How to Use a Pressure Canner
Pressure canning is for canning vegetables and meats. Don't let it intimidate you! You can do this.
Equipment
Materials
- Low-acid food meat or vegetables (any low-acid food that you want to process)
Instructions
Before You Start
- Find a tested recipe for your food (type of food, jar size, and pack method). Familiarize yourself with the recipe’s prep steps (peeling, blanching, pre-cooking for hot pack, acid additions if called for). The recipe should also tell you headspace and whether to use raw pack or hot pack. It should also include altitude adjustments.
Gather all Equipment and Supplies
- Place the appropriate amount of water in the canner. Usually about 3 quarts or 2-3 inches of water. Check your canner manual for exact measurements. Be sure you have the rack in the canner. Start heating it up. The goal is for the canner to be hot but not boiling as you are filling your jars.
- Wash and rinse your jars and lids. (They do not need to be sterilized.)
- Keep your jars hot until ready to be filled. The easiest way is to place them upside down in the canner while it heats up. But you can also leave them in a hot steamy dishwasher.
Canning Process
- Prepare your food according to the directions for that food. This may vary by food type. Follow directions for cut size, blanching or not, pre-cook if needed, raw pack or hot pack, ingredients, acidification etc.
- Fill a jar following the recipe. Jar size matters. Pack method matters. (raw pack or hot pack) Leave the appropriate headspace. (the space between the food and the lid.)
- Remove air bubbles if needed. Adjust headspace again if needed.
- Wipe rims of your jar clean, then place on the lid and screw band.
- Place the filled jar upright into the canner. Continue until all jars are filled.
- Put your lid on the canner, leaving the weights off. Raise your heat and bring to a boil. Watch for the steam to start coming out the vent pipe in the lid.
- Allow the steam to 'vent' for 10 minutes.
- Put the weights on. This is when pressure will start to build.
- When the pressure reaches the proper level for your altitude, start your processing time at that point. Use the correct processing time and weights according to your jars size, pack style, and altitude. This should be included in your recipe.Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the canner at the proper pressure throughout the processing time. A little high is ok... if you drop below your pressure start your time over. For weighted gauges pressure is reached when the weight begins rocking; for dial gauges this is when the needle reads and stays at the target pressure.
- When processing time is completed, turn off the heat. Do not remove weights. Let the canner sit undisturbed until pressure comes back to zero. It will still be very hot!
Cool Down and Storage
- Remove the weight and wait 5 minutes. This allows for gradual cool down. Open the lid to allow steam to escape. (Carefully, don't let it hit your face or arms!) Wait 5 minutes. Take the lid off the canner and remove your jars. Jars may still be bubbling. This is normal. It should not be a hard boil. (Optionally, you can wait another 5-10 minutes if the contents appear to be bubbling hard.)
- Put the jars on a counter with a thick towel beneath them to protect the hot jar from the cool counter. Allow them to cool to room temperature undisturbed. 12 hours is suggested. Do not try to speed up the cooling process!
- When they are cool, remove the metal bands, check the seals. Lids should be concave and not flex. Another way to check seals is to remove the bands lift the lid with your fingers. Remove the bands and wash jars if needed.
- Label and store your foods in a cool dark place. I suggest storing without rings. If you want to leave the rings screw them on loosely.