26 Days Of Christmas - #3: The Presto 16 Qt Pressure Canner

Today's gift idea is somewhat fitting around this time of the year.   Today I'm going to talk about pressure canners - in particular, the Presto 16 Qt Pressure Canner:

I picked up one of these about a year ago.  I did some research before hand, though.   For me, I make a fair amount in the kitchen, and was looking for alternatives to freezing things.   I heard about "canning" and looked into it.   I found there were a few things one needed to get - jars, lids, rings, tools.  But most important was a pressure canner, vs canning via hot water bath.  

To give a quick description here, there are two types of canning, pressure and hot water.  With pressure canning, water is heated to temperatures above the normal boiling point, due to the change of pressure.  In an open air container, water will convert to steam and leave when its boiling point is reached.   In the higher pressure environment, the boiling point is raised, allowing for temperatures to be reached which will kill the bacteria that may cause botulism or other illnesses.

I picked mine up at Walmart for about $65, along with a case of jars. and a kit with a jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter, and jar funnel.   I'd go back to get more jars  later on.  I read through the directions, and had no problems with the first batch.  

I continue to do some tried & true recipes, as well as experimenting with some others.   There are some advantages here.   Jars can be reused .  Rings can be reused - lids can't, except Tattlers.  Food stays fresh longer, without having to be frozen.   Meats, vegetables, soups, stews, etc can be stored for later, allowing you to save money and cut down on waste.   

It does take a bit, maybe 2 hours per batch, to can, but the end results can be well worth it.    While one of these may be a nice gift for someone in your life, you can use one, yourself, to make a number of gifts for others.  Some may make jams, jellies, soups, etc to give as gifts.  

A few handy tips.  Don't use commercial jars (pasta sauce, jelly, etc) in one of these, or it will shatter.  Ball, Kerr, and similar jars that are specifically designed for canning are the only ones that can be guaranteed to work in the high pressure environment.   Also, the lids have a special seal, which can not be guaranteed past one use.  While it may look fine, and may even seem to make a seal, you can't be sure that there aren't very small gaps in the seal which could allow in bacteria.   It's much better to either buy several packs of lids, or to invest in reusable canning lids like these.    One may look at the initial price, and think it's high, but that's a one-time cost. 

The Presto pressure canner can also double as a pressure cooker.   They are available from retailers like Walmart and Target, as well as online through sites like Amazon.    Prices are still in the $65-70 range.  Jars may be only available seasonally, or may be available year-round, depending on your store.  There are also other manufacturers, as well as larger sized canners.   Take a look and find what suits your (or your recipient's) needs and budget.

Personally, I'm glad I got this, and wish I had years before.  

Check back tomorrow for #2 on the gift countdown!