Snowmom Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Mt3boys, I have a small one, and I don't use it unless for just 4 pints. But, I sure like my AA canner that I've had for about 36 or so years. It just has the gauge on it, and I like this better than the weight. Link to comment
mommato3boys Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Thanks Snowmom, I was online today and found a Presto canner for the same price as the one at WM but it had a guage. It also had free shipping. It will get me started. Link to comment
Jeepers Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 I don't have a Presto but I have a Mirro that just has a weight. It's so easy to use. You just turn your fire up until it starts to jiggle and makes a hissing sound. Then you adjust your heat so it only jiggles a time or two a minute. In other words it isn't a constant jiggling noise. Then you just time your canning from the time you got your jiggle amount set. No gauges to watch or have calibrated. I really like my canner. Mine is a round disk with 3 holes in it. It has marks on it so you can put it it over the vent thing at 5, 10 or 15 pounds of pressure. Link to comment
Cricket Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Mto3, My Presto has a dial guage, but I bought a special weight so I did not have to rely on the dial. With a dial guage, you are supposed to get them tested every year to make sure they are accurate, and I did not want to have to fool with that. Not to mention, if there won't be a way to get it checked. To me, the wieghted gauge is so much easier. I can listen to the rocking while I am doing other things in the kitchen, not standing there watching the darn dial all the time. Link to comment
mommato3boys Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Thanks Cricket. I guess I just got it in my head that a dial was the only way but now that I think about it my mothers canner didn't have a dial only had a weight. May have to get that one at WM oh and I was wrong it was a Mirror not a Presto. The presto was the pressure cooker a whole different thing. Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I got the 16qt Presto pressure canner from Amazon.com today, but I'm returning it because it only has a dial gauge and I don't want to have to get the durn thing tested all the time. i called Presto, and apparently Walmart is the only place to get the one with the weighted gauge. So hubby's gonna have to live with me buying something from walmart... Link to comment
Violet Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 If you want, keep it and just buy the three piece weight set and use it as a weighted gauge canner. Works fine. I do it, and I am one who tests gauges at the extension office even. The set number is here : 50332 http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestoregulators.htm Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thank you Violet! Is that okay for model number 01755? I don't see my model number listed there. I called presto and they said that a weighted gauge wouldn't fit on the canner I have. Link to comment
Violet Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Tracie, I can't be 100 percent certain, but I have not seen a new version of the Presto they haven't fit so far. It just has to fit on the vent pipe of yours instead of using the counterweight that came with yours. I use Presto 23 quart size and the weights fit on mine just fine. Just got my daughter a new one, too, and got her the weights. From what I can see on the pictures online your counterweight looks just like mine. I think it will work. Presto is so wishy washy about their answers. Some people call and they tell them you can't use the weights, some say you can. It all depends upon who you talk to. I don't think some of them know what they are talking about there. I contacted them personally 2 times and was even told the part number that I gave you. I contacted the National Center for Home Food Preservation and was told it was a great idea. Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Good to know. Okay, maybe I'll unpack the canner and not send it back. Thanks Violet!! You're such a great resource to have on this forum!! Link to comment
Cricket Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Originally Posted By: Violet If you want, keep it and just buy the three piece weight set and use it as a weighted gauge canner. Works fine. I do it, and I am one who tests gauges at the extension office even. The set number is here : 50332http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/prestoregulators.htm Yes!!!!! I got this for my Presto canner, and it makes a world of difference! I like it so much I ordered an extra one (and an extra gasket and over pressure plug) just as preps. I should be set for the rest of my life with my canner. I ordered mine from here: http://www.mendingshed.com/50332reg.html Tracie, you leave the dial guage on the canner, and just replace the regulator. The three piece regulator works with all three pieces for 15 lbs pressure, take one ring off for 10 lbs pressure and take both rings off for 5 lbs pressure. Most of my recipes call for ten pound pressure, so I'll let the canner vent full steam with no regulator for 10 minutes. Then I put on the regulator with the one ring, wait until it starts jiggling/rocking and sputtering, then start timing for my recipe. Easy peezy! Hint: I learned from here to put more water in the canner than the fill line would indicate. I make sure I have a good three inches in the bottom, before jars. I just put in the rack, and add tap water until it is the depth of my index finger if I'm touching the bottom thru one of the holes in the rack. (A squirt of vinegar in the water keeps my jars from having mineral deposits on them.) Since I've been using more water and the weighted guage/regulator, I have no trouble keeping my pressure nice and even throughout the processing time, even with my ceramic cooktop. And since I'm listening to the jiggle instead of having to mind the dial, I can be doing other things as long as I'm within earshot. Link to comment
Tracie Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Awesome! I did the math though, and returning the canner to amazon.com (where it was $74.99 plus tax) ends up being cheaper. The regulator would have made the canner $87 (plus shipping). This way, I paid $10 to ship it back to amazon and get a $75.99 refund, then bought the walmart version of the presto canner for $59.97 (which includes the weighted gauge). Plus there's the instant gratification factor ;-). I figure I saved at least $17 this way. Link to comment
suzann Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 My husband just ordered me a Mirro 22 quart canner Brand new for $59.??. He got free shipping and a $10.00 coupon off an E-bay purchase. Now I have to be patient ...and wait till it arrives...I'm excited... Link to comment
MomM Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 That's wonderful. You will have so much fun (and a lot of hard work, that is so worth it - lol). Link to comment
suzann Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 well I have my canner and have used it once... To be honest I was scared to death and ended up turning off the stove and haven't used it since.. I won't give up I'll try again....soon Link to comment
Darlene Posted September 14, 2008 Author Share Posted September 14, 2008 We're here to help walk you though it if you need us. Link to comment
Violet Posted September 14, 2008 Share Posted September 14, 2008 Suzann, You have the safest kind with the weights. They self vent so the pressure won't keep climbing like a dial gauge canner could. Please, just put in a few inches of water in the bottom, no jars. Then turn on the heat. Let it steam, then time that steady stream of steam for 10 min. Then, put on the weight. It may hiss at you, but remember, it is only air, it won't bite or your canner won't explode or anything. It is just a little noise that happens for a moment. Then, as it builds pressure it will start to jiggle. On that brand it should jiggle a couple times a minute. At least that is what I have read. Check your manual as they may have changed how many time per minute it jiggles. Then once you let it jiggle for a few minutes so you can familiarize yourself with it, turn the heat off. Let it stop jiggling and depressurize. Remove the lid and let it cool down. Relax, it will be fine. It won't explode on you. It has a safety plug on it, too, so if anything ever did go wrong, it would pop out first. As I said, you have the safest kind of canner with that weight. Try again, OK ? Link to comment
lily Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Do you have a Friend's of the Library book sale any time soon at your Library? I got a Ball Blue Book for $1 at ours. Also lots of other good books for a very low price, such as Stocking Up and any number of church cookbooks with canning recipes included. Link to comment
Canned Nerd Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Be careful with some of the books printed before 1990 since all canning recipes and instructions changed after that date to deal with the Botulism issue. What may be a good deal at first may lead you down the wrong road. Link to comment
Melanie Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I just bought an OLD school Maid of Honor canner from a lady. I was wongering if it was a good one or not. Should I buy new gasket before I use it? The gasket looks old but still has elasticity to it. The book to it is way older than I am. Link to comment
Canned Nerd Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 You can run the canner through its paces with just water to see how it performs, before you actually do a canning load. That way you are assured the seal holds, etc. If it uses a dial gauge, it must be tested before using since it could be off quite a bit. If its a rocking weighted gauge you are all set. Link to comment
kimba Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Help! I'm so confused! I've been trying to shop for canners. Do I have to get one with the dial gauge and retrofit it? I can't seem to find any for sale that comes with the weights. I found a place that sells the weights. Is it a hard to change the gauges? If anyone can help I'd be really grateful!! Thanks, Kimba Link to comment
GirlNextDoor Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Be careful with some of the books printed before 1990 since all canning recipes and instructions changed after that date to deal with the Botulism issue. What may be a good deal at first may lead you down the wrong road. I was gonna ask which version of the blue book to get and how we know the difference. Link to comment
Josephine Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 (edited) Help! I'm so confused! I've been trying to shop for canners. Do I have to get one with the dial gauge and retrofit it? I can't seem to find any for sale that comes with the weights. I found a place that sells the weights. Is it a hard to change the gauges? If anyone can help I'd be really grateful!! Thanks, Kimba First off, do you have a ceramic or glass cook top? If so, you'll have to make sure you can can on your brand (look in the owner's manual or the manufacturer's website), and if you are able to can on it, get a Presto brand canner. AFAIK, they are the only ones that you can use on ceramic and glass cook tops. Changing a dial gauge canner over to using a weighted gauge is very easy. You do have to order a new set of weights, which one you get depends on what brand of canner you got. You leave the dial on (just ignore it), and use the weighted gauge set on the vent pipe that the 15 lb weight that comes with the canner sits on. Now, I have a Presto, so all my experience and (limited) knowledge comes from that, but I'm sure Violet or Canned Nerd will be along to correct me if I'm wrong and to give more info. Edited February 14, 2009 by Josephine Link to comment
Crazy4Canning Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Girl Next Door, The most recent version of the BBB (Ball Blue Book) is dated 2006 and has a cheesecake with berries on the front cover. You can buy them all over. You shouldn't pay over $6 or $7. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Melanie, If you bend the gasket and you see little cracks in it, it's old and time to throw it away. The same with the overpressure valve in the top of the canning lid, should yours have one. I refurbished 3 canners last summer of the old vintage style and LOVE them. I personally like them better than the larger Mirros...but that's just me ....I'm a kind of vintage style gal. I have used the larger ones and they are SWEET....just a little big for me. However, IF I get a different stove or my dream kitchen...well...AA canners here I come! Link to comment
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