to be an issue I have crawfish pots that go from my large one that I can actually sit in on down to my smallest one that will hold around 30 lbs of crawfish. From what I've been able to find out the 921 is their best seller. It claims it's good for large families and it's just the Wife and I so I think we'll be fine.
While this is my first foray in canning the Wife grew up with Her parents canning so She at least has some experience.
It really doesnt look too difficult,just follow the rules and instructions.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Read, read, read before canning. It’s so not worth messing up your food or getting very sick. If you are canning hot product be sure to use hot jars. If canning cold product, use cool jars. This will keep you from breaking jars and losing your food.

 

[TexPrep]

Read, read, read before canning. It’s so not worth messing up your food or getting very sick. If you are canning hot product be sure to use hot jars. If canning cold product, use cool jars. This will keep you from breaking jars and losing your food.

The Wife still knows how it works,and I'll be sure to read up on it before canning anything.

 

[Dani]

If you use the https://www.ballmasonjars.com/canning-preserving-guides.html and https://www.ballmasonjars.com/recipes?fdid=recipes , you'll be just fine. Once you get the basics down, you can branch out.

 

[Cindyd]

Must be in the air today! I've been online reading about pressure Canner's trying to decide on which to buy. I was planning on posting here to ask for recommendations. I admit, I was looking at the cheaper Presto 23 gallon. Which was only $130 ish....I'm not opposed to more expensive if they are indeed worth it. I've also been watching you tube videos on and off all day on canning, but not regarding pressure canning. I do know I need a pressure canner. Help!

 

[TexPrep]

If you use the https://www.ballmasonjars.com/canning-preserving-guides.html and https://www.ballmasonjars.com/recipes?fdid=recipes , you'll be just fine. Once you get the basics down, you can branch out.

The Wife picked up a Ball book with all kinds of good info.
I'd imagine it has a lot of the same info as the website.
And it's nice to have stuff like that in print.
I'll definitely check out the website though.

 

[TexPrep]

Must be in the air today! I've been online reading about pressure Canner's trying to decide on which to buy. I was planning on posting here to ask for recommendations. I admit, I was looking at the cheaper Presto 23 gallon. Which was only $130 ish....I'm not opposed to more expensive if they are indeed worth it. I've also been watching you tube videos on and off all day on canning, but not regarding pressure canning. I do know I need a pressure canner. Help!

One of the great things about the All American is it uses no gaskets which wear out over time.
Although from what I've read about the Presto it's a good unit. If you go that route ya might want to buy a couple extra gaskets to keep on hand.
It sure would suck to have all your jars filled only to find out the gasket failed.

 

[DrHenley]

Must be in the air today! I've been online reading about pressure Canner's trying to decide on which to buy. I was planning on posting here to ask for recommendations. I admit, I was looking at the cheaper Presto 23 gallon.

23 GALLON?

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Cindy you can’t go wrong with a Presto Canner. I have one myself and have used it for years. Both the All American and Presto get the job done!

 

[Cindyd]

I really didnt see the need for the 925 either.
Something was said about it not being able to water can with it but I just dont see it.
You have more than 4 inches of room above the quart jars so I dont see why that would be an issue.
If it does turn out to be an issue I have crawfish pots that go from my large one that I can actually sit in on down to my smallest one that will hold around 30 lbs of crawfish. From what I've been able to find out the 921 is their best seller. It claims it's good for large families and it's just the Wife and I so I think we'll be fine.
While this is my first foray in canning the Wife grew up with Her parents canning so She at least has some experience.
It really doesnt look too difficult,just follow the rules and instructions.

23 GALLON?

No idea why it said gallon. Meant 23 Quart! Sorry..

 

[Waldog]

We have both, the All American and a Presto Pressure Canner. Both will do the job. However, the All American is our favorite by far. The All American, by it's shear mass, is very easy to establish, and maintain, a consistent canning pressure. The Presto is more sensitive to temperature and pressure changes while canning. It is very "touchy" to get a consistent pressure on the gauge. According to the pressure gauge, small heat changes causes the pressure to vary 2-4lbs. At least that has been our experience.

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

Agree that the All American is easier to keep stable. As a person who learned to can on a Presto, I can say that with a bit of practice I learned how to keep the Presto stable. There is a learning curve. I use both at the same time when the opportunity exists. So much faster!

 

[Cindyd]

Ok everyone! Thanks so much for the feedback and I've decided I'm going with same as Tex Prep. I bit the bulltet and just ordered the All American 21.5 quart pressure canner. With tax it was $449.35 (ugggh!) at Amazon. I had $64.06 I didn't know I had in amazon rewards and applied that to this purchase so I came out with paying $385.29 (Still uggh!, but I'll take it).. WIll be here 9/27/22.

Whew! Decisions, decisions. I read all the reviews, watched the video and everyone's feedback here was very helpful and ultimately the deciding factor for my choice. I am excited for it to arrive!

 

[bill harrell]

Sometimes the smaller canner won't quie maintain the water depth over the tops of the jars. The larger one won't hold any more , but it maintains the water coverage a little better.

 

[dirtdiva]

Must be in the air today! I've been online reading about pressure Canner's trying to decide on which to buy. I was planning on posting here to ask for recommendations. I admit, I was looking at the cheaper Presto 23 gallon. Which was only $130 ish....I'm not opposed to more expensive if they are indeed worth it. I've also been watching you tube videos on and off all day on canning, but not regarding pressure canning. I do know I need a pressure canner. Help!

While I do have an All American that my kids bought for me I still have the 23 gallon Presto that I have been using for 30 years. Recently I bought 2 more Prestos one from the Goodwill for $20 and one from a yard sale for $25. I like with Presto that I can go to the small town hardware store and buy new rubber gaskets, rubber plugs and even replacement gauges for them easily. You can even take them to the local Extension office and they will check the calibration to make sure the gauges are reflecting accurate temperatures. I keep replacement parts on hand for all my Prestos.

 

[TexPrep]

Ok everyone! Thanks so much for the feedback and I've decided I'm going with same as Tex Prep. I bit the bulltet and just ordered the All American 21.5 quart pressure canner. With tax it was $449.35 (ugggh!) at Amazon. I had $64.06 I didn't know I had in amazon rewards and applied that to this purchase so I came out with paying $385.29 (Still uggh!, but I'll take it).. WIll be here 9/27/22.

Whew! Decisions, decisions. I read all the reviews, watched the video and everyone's feedback here was very helpful and ultimately the deciding factor for my choice. I am excited for it to arrive!

Be careful when shopping on Amazon for an All American.
All American also makes autoclaves that are used to sterilize surgical tools and the like.
They look just like a canner and many people have made the mistake of buying the wrong unit.
I blame Amazon for this,because it's not clear that it isnt meant for canning until you get to the very end of the add.
Just make sure your canner has the round weight on the right side that regulates pressure.
The autoclave doesnt have the weight.

 

[Cindyd]

Good point tex prep! I was lucky to catch that. When reading the reviews for the next most costly one, I saw someone wrote in it was for medical sterilization use only. I didn't see that on the one I ordered, plus the video and description said canning use...I will look for the round weight on the right side to make sure though. Thanks!

 

[DrHenley]

The autoclaves operate differently than pressure canners. There is an inner container where the items to be sterilized are placed and they never touch the water. And there is an air purge tube going down into the bottom of the inner chamber to purge air. If you tried to pressure can with the autoclave, this purge tube would be underwater and cause water to spurt out of the top.

You might be able to rig it up for pressure canning (the first pressure canner was an autoclave at the MIT biology department) but it's just not set up for it.

 

[TexPrep]

The autoclaves operate differently than pressure canners. There is an inner container where the items to be sterilized are placed and they never touch the water. And there is an air purge tube going down into the bottom of the inner chamber to purge air. If you tried to pressure can with the autoclave, this purge tube would be underwater and cause water to spurt out of the top.

You might be able to rig it up for pressure canning (the first pressure canner was an autoclave at the MIT biology department) but it's just not set up for it.

Although if the **** SHTF you could use a canner as an autoclave.
Just drop in a large pot and put the things you want to sterilise in the pot.
My Dad had an autoclave in the training room when he was the trainer for the Houston Rockets.
When they went on the road he'd pack all of his sterilized equipment in obviously sterilized packing.
He was going through the airport one trip and they insisted he open the sterilized packets so they could see what was in them when the x rays obviously showed hemostats and the like.
He raised bloody hell with security and they eventually gave in and let him go after a supervisor was called in.

 

[Cindyd]

Here's what a dufus I am. My mother had given me a pressure cooker when I moved her down here on our property the end of February from Ky. She had so much stuff it kind of got tossed aside. My last post here I remembered she gave it to me and I put it away in the shed. I figured it was used with parts missing. I just went out and dug it out of all the stuff in shed. It's a small one...Presto 4 and 6 quart pressur cooker! Never been used and all parts were inside of it! I feel like I hit bonus jackpot!

 

[TexPrep]

Here's what a dufus I am. My mother had given me a pressure cooker when I moved her down here on our property the end of February from Ky. She had so much stuff it kind of got tossed aside. My last post here I remembered she gave it to me and I put it away in the shed. I figured it was used with parts missing. I just went out and dug it out of all the stuff in shed. It's a small one...Presto 4 and 6 quart pressur cooker! Never been used and all parts were inside of it! I feel like I hit bonus jackpot!

Now you have two.
You could probably use it on pint jars to double your production.

 

[DrHenley]

Although if the **** SHTF you could use a canner as an autoclave.
Just drop in a large pot and put the things you want to sterilise in the pot.

If you don't purge the air, the steam will not displace it in the inner chamber, and it will take a lot longer and a higher temperature. but you can do it. With pure steam (no air) you can sterilize at 273 °F for three minutes. With air in the inner chamber, it will take two hours at 320 °F.

 

[TexPrep]

If you don't purge the air, the steam will not displace it in the inner chamber, and it will take a lot longer and a higher temperature. but you can do it. With pure steam (no air) you can sterilize at 273 °F for three minutes. With air in the inner chamber, it will take two hours at 320 °F.

I'd think it would work if you left the weight off longer than the required 10 minutes or even put the weight on and remove it periodically and used a pot only large enough to fit what you're trying to sterilize so the heat could better circulate.

Or you could go the old cowboy route and hold your stuff over the fire,although your bandages probably wouldnt fare well.

 

[DrHenley]

https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/sterilization/other-methods.html"The most common time-temperature relationships for sterilization with hot air sterilizers are 170°C (340°F) for 60 minutes, 160°C (320°F) for 120 minutes, and 150°C (300°F) for 150 minutes. "

 

[DrHenley]

There are other ways to purge the air. From Wikipedia:

Air removal
It is very important to ensure that all of the trapped air is removed from the autoclave before activation, as trapped air is a very poor medium for achieving sterility. Steam at 134 °C (273 °F) can achieve a desired level of sterility in three minutes, while achieving the same level of sterility in hot air requires that it spend two hours at 160 °C (320 °F). Methods of air removal include:

Downward displacement (or gravity-type)
As steam enters the chamber, it fills the upper areas first as it is less dense than air. This process compresses the air to the bottom, forcing it out through a drain which often contains a temperature sensor. Only when air evacuation is complete does the discharge stop. Flow is usually controlled by a steam trap or a solenoid valve, but bleed holes are sometimes used. As the steam and air mix, it is also possible to force out the mixture from locations in the chamber other than the bottom.

Steam pulsing
air dilution by using a series of steam pulses, in which the chamber is alternately pressurized and then depressurized to near atmospheric pressure.
Vacuum pumps
a vacuum pump sucks air or air/steam mixtures from the chamber.

Superatmospheric cycles
achieved with a vacuum pump. It starts with a vacuum followed by a steam pulse followed by a vacuum followed by a steam pulse. The number of pulses depends on the particular autoclave and cycle chosen.

Subatmospheric cycles
similar to the superatmospheric cycles, but chamber pressure never exceeds atmospheric pressure until they pressurize up to the sterilizing temperature.

Stovetop autoclaves used in poorer or non-medical settings do not always have automatic air removal programs. The operator is required to manually perform steam pulsing at certain pressures as indicated by the gauge.

 

[TexPrep]

There are other ways to purge the air. From Wikipedia:

Air removal
It is very important to ensure that all of the trapped air is removed from the autoclave before activation, as trapped air is a very poor medium for achieving sterility. Steam at 134 °C (273 °F) can achieve a desired level of sterility in three minutes, while achieving the same level of sterility in hot air requires that it spend two hours at 160 °C (320 °F). Methods of air removal include:

Downward displacement (or gravity-type)
As steam enters the chamber, it fills the upper areas first as it is less dense than air. This process compresses the air to the bottom, forcing it out through a drain which often contains a temperature sensor. Only when air evacuation is complete does the discharge stop. Flow is usually controlled by a steam trap or a solenoid valve, but bleed holes are sometimes used. As the steam and air mix, it is also possible to force out the mixture from locations in the chamber other than the bottom.

Steam pulsing
air dilution by using a series of steam pulses, in which the chamber is alternately pressurized and then depressurized to near atmospheric pressure.
Vacuum pumps
a vacuum pump sucks air or air/steam mixtures from the chamber.

Superatmospheric cycles
achieved with a vacuum pump. It starts with a vacuum followed by a steam pulse followed by a vacuum followed by a steam pulse. The number of pulses depends on the particular autoclave and cycle chosen.

Subatmospheric cycles
similar to the superatmospheric cycles, but chamber pressure never exceeds atmospheric pressure until they pressurize up to the sterilizing temperature.

Stovetop autoclaves used in poorer or non-medical settings do not always have automatic air removal programs. The operator is required to manually perform steam pulsing at certain pressures as indicated by the gauge.

So you should be fine letting the steam out just like with canning.
You leave the weight off for 10 minutes which is done to make sure you have nothing but steam in the canner.
Place the weight back on for 10 minutes or so and remove it again to see if you have nothing but steam.
You can run the canner up to 15 psi at which point the steam reaches 247.7 degrees F. which should be fine if you extend the time you leave items in the canner.
Just like with food safety you can make sure your food is safe by extending the time it's held at a given temp. It's not necessary to bring it to a certain high temp as long as you extend the time.

In a SHTF situation without an autoclave you should still be safe.

 

[DrHenley]

With canning, the steam is going up through the whole space mixing with the air and taking it out. With the autoclave, the steam is going around the inner container, not through it. Air is heavier than steam.

 

[TexPrep]

With canning, the steam is going up through the whole space mixing with the air and taking it out. With the autoclave, the steam is going around the inner container, not through it. Air is heavier than steam.

Then you should be able to put a well fitting container in the canner and just let the steam rise up through the top vent.
Kinda like in the pic you posted.
Unless I'm missing something.