Yesterday our county extension service an all-day time when you could take your pressure canner tops and have the pressure gauges checked...for free. I've only had my canner two years but I took it. Guess what? My gauge was off FOUR DEGREES! The woman there said she usually just advised folks who's gauges were off one to two degrees to just make that adjustment when they were canning but one off four degrees was just too unreliable!

So I went downtown and got a new gauge for $18 (helpful hardware man even installed it on the lid for me!) and I took it back and had it checked and it was right on the money.

I was telling a news-buddy of mine about it last night and he said his wife had never had hers checked and didn't feel the need to because his "mama had her's for more than 30 years and never had it checked."

Gee...they check them for free...and it could mean the difference in canned food staying fresh...or even making somebody sick...so to me it was well worth the approximate 10 minutes it took to have the test done!

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), June 15, 2001

Answers

I took my pressure cooker to a small appliance repair shop here in town, and he checked it for free, no special day or appointment needed. Just FYI for those who have such shops within a reasonable distance.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), June 15, 2001.

Several years ago I took my canner in to have the gauge checked also. Took it to the county agent like I had always been told to do. I was amazed to find out they had no idea what I was talking about, nor where else I might be able to go. I think I'll start making some phone calls next week. Gotta be someone around here who knows something.

-- Amber in WA (quillen6@netzero.net), June 16, 2001.

Amber: I don't know where you live in Washington, and I'm assuming you don't mean D.C. but I am a Washington State Master Food Preserver who was trained to check pressure gauges for people. If you call the Washington State Cooperative Extention office, there should be one close by, they will check it for you. We have one in Wenatchee and Waterville with a population of 1,500 and so even if you live in a small town there should be one close by. There is no cost and I check mine every year. Happy Canning!

-- Marie Fila (Mamafila@aol.com), June 16, 2001.