ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

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PRESSURE CANNING VEGETABLES

AUBURN, AUG, 7---Pressure canning is a processing method for low-acid foods and can be used for most vegetables.

Pressure canners have been extensively redesigned since the 70s, says Dr. Evelyn Crayton, Extension foods and nutrition specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Older models have heavy-walled pots with clamp-on or turn-on lids. They are fitted with a dial gauge, a vent port in the form of a petcock or counterweight and a safety fuse. Crayton says these older models can still perform well if they have been properly cared for and checked annually.

Today's pressure canners are lighter weight pots with thinner walls and most have turn-on lids. They have a jar rack, gasket, dial or weighted gauge,an automatic vent/cover lock, a vent or steam port to be closed with a counterweight or weighted gauge and a safety fuse. Most pressure canners hold seven quarts or eight to nine pint jars.

All vegetbles except tomatoes should be processed at 10 pounds of pressure or 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Tomatoes may be canned in a water-bath or a pressure canner.

The two procedures used in pressure canning of vegetables are called raw-pack and hot-pack. To raw-pack, densely pack cold, raw vegetables into a container and cover them with boiling water.

To hot-pack, preheat vegetables in water or steam them. Cover them with cooking liquid or boiling water.

Always follow the manufacturer's directions for the canner you are using, says Crayton. Test your pressure canner dial gauge for accuracy at the beginning of each canning season.

Crayton offers a few pointers on using pressure canners.

** Pour two or three inches of boiling water into pressure canner.

** Set filled jars on a rack in the canner so steam can flow around each jar.

** Securely fasten the canner cover so steam can escape only through the vent or petcock.

** Watch until steam pours steadily from the vent. Let steam escape for at least 10 minutes to force all air out of the canner. Close vent.

** Let pressure rise to 10 pounds. When this pressure is reached, start counting processing time. Keep pressure constant by regulating heat under the canner. Don't lower pressure byopening the vent. Keep the canner out of drafts.

** When processing time is complete, remove canner from heat immediately. Then, let the canner stand at room temperature until pressure returns to zero. Never rush the cooling. When pressure registers zero, wait two minutes and then slowly open the vent. Unfasten the cover and tilt the far side up so steam escapes away from you. Remove jars from canner. Don't let canner stand too long after the pressure reaches 0 degrees Farenheit. The canner lid will stick.

After use, wash the canner with hot, soapy water, being careful not to immerse the dial gauge if your canner has one. Rinse and dry well. To remove the dark water stain that may develop inside an aluminum canner, fill it above the stained area with a mixture of 1 tablespoon cream of tartar for each quart of water. Heat to boiling and boil until stain disappears. If the stain is stubborn, use more cream of tartar. Then wash again with hot soapy water, rinse and dry well.