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Pressure Canner Safety

Have your equipment checked before you can!

Nashville, Ark. - I remember helping my grandmother and my mom in the garden, snapping green beans on the front porch and eventually helping to can those vegetables. A lot of hard work goes into preserving garden fresh vegetables and we want to make sure we have the equipment ready for the job.

Many canners are passed down or bought at estate sales or yard sales. While there is definitely nothing wrong with that, it is important that the pressure canner be working properly.

How do I know if my canner is safe?

The only way to know that is to have it tested to ensure the safety of the food being processed. If your canner isn’t working properly the foods in the jar can be under-processed, which even in a pressure canner, can increase the chance that botulism spores may still be present in the jars!

How do I get my canner tested?

I recently sent Howard County’s testing gauge to Presto to have it checked and calibrated and I’m ready to test your dial gauge pressure canners to determine accuracy of the gauge. Dial gauges should be tested annually to assure that the pressure indicated on the dial is accurate.

Pressure gauge testing is free, and you may bring your pressure gauge (lid only) and drop it off at our office at 421 N. Main in Nashville for testing and we will call you when it’s ready to be picked up. Older canners have gauges that do not separate from the lid so bring the entire lid. You may also bring the rubber gaskets from your canner lids, and I’ll advise you on if it’s time to order a new one. If you would rather schedule an appointment, please call our office to do so. Please note that we do not test weighted gauges.

Pressure canning is the only recommended method for canning meat, poultry, seafood, and low acid vegetables.

Pressure canners destroy the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum which can be found in low-acid foods when they are processed at the correct time and pressure in pressure canners.

If Clostridium botulinum bacteria survive and grow inside a sealed jar of food, they can produce a poisonous toxin. Even a taste of food containing this toxin can be fatal. Using boiling water bath canners when a pressure canner is intended will pose an increased real risk of botulism poisoning.

Pressure does not destroy microorganisms, but high temperatures applied for an adequate period of time do kill microorganisms. The success of destroying all microorganisms capable of growing in canned food is based on the temperature obtained in pure steam, free of air. A canner operated at a gauge pressure of 10.5 pounds of pressure provides an internal temperature of 240°F.

Green beans and tomatoes are among the most popular vegetables for home canning. Because of their low acidity, vegetables such as green beans must be processed in a pressure canner.

We also have the newest edition of So Easy to Preserve for sale in our office as well as free publications with updated U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendations for home canning. If your home canning recipes are older than 5 years old, it is time to get new ones with the latest recommendations.

Recipe of the Week – Easy Chicken Pot Pie

  • 1 large can chicken – drained

  • One box of ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (includes 2 crusts)

  • 1 large can of mixed vegetables – drained

  • 1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

  • Greek seasoning (optional)

  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
  2. Unroll one pie crust and line the bottom of a pie dish or cast-iron skillet.
  3. In a separate bowl combine chicken, vegetables, cream of chicken soup and pour into pie crust.
  4. Top with 2nd pie crust, seal the edges, and make 4 slits in the top of the crust.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly brown.
  6. I like to sprinkle Greek seasoning over the top of the pie crust.
  7. Cool for 10 minutes.  

 

For more information on how to pressure can, canner safety or getting your gauge tested, call the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517 or visit our office on the second floor of the courthouse. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

By Angie Freel
County Extension Agent - FCS
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Angie Freel
County Extension Agent - FCS
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main St, Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
afreel@uada.edu

 

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution. 

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