Never canned before and would very much appreciate any opinions or thoughts on which pressure canner to get. We had convinced ourselves that we'd buy the All American which seems to be the most expensive but a friend (who used to can a lot) suggested that a Mirro or Presto would more than suffice. Any and all comments much appreciated.

-- Bob (STBARB@usa.net), February 16, 2000

Answers

Bob, I've canned a lot of different things over a period of quite a few years in my trusty Mirro canner and I couldn't be happier. I've heard the All American is a good choice due to the fact that it doesn't need a rubber seal, but I've never had a problem finding replacements (and I have quite a few extras.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), February 16, 2000.

Bob: Mirro is a good choice. BTW, you'll be surprised to learn that pressure canning is much easier than the water bath canning method, which is used for jams, jellies, certain veggies, etc. Best thing to come from Y2K was learning that!

-- Daisy Jane (deeekstrand@access1.com), February 17, 2000.

There was some discussion on this on the Countryside forum: what kind of canner should i buy ?

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 17, 2000.

I recommend spending the extra money and getting an All American. We have a couple of Presto/ Mirro quality canners, and while they work okay, at least one of them is obsolete, even though we bought it less than 30 years ago, as NO ONE has gaskets available for it. The All American is better made and uses no gaskets, and is a true lifetime canner that you will be able to leave to the grandchildren some day. Having said that, don't pass up a bargain at a garage sale on another brand if you are sure that you can get the exact proper gaskets for it.

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), February 17, 2000.

Here are several other points. Get a pressure cooker with a pressure dial as opposed to a weighted pressure jiggler. Various recipes use different pressures and the dial is very good for this. Second, I would strongly recommend a large canner, 21 quarts capacity or larger. This size does 21 pints or 7 quart jars. This allows a larger processing batch. Smaller ones will not do the quart jars.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), February 17, 2000.

I bought a Presto Pressure canner with guage at an estate sale. I took it to the local Extension office and had it checked out. They do this for free so if you do find a used one later on, go ahead and get it. If you plan on canning a lot, two pressure canners will not be too many.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), February 17, 2000.

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-- Vlad (Strelok60@yahoo.com), February 18, 2000.

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-- Vlad (Strelok60@yahoo.com), February 18, 2000.

Hi Bob, have a "National Pressure Cooker #18" that we bought at a flea market some years ago. It was used then and is really used now. Price was cheap! It doesn't use the rubbers, and has done a real good job. Canning takes a little bit of practice, and is well worth the effort. Just make sure you follow the time requirements!

-- suzy (HAYSandCO@aol.com), February 19, 2000.

Well..I have to jump in here, I guess. I have gardened and canned all of my life, including lots of meat. I haven't used anything but the All American for the last 30 years. The only reason I would ever buy another one would be to get a bigger one. Mine will do 8qts or 16pts. Duing all the y2k preps I kept thinking I might get a second one, but decided it was not necessary as I can garden all year around here with the exception of the hottest part of summer. I cannot recommend the All American enuff. Not having TO EVEN CHECK the gasket is a relief. So if you can afford it, go for that one. You will never be sorry. It is one of those FEW products in the world that REALLY is as good as it claims. Get the biggest one you can afford. And don't overlook the fact that these are just big pressure cookers. Use them for cooking large amounts. I wanted to make turkey rice soup for y2k. So I bought a large whole turkey and stuffed it in the pressure cooker. The next day I removed all the bones and had a cooker full of meat and juice. I don't remember how many qts of soup I then made, but its enuff that we eat it at least once a week and I haven't made a dent in the supply. I used to do the same thing with an elk hindqtr that chubby hubby would cut up so I could get it into the cooker. The result would be all this boneless meat and gravy which I would then can. All I would add was some salt. It was delicious heated and poured over mashed potatoes, rice or macaroni or used in a casserole. And chicken canned is out of this world. Buy chicken on sale (not just breasts as they can up tasteless) toss as many fryers or roasters or stewing hens in the cooker that you can get in. P cook it all and then the next day when its cool remove the bones. Can the meat and juice in pt jars, adding only salt. It makes its own delicious gravey. Canned chicken from the store is "Yuk" compared to home canned. Also if you live in an area where you can buy fresh tuna and can it, you will never buy store bought tuna again. When I lived in Washington State we would go to the coast and buy a large tuna off the boats when they came in and I would can enuff to last us a year. Did the same with salmon. Can't gag the canned stuff from the store down. Taz...who is getting hungry writing this and going to go look in my stash of preps for dinner.

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), February 20, 2000.