hawgrider
01-04-2018, 05:47 AM
Attempting to can meat (or any other low acid food, for that matter) without the use of a pressure canner is every bit as foolhardy as arming up with the wrong gun for your chosen quarry … sort of like going after grizzly with a .22 rifle!
Most old-timers like my grandma never heard of pressure canners so they used the boiling water bath method to can jars. I’m thankful that we never got sick eating Grandma’s canned goods. The highest temperature a boiling water bath canner can reach is 180° F, which is considered safe for canning high acid foods like fruits, jams, and jellies. For processing low-acid foods, only a pressure canner can reach the internal temperature of at least 240° F, which is required to kill botulinum toxins.
If you’re not familiar with pressure canners, don’t confuse them with pressure cookers. Pressure cookers are strictly meant to be used for making fast suppers. Pressure cookers are not designed to reach high enough temperatures or maintain the adequate pressure needed for safe canning.
Pressure canners, on the other hand, are made especially for the purpose of canning low-acid foods and come in various sizes from around 10 to more than 40 quarts. The size refers to the capacity of the pot " not how many jars it will hold. For instance, a 10.5 quart canner will process up to four quart jars or seven pint jars in one session.
There are two main types of pressure canners: dial-gauge and weighted-gauge. You can read the pressure on a dial-gauge model and thus control it by either turning the temperature up or down to raise or lower the heat as needed. A weighted-gauge regulates pressure inside the canner and automatically releases any pressure above the desired amount.
The plus side of a weighted-gauge model is that they do not need to be periodically tested for accuracy as does the dial-gauge model. The disadvantage of a weighted-gauge model is that people who live at altitudes above sea level have to process their foods at a higher pressure.
Pressure canners can be expensive but are well worth the investment for the peace of mind they afford knowing you’re doing it right! They have a very long life when properly cared for and maintained. I have a dial-gauge, 15½-quart canner with the old-fashioned “petcock” on it that is more than 20 years old and it is still in top working condition " perfect for canning smaller batches of food. I also have a 30-quart newer model with the weighted pressure regulator that allows me to can a larger batch in one session.
After a few canning seasons, http://www.backwoodshome.com/canning-game-meat/
Most old-timers like my grandma never heard of pressure canners so they used the boiling water bath method to can jars. I’m thankful that we never got sick eating Grandma’s canned goods. The highest temperature a boiling water bath canner can reach is 180° F, which is considered safe for canning high acid foods like fruits, jams, and jellies. For processing low-acid foods, only a pressure canner can reach the internal temperature of at least 240° F, which is required to kill botulinum toxins.
If you’re not familiar with pressure canners, don’t confuse them with pressure cookers. Pressure cookers are strictly meant to be used for making fast suppers. Pressure cookers are not designed to reach high enough temperatures or maintain the adequate pressure needed for safe canning.
Pressure canners, on the other hand, are made especially for the purpose of canning low-acid foods and come in various sizes from around 10 to more than 40 quarts. The size refers to the capacity of the pot " not how many jars it will hold. For instance, a 10.5 quart canner will process up to four quart jars or seven pint jars in one session.
There are two main types of pressure canners: dial-gauge and weighted-gauge. You can read the pressure on a dial-gauge model and thus control it by either turning the temperature up or down to raise or lower the heat as needed. A weighted-gauge regulates pressure inside the canner and automatically releases any pressure above the desired amount.
The plus side of a weighted-gauge model is that they do not need to be periodically tested for accuracy as does the dial-gauge model. The disadvantage of a weighted-gauge model is that people who live at altitudes above sea level have to process their foods at a higher pressure.
Pressure canners can be expensive but are well worth the investment for the peace of mind they afford knowing you’re doing it right! They have a very long life when properly cared for and maintained. I have a dial-gauge, 15½-quart canner with the old-fashioned “petcock” on it that is more than 20 years old and it is still in top working condition " perfect for canning smaller batches of food. I also have a 30-quart newer model with the weighted pressure regulator that allows me to can a larger batch in one session.
After a few canning seasons, http://www.backwoodshome.com/canning-game-meat/