ncnewbie

Hello Darlene, All,

I finally decided to take the canning plunge. However, I fear I may not be able to. Let me explain.

My stove died a slow death in the winter and we had to replace it. I dont have gas, so that wasnt an option, but I decided on the ceramic top doohickey with an incredible oven (really.. it has sabbath programing and recipe recall , convection oven..can you tell I like it? ) Anyway, I was all set to but a All American Canner, because I like the fact that there are no rubber seals to contend with. Then I find out, I cant.. because I have a Ceramic top! TO add insult to more heartbreak, I bought a water bath canner from Walmart... and 25 lbs of pickling cucumbers... only to read as I am getting set up that IT cant be used on glass tops either!

HELP! Are there any types of pressure and water bath canners my (apparently delicate) stove can use?

Maranatha!

I've been seeing people mention alot lately, concerns over whether to get a Mirro or Presto or All American canner.

 

Over the years, we've discussed alot about how many of us like the All American canners. They really ARE tanks, and I personally like them for a variety of reasons.

 

My concern however, is that I don't want people to misunderstand. Having a Mirro or Presto canner vs an All American canner is JUST FINE! Just because someone might not have an All American canner doesn't mean that they can't can up a storm, successfully and safely.

 

When I first learned how to can, I had my mom's old Sears canner. We did hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of quarts of tomatoes...I did meats in that canner, etc 7 quarts at a time. I lost that canner in a house fire and when I started to shop around for a new canner, since I'm so ridiculous, I searched for the biggest canner they made, which is how I found the All Americans. I have 2 canners that do 19 quarts/32 pints at a time because that is how *I* can. I never do anything small...it's difficult to lug that thing around empty and virtually impossible to lift it with water...forget trying to move it when it's full.

 

I still have my grandma's canner. I'd hafta go look and see what brand it is, because it's a brand that I've never heard of. It has to be at least 70 years old. One of the handles on the lid broke sometime over the years when my grandmother had it, and my grandfather built an identical handle, but out of wood, as a replacement. Some day I'm going to can in that canner because I'm sentimental, because I know all the years and thousands of jars she processed through it...my mom still talks about how when she was a little girl, helping grandma can with that canner, so I want my generation to put a batch through that canner so that the legacy lives on. Silly, I know, but that's me.

 

So anyway, time is running short. Now is not the time to worry about brands, it's the time to be concerned about accumulating this type of equipment that will serve everyone well for many years to come. If all someone can do is get a used canner that is in good working order, SNATCH IT UP! It doesn't matter...all that matters is that it will hold the pressure and heat to safely can your foods.

 

If anyone ever has questions as to the details surrounding a particular canner, please ask...there are so many of us that having a wealth of experience that we're more than happy to pass forward to others.