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Canning On An Outdoor Burner


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I only copy/pasted part of the article here. I left out model and prices etc. Other articles mentioned do not use All American, Presto, Mirro and Victorio on burners over 12,000 BTU's. 

 

Another article mentioned you should use a little more water in your canner if using a outdoor burner because the BTU's might be higher than your regular kitchen stove. It could cause the canner to run dry faster. 

 

I had a thought too. Be sure you have enough fuel in your tank to finish a canner load before you start. If you run out midway through the process, it will cause you to start the timing process all over again. I'm not sure how long those little bottles of propane last. Example: If canning quarts for 90 minutes be sure to add the time it takes to build up and achieve pressure. It could add up to over 2 hours.   


Long story short...do not use a burner over 12,000 BTU's 

 

 

CANNING ON HOT PLATES OR PORTABLE BURNERS

Canning-on-Burners-or-Hot-Plates-TN

There comes a time when many canners have to contemplate canning on electric hot plates or gas stand-alone burners. It could be because of an overload of produce arriving all at once. Every last canner has to be pressed into service, but there is insufficient normal stove top space. Or, it could be because a canner model is incompatible with a glass or induction stove top, etc.

 

WEIGHT OF A LOADED CANNER

A filled water bath canner, or a filled and double-decked pressure canner, can represent a substantial load of weight. Many portable burners, electric or gas, were designed with a frying pan for fish or a pot of noodles in mind. What is the load bearing capacity of the cooking unit that you are considering using? You wouldn’t want to crack an expensive electric induction burner the first time out using it under a fully-loaded canner.

 

EXCESS HEAT FROM GAS BURNERS

The Presto company doesn’t want you using any of their canners with gas burners over 12,000 BTUs in heat (either outdoors or indoors, for that matter.)

 

Brian Nummer, Extension Agent from Utah, reported this conversation with Presto customer service:

Here’s what ALL new Presto and National Canners say in their instruction manuals: ‘Caution: Do not use pressure canner on an outdoor LP [liquid propane] gas burner or gas range over 12,000 BTU’s.’ When contacted, their customer service also does not recommend using any (new or old) model Pressure Canners on LP gas burners over 12,000 BTU’s. The main reason is that the high heat can damage pressure canners, especially the newer and thinner aluminum versions. The damage can range from simple warping to severe warping (where the lid might detach) to fusing of the aluminum canner to the LP stove. In all cases the damage will make the canner non-functional.”   Even if you have a canner that you don’t think will be affected by BTU’s over 12,000, you may not want to pressure can on heat higher than that anyway. The National Center for Home Food Preservation points out that such a rapid heat-up time would not have been tested:  Higher BTU burners could also produce so much heat that the recommended come-up time for canning could be altered, potentially producing an unsafe final product. ”  

 

Victorio does not want you using their stainless-steel multi canner on an outdoor camp stove or propane burner. Use of the VICTORIO Stainless Steel Multi-Use Canner (VKP1130) on a camp stove will void the warranty. As the BTUs camp stoves put off are considerably greater than most kitchen stoves, it is possible for the heat to loosen the adhesive of clad bottom rendering it useless. With the aluminum version there is no clad bottom, so we don’t have an opinion on using it on a camp stove.”  

 

INDUCTION BURNERS

With induction electric burners, you can get an adapter disk so that aluminum canners will work on it. However, you need to check that the weight of your loaded canner will not damage the stove top, period.

 

ELECTRIC BURNERS

The National Center for Home Food Preservation says,

For electric burners, you want the wattage to be about equal to that of a typical household range large burner. We have been successful bringing a boiling water canner to boiling with one that is 1500W/120V, but household range burners are more typically 1750W or higher and this kind of wattage may actually be a better choice if you can find it.”  

 

Clemson University Extension Service says,

Portable electric burners: Portable burners need to approximate household range burners that are typically 1750W or higher. It is important to have the canner stable and not top-heavy so overhang and height must be considered.”  

 

IMPACT OF WIND UPON YOUR HEAT SOURCE

If you are using a gas burner outdoors, it is of course important to use it in a well-ventilated area to ensure safety from gas fumes. However, most people advise to make sure that the flame also be sheltered enough so that the wind isn’t constantly weakening or blowing the flame out, playing havoc with the pressure in a pressure canner.

Clemson University Extension Service says, Portable gas burners –Clemson Extension does not make recommendations regarding outdoor burners. Canner manufacturers specify maximum BTUs for outdoor burners or gas ranges to prevent canner damage. If a bottled gas source is used, it must be adequate for the entire time of the process.”  

 

SURFACE THAT PORTABLE BURNER IS ON

Finally, canning issues per se aside, most people remind others to be mindful of any surface that a temporary, portable burner might be used on, to be sure that any heat given off won’t leave damage marks on the surface long after the canning is done.

 

A Master Food Preserver writes to Healthy Canning, “Recommend butane burners to those with glass top stoves or insufficient clearance to fit an All American. One can of butane will handle one whole processing, although I don’t think it will do two, so we save used cans for jams and pickles with short processing times. We regularly use these butane burners in classes, with pressure canners as big as All Americans and they perform beautifully.” 

 

Canning on hot plates or portable burners - Healthy Canning

Is Canning on a Portable Burner Safe? (psu.edu)

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This is GREAT info. Thanks for posting it.  Now I’m wondering what BTU’s my antique canning stoves register.  Considering I have used them for years with canners I’ve used for years I’m guessing it’s okay.  But wind and temperature are all involved so I’m going to print this info off and figure out a way to keep it with the stoves.  👍

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  • 5 months later...

I’ve canned on one a lot over the years and also a very old cast iron canning stove.  Both work. The one problem with camp stoves is the heat can sometimes fluctuate, especially if the wind is blowing or it’s cold out.  Just have to watch it more carefully. And if using them inside use with ventilation. 

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11 minutes ago, Mother said:

if the wind is blowing or it’s cold out.  Just have to watch it more carefully. And if using them inside use with ventilation. 

That's a good idea. I could easily use one in an open garage. I saw where one woman's husband built a little three sided enclosure around her outside camp stove because of the wind.

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5 minutes ago, Jeepers said:

That's a good idea. I could easily use one in an open garage. I saw where one woman's husband built a little three sided enclosure around her outside camp stove because of the wind.

That's my plan, inside the garage with the door open. I have two Presto canners, 18 and 23 quarts. The 30,000 BTUs of my camp stove is the maximum. I'll just turn down the heat. I also got a steel diffuser plate for under the canner, so that should help. 

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Jeepers, you can buy the wind shield for the Coleman ones and most come with them attached to the lid.  The problem is the canners are big enough to be unable to use them.  Aluminum foil shields will help.

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Cricket, the diffuser is a great idea.  I have one I used but had forgotten about it.  We have both a glass top electric and an LP gas stove in our kitchen now so haven’t used the two burner ones in a while. 
 

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10 minutes ago, Cricket said:

That's my plan, inside the garage with the door open. I have two Presto canners, 18 and 23 quarts. The 30,000 BTUs of my camp stove is the maximum. I'll just turn down the heat. I also got a steel diffuser plate for under the canner, so that should help. 

These are the two canners I use too. I also have an old 1970's Mirro canner but it doesn't have a gauge. I've come to rely on a gauge when canning so I don't have to keep adjusting the heat to get it right. Just make sure you adjust your heat up or down slowly so you don't cause siphoning from the jars. I forgot I have a diffuser for the kitchen stove too. Hard to tell what I have packed away. :rolleyes:

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