tell me about pressure canners | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

There are a lot of differences in pressure canners. This is one item where you really do get what you pay for.

There are canners that have a gasket, and there are gasket less ones. I prefer the ones without the gaskets. All canners have a safety valve, designed to blow and release pressure if it is excessive. Then there is the post for the weight. This is what determines your pressure. Better quality canners have weights that offer 5lbs, 10lbs, or 15lbs as your choices. Cheaper canners will only allow one pressure setting and I believe that it is 10lbs. The better ones also have a gauge so that you can see the exact pressure that you have. My feeling is that the gauge should not be skimped on.

The reason to pressure can is that there is not enough acid in the food to protect from bacteria with just a hot water bath. By adding pressure you actually increase the temp past the boiling point. This allows for safe canning of pretty much anything!

The ones that I have are made by a company called All American out of Manitowok Wisconsin. B