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3:49 pm
November 4, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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5:39 pm
November 4, 2009
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WV_Hills
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Pete said:
beeyourself said:
Well Pete, I'm no expert on pressure canners, but I am an expert on frustration! I'd buy me that brand spanking new one mentioned in two posts above…free shipping…to me, it isn't worth the worry of losing something I've worked that hard to prepare.
I giveth you permission to purchase said new pressure canner! 
Be glad to buy a new canner, but the one I have is less than a year old! And it IS the 23-qt Presto we've been talking about. Works wonderfully well, except for the 10 pound (and none other) pressure variations. It's the electric stove I'm threatening to set out some night and claim that a ghost came and stole it!
As long as the instructions are to process at 12 pounds or above, we don't have a problem. Sounds like Kathy sometimes has a similar issue. Oh, well. Will keep contemplating potential solutions, hoping to find one which won't cost much!
Hmmm. Maybe I COULD justify getting a new range. This one has a dity oven, and I don't have a clue how to clean one…
I managed to go 1 1/2 hours with the canner at 10 pounds pressure! Never less than a shade under 10, and never more than 11 when I turned my back for two mintues. I'm on my notebook on the table in the kitchen where I can glance up at the gauge every two minutes. In 35 seconds I'll turn it off for the cool-down phase, and we'll see if I managed to can lentil and pea soups. I'll let you know.
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7:53 pm
November 4, 2009
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WV_Hills
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The jars came out of the canner — and I can report that not one of the jars leaked or exploded, and all seven of the jars have given me a loud 'ping' as they sealed. I'll reserve judgement until tomorrow when I remove the rings, but it seems like I may have actually succeeded in canning bean and lentil soups. On to chicken broth and butter beans tomorrow. They both take the same amount of time at the same pressure so I'm going to let them share a canner.
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11:21 am
November 5, 2009
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CindyP
| | Hart, MI | |
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Pete, I have the same canner as you……..and when I used it for the 1st time I had a horrible time keeping it down!! That's when I lost 2 jars of chili!!
I used the PC for doing tomatoes, and I finally figured it out with my stove (it is gas, not like your electric, but it may work with electric, too)……….when doing the chili, I followed the book…………….not now!! I have it on high until I put the pressure thingy on. Then I turn it down to simmer (as low as I can go without it going off) That brought it up to 10 and left it there for the entire time. Never to 11 and not down to 9. It took a couple loads to get that figured out……..I just didn't think simmer would get it hot enough, but it did!
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“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
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2:07 pm
November 5, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Thanks, Cindy. That is how I found that I can keep the pressure closest to 10 pounds, but nothing seems to keep it precisely there. Figure I may be able to learn to live with 12 pounds, but can't tolerate it going on up to 15 or 16!
Have been looking at the professional grade, chef's commercial hot plates. That may just be the resolution!
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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2:32 pm
November 5, 2009
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wvhomecanner
| | North Central WV | |
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For my altitude, I need to PC at 11 lbs. pressure. If I get to and stay at 12 or 13 I do not sweat it. It sometimes takes a good bit of canning before you find the "sweet spot" for your canner, your stove, and yourself. I have canned on many stoves including a very old electric stove and it was a "start all over" process with each one.
That doesn't make you feel any better does it 
dede
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"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss ~
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2:35 pm
November 5, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Actually, it does, Dede! It's reasuring to know that this is not the first time it has been an issue for someone!
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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6:35 am
November 18, 2009
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CindyP
| | Hart, MI | |
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runningtrails said:
I have decided to get a canner! I have wanted one for awhile now, especially after reading all the things you guys do with your's. I don't have time to persue a new things hobby right now, but soon I will.
Any tips to look for when buying?
Its so exciting! I can't wait to have a canner and the time to play with it!
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“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
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10:14 am
November 18, 2009
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CindyP
| | Hart, MI | |
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wvhomecanner said:
Good for you!
Buy the best you can afford because it is truly a one time investment when you buy a pressure canner. There are several options available. Some folks believe they have to have everything stainless steel but a PC does not provide any contact of food with metal, so not an issue UNLESS you will use it as a huge pressure cooker. As in pressure cooking huge amounts of meats for say, pet food (one use I know of).
All American is pretty much the 'cadillac' – big advantage is that it requires NO gasket – so no worries about availability of replacement gaskets. If I were buying new I would save for their AA941 which allows for double stacking quart jars.
Presto and Mirro also make very nice canners and the prices are much more affordable and the replacement gaskets available online and sometimes in local hardware stores, etc.
Finding an older used PC is really a treasure – they are workhorses and last and last – we've seen Suzanne's jewel of a PC in her blog.
HTH
Dede
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“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
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12:28 pm
November 18, 2009
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TXLady
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| Mighty Chicken | posts 111 | |
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Does anyone use a small canner and how small. I know there are people that can in their pressure cookers but I don't want to do that. I would though like a small canner.
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12:38 pm
November 18, 2009
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Pete
| | WV | |
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Most of us have the big ones, if memory serves. Think so many of us got our canners in the last year, and just decided we wanted the flexibility of doing large and small jars, meats, beans, juice, whatever. Of course, they do take up more space. 
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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12:47 pm
November 18, 2009
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CindyP
| | Hart, MI | |
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Here is a 16 qt exacly like my 23 qt one……and it's actually $5 more than what the 23 qt one is!!
http://www.everyespressomachin…..O1052.html
Either size you can can 7 qts
The 23 qt has 24 Half-Pints, 20 Pints capabilities (I'm thinking more half-pints than that?)
The 16 qt has 24 Half-Pints, 10 Pints capabilites
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“Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.” ― Alfred Sheinwold
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12:55 pm
November 18, 2009
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wvhomecanner
| | North Central WV | |
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The powers that be (USDA etc.) say that to be a pressure canner as opposed to just a cooker, it must hold 4 quart jars to process. I know some folks that have the smallest AA canner and really like it for small batch canning.
HTH?
Dede
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"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss ~
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9:05 am
November 19, 2009
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Debnfla3
| | North West Florida | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 218 | |
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What have I stumbled into? OMG….I do believe I would love canning.
…and so it begins….
Deb
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11:12 am
April 24, 2010
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Heather B
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| Mighty Chicken | posts 364 | |
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I'm so glad to find this. This forum has been so helpful! I also didn't know the difference between a cooker and a canner. Now I do!  So, I've looked on Craigslist for canners and sometimes you can find them, in case anyone is looking. Because it is the case that people think they're going to do it and then they don't. That's how I got a cheap vacuum sealer! Also you can find canning jars and sometimes people sell all of their equipment! So, when the tax return cometh, I'm getting one, finally. 
I've seen a lot of recommendations, but can anyone tell me any brands to avoid? Or any brands that last a long time, by experience?
Also, someone mentioned that they had a yahoo group on canning. How can I find that?
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I Wanna Farm
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.
– Mark Twain
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11:52 am
April 24, 2010
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Pete
| | WV | |
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The yahoo group is wvhomecanner's and can be found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canning2/
Not sure that anyone has reported bad results with any canners around here. It seems to come down to what each of us can justify expense wise, depending on just how much we are going to can. I have the big Presto and am happy with it for my needs, and would seriously consider getting a second one, should the right deal come along. They have been on sale a couple of times in the past year or so, and many of us are using that one.
Do be careful when buying a used one. Gaskets and such are easily observed and replaced, but the gauge is not as easy to test. As with so many things, it's a trade off. For me, at my age and as easily distracted as I can be sometimes, I prefer to buy only a brand new pressure canner. But, I would never discourage anyone else from making a different decision based on their needs and circumstances.
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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12:03 pm
April 24, 2010
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Heather B
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| Mighty Chicken | posts 364 | |
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Thanks Pete. 
Also, I like your sig. I knew it was Latin but I had to look up the meaning. Cute!
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I Wanna Farm
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.
– Mark Twain
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12:27 pm
April 24, 2010
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Pete
| | WV | |
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| posts 7867 | |
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You are welcome, of course! And that sig happened when several of us were having a collective off-center day. Just never got around to changing it!
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Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!
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2:38 pm
April 24, 2010
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wvhomecanner
| | North Central WV | |
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If you can afford it, buy an All American pressure canner. They are a bit pricey but are a once in a lifetime investment and can be passed down. The biggest upside is that they need no gasket.
No line of canners is a bad one, which is amazingly cool! Do get the biggest you can afford no matter what brand you buy. If and when I buy one more PC it will be an All American that will double stack quart jars. My current AA wil do double pints. The more you can process at once, the faster that end of the work ends
dede
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"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." ~ The Lorax by Dr. Seuss ~
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8:07 pm
April 24, 2010
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Heather B
| | Michigan | |
| Mighty Chicken | posts 364 | |
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Thanks so much, Dede! I'll start looking around for those, to comparison shop.
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I Wanna Farm
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it.
– Mark Twain
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