K-State Research and Extension

search

You Asked It!

Tag: Canning

Presto Digital Pressure Canner

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Presto Digital Pressure Canner
This appliance has not been evaluated by USDA or university research laboratory.

Many questions have been received about the Presto Digital Pressure Canner. Here is advice, shared with permission, from the University of Georgia National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Presto is a well-respected and conscientious name in the industry. The University of Georgia has not independently verified their marketing statements for you at this time. If someone wants to use this canner, they have to be willing to trust the manufacturer at this time.

Presto has carried out the research on their own to make the claim that the appliance meets USDA guidelines for processing, and so it is up to the company to stand behind it.  The type or extent of research Presto has done is not available.

It does seem like Presto is aware that they have to meet a minimum temperature inside the canner, not just a pressure, which is a positive indication.

The Presto instruction booklet does not contain at least two USDA low acid processes that have special canner and water level requirements in the canner different from other low acid canned foods in the USDA manual.  Therefore, follow the Presto instruction manual and not directions from other sources including the USDA book or the NCHFP if you are going to use it.  They do put full instructions for preparing and processing foods in their user manual, which is also a positive approach.

One can read through the online instruction manual to see how the canner operates and the features built into the appliance.

Other questions about their research will have to be directed to Presto at this time.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend or approve any specific brand of canners.  The USDA also does not approve specific home appliances or canners.  If you have noticed the little USDA round seal on some of the Presto promotional materials, that symbol was developed by Presto and is not an official USDA seal. It does not indicate USDA approval. (Even official USDA symbols, which this is not, are not allowed to be used by anyone to imply or endorse a commercial product or service.)

Source: The National Center for Home Food Preservation, March 2021

 

Botulism Survivor Urges Safe Canning

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
pressure canner
Contact your local Extension office to get your dial gauge tested for accuracy.

Take it from one who has survived botulism. Get educated and learn about safely canning foods before you start canning!

While Debbie Miller survived botulism, it was a long recovery. And all of it could have been prevented. Now she is on a mission to tell her story and educate home canners about what could happen if improper methods are used.

Debbie canned green beans. While she did use a pressure canner, she had no idea how to use it to safely can the beans. The dial-gauge canner was not calibrated correctly and she used it like a water bath canner. Therefore, the beans did not reach the proper temperature to kill Clostridium botulinum. After eating the beans, she had double vision, swollen tongue, muscle weakness in her neck and other symptoms. Tests confirmed the diagnosis.

Watch and learn the Utah State University video about Debbie’s experience so this doesn’t happen to you!

 

The Search for Canning Supplies

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Gardens popped up in a lot of new locations this year since everyone had more time at home and many garden supply stores sold out of plants and seeds. Now that gardens are producing, food preservation supplies are disappearing off store shelves.

Canning lids are few and far between. But remember, do not reuse canning lids! Do not use old, dented, or deformed lids, or lids with gaps or other defects in the sealing gasket. When jars are processed, the lid gasket softens and flows slightly to cover the jar-sealing surface, yet allows air to escape from the jar. The gasket then forms an airtight seal as the jar cools. Gaskets in unused lids work well for at least 5 years from date of manufacture. The gasket compound in older unused lids may fail to seal on jars.

Source: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/recomm_jars_lids.html

Mind Your Peas and Carrots!

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee

Spring gardens may be bursting with fresh peas and carrots. So how can they be preserved beyond the spring season?

Both vegetables can be preserved by canning, freezing and dehydrating. Carrots can also be pickled. Always start with fresh picked produce at the peak of maturity for best results. Wash with water. Use small sized carrots, scrub and peel to remove areas where dirt and bacteria can hide. Edible pea pod varieties are best frozen. Green and English peas can be frozen, canned or dehydrated since they are removed from the pods.

If freezing or dehydrating peas and carrots, both need to be blanched to achieve the best quality, texture, color and flavor.

For canning and freezing peas and carrots, see Preserve it Fresh, Preserve it Safe—Vegetables.

For dehydrating peas and carrots, see https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_dry_fruit.pdf.

Peas and carrots must be pressure canned. Pickled carrots are water bath canned. Learn more at www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/index.html

 

Critical Factors in Home Canning

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
A wireless data recorder is placed inside a filled jar of food to monitor temperature and the cold spot.

The importance of following tested recipes and safe processing methods for canning food safely depends on several factors. They include:

  • pH or acid content of the food. The 12-24 hours post-processing must show pH equilibrates and must not change after that time.
  • Heat penetration rate at the cold spot inside the jar. This is depends on how the food heats, whether by convection or conduction, the size of jar, food consistency, and the amount of headspace.
  • Initial pack temperature is the temperature of the food going into the jars. This temperature can change 30-40°F depending on number of jars and fill efficiency.
  • Soluble solids (°Brix) content includes the amount of sugar in the food solution. It is measured with a refractometer. The higher the °Brix, the less water available for bacteria to grow.
  • Water activity measures the amount of water available for bacterial growth.

Source: Newell Brands, Inc.

 

More New Items from Ball®

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Photo: @2019 Newell Brands Inc.

More new items will be on store shelves this year for canning, freezing a storage.

A new pint jar, called a Flute, can be used for canning, gifting, crafting, and drinking beverages. They have a regular mouth size with a wider bottom. The four jar pack includes lids and rings, the six pack is jars only to use as drinking glasses.

New Freezer Jars are plastic containers that are square in shape with rounded corners. They will be in 8 oz. and 16 oz. sizes. The lid is airtight and they stack easily to save space.

Source: Newell Brands, Inc.

 

Reasons for Canning/Seal Failures

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
When screw bands are too tight, the lid will likely buckle causing seal failure.

Canning food at home is a great way to preserve fresh food and reduce food waste. But, if problems occur, that food is wasted. Of all reported canning failures, 99% are due to user error. Here are the most common reasons:

  • Following old or unsafe recipes
  • Using untested recipes
  • Using old, unsafe family canning methods
  • Using the wrong jar size
  • Using improper processing methods for the food being preserved
  • Storing the canned food in the wrong type of location such as the garage, shed, crawl space, etc.
  • Adjusting the screw band too tightly
  • Not adjusting for altitude

Source:  Newell Brands Inc., owners of Ball and Kerr products

 

Plan Now for Gardens and Food Preservation

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Planning now saves you time later!

Winter is here, but many people are planning now for gardening. While you study garden catalogs or websites, don’t forget to plan how you will preserve the produce this summer. Your edible garden can be preserved in many ways including canning, freezing, dehydrating, and pickling.

What freezer space do you have? Be sure to use up last year’s stash to make room for the new batch. Clean the freezer to remove stray food and spills from broken packages. To freeze food, follow freezing guidelines for each food and use bags or plastic containers designated for freezing to maintain best food quality.

Do you like to can your produce? If so, get up to date on current recipes and guidelines. For best safety and quality, follow tested recipes. Using older recipes and methods can lead to spoiled food, food waste, and foodborne illness.

Have you checked your equipment? Now is the time to get your dial gauge tested. Contact your local Extension office for testing. The canner brands we can test include National, Presto, Maid of Honor and Magic Seal. Inspect the canner for any wear and get parts replaced. Sources for replacement parts can be found at www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/canning.html.

Learn more about food preservation at www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/index.html.

 

Pressure Canner Testing

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Newer All American Canner

Now is the time to get dial gauges tested on pressure canners. Here are some reminders.

Older All American Canner. The petcock on the right can be replaced with a weighted gauge. Contact Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, http://allamerican1930.com/contact-us/.

Most Extension offices have the Presto Gauge Testing Unit. This can test pressure gauges on the brands Presto, National, Maid of Honor, and Magic Seal.

This testing unit cannot test All American pressure gauges. Newer models of the All American canner have both regulator weights (weighted gauge) and the dial gauge. (See top picture.) The weight is more accurate than the gauge and customers should use the weight in order to determine if they are at the needed pressure. If the weight begins to rock at the desired pressure and the gauge is off by more than 2 psi the company recommends replacing the gauge. The gauge is now used as a reference to know when the unit is at 0 psi and can safely be removed.

Source: https://extension.psu.edu/pressure-canner-dial-gauge-testing

 

Is it Safe to Home Can Ham or other Cured Meat?

Posted on by Karen Blakeslee
Spiral cut ham. Photo: USDA Flickr

There are no science-based instructions to home can cured, brined or corned meats. Here is some information from Clemson University Extension.

“The texture of some cured, brined and corned meats is firmer than that of fresh meats; thus, heat penetration into the cured, brined or corned products might be more difficult. That would mean the process time would need to be longer and using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. Curing can make meat drier than fresh meat or can leave it with a higher salt level, then covering liquid could be absorbed into the flesh and penetration of heat into the meat would be much more difficult. Again, using the process for fresh meats would result in potentially unsafe product. On the other hand, adding salt, nitrite, nitrate and/or antimicrobial agents like nisin makes Clostridium botulinum more susceptible to heat and the required process time for some cured meats could be shorter. If so, using the fresh meat process would result in an overcooked product. Research on each product would be needed to determine a safe canning process.”

www.clemson.edu/extension/food/canning/canning-tips/55home-cured-brined-corned-meats.html

 

Reference to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, or company does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation. Paid for by Kansas State University