Probably not necessarily the best tool for canning fruit, but I wasn’t sure where to put this topic.
Tell us about your pressure canner. What you love, hate, regret or are thankful because you really got your money’s worth (some pressure canners can get pricey). Yes, I’m in the research phase and would value any opinions.
https://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/Presto-Pressure-Canner-23-Quart.htm
It’s a garden-variety pressure cooker. It is non-electronic. The only thing special about it is its size. It’ll hold four half-gallon jars. (The Presto Web site does not disclose this.) The USDA won’t let you can anything in half-gallon jars anymore except apple juice and grape juice, but, if that’s what you want to do, you’ll need a pot that’ll hold them. This one will. It’s available for online ordering from various discount retailers. It’s unlikely you’ll find one in stock at an actual store … unless you have (as I have) one of those creepy old dime stores in town that has no basement and no attic but everything they have ever carried for the last two decades is still on the show-room floor.
We’ve had this one for about 5 years. I prefer the bobble vent, easier to monitor than a gauge, and it doesn’t have to be calibrated. We’ve canned hundreds of quarts/pints in it, and have been be pleased with its performance. We usually use it to can beans, corn, and tomatoes, but have also used it for pickles, salsa, and fruit, like apples and pears. At about $75 or whatever it was, it was well worth it.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-16-Quart-Pressure-Canner-and-Cooker-01745/5913467
We also have a older 23qt canner, but it doesn’t have a lid liner or bobble, but we use it to water bath quarts for things like pickles, or quarts of apples or pears. You can’t water bath quarts in the 16qt canner, which is a detriment. Most fruits, and fruit related things like jelly/jam/butter, I believe, don’t need to be pressure canned, just water bathed, because of the acidity of the fruit.
I have a small one, too. The lids are interchangeable between the small one and the big one. I, too, prefer to use the lid with the bobble vent when canning apple sauce or meat dishes. I put jelly through the small one, using it as a boiling-water bath at atmospheric pressure by removing the vent weight and the pressure interlock float.
Really, I didn’t know that, I will check ours out and see if that’s the case. I don’t know if our bigger one is a Presto, tho.
This made me think that my mother would have had a fit if I told her I was swapping lids on pressure cookers.
I have an All American. Not cheap so I’m thankful that I got it as a special gift one year.
https://www.allamericancanner.com/All-American-Pressure-Canners.html
For some reason, I just recalled a story my Mom told me about her Mom having her pressure canner blow its top, and imbedding itself in the kitchen ceiling…
Funny that I just got a 16 quart Presto yesterday. I am experienced in water-bath canning but pressure canning is new. Mine has the gauge and a 15 lb weight. I am adding the three piece weight unit (Presto 50332) so that I don’t have to adjust the heat so finely when canning (I will be canning meat and veggies actually, and maybe some fruit). From what I can tell, the gauge is nice to see the progress of the process, to get an idea of how long it might take to heat and cool. But getting the unit without the gauge seems a good (or better) choice too.
Our three pieces for our bobber amount to 5lb of pressure each. At our low altitude (about 800ft), everything we pressure can is at 10lb, so we use 2 weights. I like the sound of it, though it can get kind of noisy. It makes a steady “pish-pish-pish” sound when it’s running right. Takes a while for it to depressurize tho, usually about 30-45 minutes.
I think I have an All American 21 quart. Somebody in this group, or Gardenweb 8 years ago alerted us that there was a 75% off coupon for everything at Henry Fields.
So I got it for $100 based on the $400 list price. Also got the Seckel Pear tree I still have and a Honeysweet. I think it didn’t make it, but the rootstock is now hosting Thornley and Belle de Guigno.
The pressure canner is in my shed in the box, haven’t used it yet. Also got 10lbs of Surround that I haven’t opened.
I have a 21 quart all american purchased on Ebay for $35 about 15 years ago. It came with cake pans, wire rack, and original booklet. My wife has a presto. We use both for canning.
Thanks for all the comments!
A 16 QT makes a lot of sense for my needs. The All American brand looks pretty awesome, but is really pricey, so the Presto should work fine for me.
Thanks again!
Yes, I went with the 16QT Presto to get in the game. Easy-peasy, I’m off to the races now. Canning requires some focus, and there are a lot Youtubers doing non-standard stuff, but it’s nothing to be afraid of. I can do a canner load in the same timeframe that it takes to proof and bake my sourdough bread.
Good luck, I think you will enjoy it. I always enjoy hearing that ‘pop’ sound when the lids seal onto the jar. And there’s a sense of accomplishment when you preserve your own food.
Thanks! That pop is pretty cool, and you kind of have to be into canning to really get it. Having jars with meals ready to go makes meal prep during the week much easier. I’m not exactly sure when it will begin to pay for itself though.
Yeah, buying new jars is getting expensive, and last year lids were very hard to find because I imagine a lot of folks got into canning because of the lockdowns. Prob would be a good idea to start stocking up on stuff like that as well as other supplies like canning salt and pickle crisp.
A few years ago, we happened upon a neighbor who had dozens and dozens of jars that they wanted to unload, so we made out like bandits. Hard to believe we’ve just about used all those jars up. It’s going to be expensive having to buy a bunch of new ones. I was actually at Walmart today and saw a couple pushing out a cart full of jar kits. Maybe we need to make a jar run ourselves.
I will be slowly building up jars and such over time. I’m looking at it from a value and quality of life perspective, rather than a prepper or cost cutting effort. Instead of grabbing a bland can of pre-made food or ordering takeout, better to grab a jar of something really good and fast. Controlling sugar, salt, and fat are pluses as well.
It’s the one I use too, I love it. It’s nice solid and heavy. I have not used any other pressure canner besides that one.
A nice thing about using a pressure canner is that you don’t have to worry about bacteria, even if you don’t add any acidity/acidic fruits. I have acid reflux and I find many jams and fruit spreads too acidic.