[Sca-cooks] OT:More on canning....

[Olwen the Odd]

I agree.  Pressure cookers are dangerous.  I had an auntie who died when one 
exploded.  I know - they aren't supposed to explode but my family has an 
interesting history of being hurt or killed by kitchen appliances.  I had 
another auntie who blew herself and her dog up while trying to light a gas 
oven.  Small appliances regularly used to suddenly catch fire when not in 
use for many of us in my family, heck I even had two answering machines do 
that to me!  Most of us don't have small appliances any longer and the ones 
we do have never stay plugged in unless in use at the moment.

I used to can a lot.  I just used the hot bath method and stuff that 
normally would be processed in a pressure cooker, like tomatos, I would just 
render, cool and freeze.
Olwen

>I don't think that one substitutes for the other.
>
>You can however use the pressure cooker to "cook" the jam or jelly down of 
>course which reduces time. And you may find enough uses to justify keeping 
>it.
>Pressure cookers are rather sensitive and everything I've read about them 
>stresses that they ought to be used according to the instructions.
>In other words, don't experiment with them. Older models are subject to 
>trouble with seals and such. Failures can end in burns. You might see if 
>the local extension office or school district evening course office offers 
>a canning class.
>
>Johnnae llyn Lewis
>
>WyteRayven at aol.com wrote:
>
>>Ok....so I think I just made a mistake....
>>
>>I found a small pressure cooker and decided to go ahead and buy it. Now, 
>>according to something I just read, it looks like there is a difference 
>>between pressure cookers and steam pressure canners. I had thought they 
>>were the same, and they do seem pretty much the same. The difference is 
>>that the cooker that I bought does not have a gauge to tell the pressure. 
>>It has a rocking thing at on the lid that is suppoesed to rock regularly 
>>when it reaches 250 degrees (15 lbs pressure).
>>
>>So, what I have read says that you are supposed to can at 240 degrees (10 
>>lbs pressure). Does it really have to be that precise? Will the extra 10 
>>degrees cause problems with sealing or the quality of the food?
>>
>>I suppose I can take this one back if I need to and order one online 
>>later, as they seem to be quite a bit more expensive than this one.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Ilia

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