- Jul 25, 2008
- 6
- 0
- 7
i have done a LOT of canning, and had two dif canners. the all american is the best, yes, but i understand if it's simply out of your price range.
my advice tho-- if you get one with a rubber gasket it WILL eventually wear out, and can be hard to come by. you can make it last longer by NOT storing it in place, in the lid. it gets smashed in there (which is how it seals of course), and eventually won't seal anymore. store it just setting on top of your canner, or anywhere that it can just sit flat, not getting smashed. (the all american has a metal to metal seal that never wears out, which is what the wing nuts are for)
also i remember something about either rubbing the gasket with oil or NEVER letting it get oily
check your instructions, and follow their advice!
a word about boiling water bath canning:
yes, they used to use it for everything, but also some people just died now and then for mysterious reasons. only high acid foods (fruit, pickles and tomatoes with lemon juice added unless they are heirloom varieties which are higher in acid) may be boiling water bathed. all low acid foods (meat, fish, and all other vegies) MUST be pressure canned unless you want to risk getting botulism, which is deadly. true the risk is very low, but why risk it at all?
so, get whatever canner you can afford, and take good care of it. the cheaper canners are still plenty safe if you follow their directions, don't cut corners. they all have a safety blow valve now, to allow steam to escape if the pressure builds too high, just be sure to check it every time before you can, to make sure it's not stuck. and of course, NEVER leave your house with the canner on!
hope this helps! i'm new to this forum and have been asking a hailstorm of chicken questions, so it's nice to finally be able to help someone else out!
my advice tho-- if you get one with a rubber gasket it WILL eventually wear out, and can be hard to come by. you can make it last longer by NOT storing it in place, in the lid. it gets smashed in there (which is how it seals of course), and eventually won't seal anymore. store it just setting on top of your canner, or anywhere that it can just sit flat, not getting smashed. (the all american has a metal to metal seal that never wears out, which is what the wing nuts are for)
also i remember something about either rubbing the gasket with oil or NEVER letting it get oily
a word about boiling water bath canning:
yes, they used to use it for everything, but also some people just died now and then for mysterious reasons. only high acid foods (fruit, pickles and tomatoes with lemon juice added unless they are heirloom varieties which are higher in acid) may be boiling water bathed. all low acid foods (meat, fish, and all other vegies) MUST be pressure canned unless you want to risk getting botulism, which is deadly. true the risk is very low, but why risk it at all?
so, get whatever canner you can afford, and take good care of it. the cheaper canners are still plenty safe if you follow their directions, don't cut corners. they all have a safety blow valve now, to allow steam to escape if the pressure builds too high, just be sure to check it every time before you can, to make sure it's not stuck. and of course, NEVER leave your house with the canner on!
hope this helps! i'm new to this forum and have been asking a hailstorm of chicken questions, so it's nice to finally be able to help someone else out!
