I had resisted buying a pressure canner or using a pressure canner for years. I had always been afraid of it exploding like the horror stories you hear about or that you see on social media. However, modern day pressure canners aren’t quite like the old ones. There are more safety features nowadays I guess, but I don’t create them so I’m not 100% positive. When I learned that I would need a pressure canner to preserve some of the “vegetables of my labour” from the garden, I decided to cave, purchase a pressure canner, and try out pressure canning.
I ordered the Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner because it would can a lot of jars at once, was big enough to can various sizes of jars, and would now take over my water-bath canning as well as the pressure canning needs. The first time I used it was for water-bath canning just so I could get used to it. It is not too heavy to lift while it is empty, and I poured water into the canner while it was on the stove so I wouldn’t have to lift it full of water and jars. It is extremely easy to use as a water-bath canner, but you can use a stock pot to water-bath can.
Then, from my first major harvest of bush beans, I decided to try using the pressure canner part of the pressure canner. I filled up the water to the water marker and followed the instructions to begin the process. It was easy to put the lid on, which locks in place for safety. You can see the steam come from the valve so you know when it is time to start the pressure canning process with the weighted cover. The only thing I had trouble with was trying to keep a constant pressure with a glass top stove. It seemed like every time I changed the temperature by a smidge, it would drastically increase or decrease the pressure in the canner. I believe this is also just a learning curve to using a pressure canner. I eventually got the hang of using the pressure portion of the canner though and canned beans, pumpkin, and diced tomatoes! This canner works for all electric stoves including glass top and induction, and works on gas stoves!
I am excited for the garden this summer because now I can use the canner more and hopefully perfect my skills in pressure canning! Canning is a great way to preserve food from the garden to last throughout the year and also decrease your grocery bill! Growing your own food is lots of fun!
If you want to check out how we started a garden and see the fruits and vegetables we usually grow, then check out the Gardening section in the blog and the gardening videos from our YouTube channel! If you wish to purchase the Presto pressure canner, I have included a link in the button below.
If you have used this pressure canner, leave your opinion and review in the comments. If you have a favourite pressure canner, let me know about it!
Leave a Reply