The rack may be made of wooden strips, wire or other perforated material but must be put together so it sill allow water to circulate. The canner must have a rack to hold jars at least one-half inch above the bottom of canner. A pressure cooker is recommended for processing vegetables, meats and low-acid foods.Ī water bath canner may be purchased or can be made from a large kettle or pail that is deep enough to permit water to cover jars at least one inch over the top and a little extra space for boiling. They are acid foods and can be canned safely at boiling temperature. The boiling water bath is preferable for processing fruits and tomatoes. Most authorities recommend adding 20 minutes to the pressure cooker time for pint jars to make up for the quick climb in temperature at the beginning of the process and for the more rapid cooling to zero at the finish.įor operating the pressure sauce pan for canning, follow the canning instructions given by the manufacturer of the type of pan used, but after processing DO NOT lower pressure with cold water. If pressure sauce pans are equipped with a gauge or weight for showing and controlling pressure at 10 pounds, they appear to be satisfactory for canning. Department of Agriculture recommends the use of a pressure cooker for canning low-acid vegetables and meats. When jars are cold test for seal ( page 5) and remove screw bands.Do not set hot jars in a draft or on a cold, wet surface. Set jars upright 2 or 3 inches apart on several thicknesses of cloth, to cool. Do not tighted screw bands on KERR Mason Caps. Food in jars may be boiling vigorously if so, allow them to remain in cooker for a few minutes, then remove.Then open petcock gradually and remove cover. Let cooker stand until hand on pressure gauge returns to zero. As soon as processing time is up, remove cooker from heat.Process for required length of time (see time tables, pages 8 and 9).Adjust heat so control jiggles only about 2 or 3 times per minute. When control jiggles, start counting processing time.

Then select desired pressure and place weight over vent pipe. When cooker has a weight control, leave it off the vent pipe until steam is coming from vent in a steady stream. Close petcock and when required amount of pressure is shown on gauge, start counting processing time. For cooker with gauge, leave petcock open and let steam escape freely for 7 to 10 minutes. Adjust the cover of cooker and fasten securely.Set jars apart so steam can circulate freely. Pack only enough jars at one time to fill cooker. As each jar is filled and cap tightened, set it on the rack in cooker to keep hot.Place rack in bottom of cooker and add boiling water to a depth of one inch for small cookers and two inches for larger cookers. When food is ready to be packed in jars, set cooker on heat.Prepare jars and food according to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 under Raw of Hot Pack canning on page 4.The general steps which apply to all types of cooker are as follows:

Read carefully the instructions for operating the type of pressure cooker being used. The jars of food processed in a a pressure cooker reach temperatures many degrees above the boiling point of water. A PRESSURE COOKER is recommended for processing these low-acid foods, as it gives a greater degree of safety.Ī pressure cooker must be fitted with a rack in the bottom, steam tight cover, petcock, safety valve, and an accurate pressure gauge, or weight which measures definite pressure. MEATS OF ALL KINDS and ALL VEGETABLES except tomatoes, sauerkraut and ripe pimiento peppers ARE LOW-ACID FOODS. Regardless of the good condition of the food or its method of preparation, foods will spoil if not processed for the required length of time and at the correct temperature.

The application of the heat to food in the jar is called 'processing.'

Sterilizing canning jars