Pressure canner size?

[terrianne]

I am in the market for a pressure canner. I have been borrowing to save up the money. I am going to purchase an All American. My only question is what size? Is it worth the extra money for the 41 qt? The one I borrowed was a 23 qt and I did multiple batches. Does anyone have experience to share? :)

[Nemophila]

I mentioned your post to my Mom because I thought her canner was a 23 quart and I couldn't imagine one bigger! Turns out her's is the larger size. Here is her advice:

When I bought my canner 30 some years ago, my aunt thought I was foolish to get the taller one. She said, "It holds the same amount (7 quart jars) as mine, but it will take longer to heat and cool down because of the extra room in it." I found out it was well worth the extra money - beacuse over the years I have done a lot of canning in pints. While my aunt's canner will hold 9 pints, mine holds 18 (one layer stacked on top pf the other). Also, my mother did most of her beans in half gallons (as she always cooked for a crowd), and the shorter canner won't accomodate half gallons. So if you plan to can in pints or half gallons it is well worth the difference.

I hope this helps!

[Ozark Matt]

well worth gettijg as large of one as you can. It will find ways to justify itself-I'm sure of it.

[Pharmerphil]

I agree with Matt, buy what you can afford, I was single when I purchased mine, a 18 quart, I ate out of the pantry for 2 weeks to buy the darn thing, But it was worth it, and still being used today.
I love to cook roasts, chickens etc. in it, Takes minutes, and the food is tasty, besids, ifin ya don't use it to cook...it gets Lonely waiting fer canning time!
Now that I have gotten a wee bit further in life...I'm thinkin' that 41 quarter sounds mighty good!

[older than dirt]

I have 4 or 5 canners only one was bought new. I bought a new one (a 7 quart size ) soon after I got married & spent a small fortune on jars that year. Sense then I buy every canner I see cheap at yard sales ( cheap like $5,00 ) . With luck you can buy jars for a dollar a dozen or so & canners for under 10.00. I saw a canner sell for 35.00 at a farm action last week so the price may be going up on used ones this year.

[tweed]

I mentioned your post to my Mom because I thought her canner was a 23 quart and I couldn't imagine one bigger! Turns out her's is the larger size. Here is her advice:

When I bought my canner 30 some years ago, my aunt thought I was foolish to get the taller one. She said, "It holds the same amount (7 quart jars) as mine, but it will take longer to heat and cool down because of the extra room in it." I found out it was well worth the extra money - beacuse over the years I have done a lot of canning in pints. While my aunt's canner will hold 9 pints, mine holds 18 (one layer stacked on top pf the other). Also, my mother did most of her beans in half gallons (as she always cooked for a crowd), and the shorter canner won't accomodate half gallons. So if you plan to can in pints or half gallons it is well worth the difference.

I hope this helps!

Nice post, Nemophila! :)
I concurr, but I just cannot, for the life of me, picture myself canning half gallons of beans! :D
I think olderthandirt is right about prices going up on canners, because everyone is growing a garden.
Now for my two cents.............If I were buying a new canner, I would get the All-American canner. It is precision machined and never needs a gasket.........ever.

Steve

[herb girl]

Yep, been dreaming about an All American for many years now. Right now I have another brand 23 quart size and wish it was bigger. And I CAN imagine a half gallon of beans.........our brood goes through that qt. jar quick and there is never any seconds.

[ovenbird]

I can't use my pressure canner because it hangs over the counter when on the largest burner of my 30" electric range. I don't want to discolor the laminate counter top. I was preparing to buy a smaller canner when Scooter absented the large burner altogether.

I want a gas or induction stove. I prefer to use gas only if I can vent the exhausts outside, which is difficult with my current kitchen arrangement. I have not seen a pressure canner that would work on the induction stove as they are formed out of aluminum.

So now I am completely up in the air on what canner to buy, what stove to buy, and am wondering if I should get a whole new kitchen. After the work I have put in the yards a whole new house is out of the question!

[Emerald]

I can't use my pressure canner because it hangs over the counter when on the largest burner of my 30" electric range. I don't want to discolor the laminate counter top. I was preparing to buy a smaller canner when Scooter absented the large burner altogether.

I want a gas or induction stove. I prefer to use gas only if I can vent the exhausts outside, which is difficult with my current kitchen arrangement. I have not seen a pressure canner that would work on the induction stove as they are formed out of aluminum.

So now I am completely up in the air on what canner to buy, what stove to buy, and am wondering if I should get a whole new kitchen. After the work I have put in the yards a whole new house is out of the question!

Ovenbird--My cousin wants to start canning and preserving more of the stuff that they have just returned to growing- but with her flat top range they just can not get a canner or pressure canner to come to a boil-- so they have decided to look for or buy one of these -- http://www.lehmans.com/store/Emergency_Supplies___Home_Supplies___Cooking___Hig h_Output_LP_Cookers___SL30L?Args=

But the two burner one to put out in their large garage. I think that they wanted the one that was more stable to use. They can use it and then store it for next year-- if you have a nice cemented stable area you could use one of these or even one of the big propane turkey fryer bases- that is what I want for doing my water bath canning- some of the turkey fryers come with a nice basket for doing deep fry fish and that would be nice for my quarts and pints of tomato that gets put up. If you think about some of the 'not so obvious' things you would be surprised on what you can find.:D

[older than dirt]

I for sure agree a canner that does not have a gasket is prefered allso one that uses a jiggler will work forever & never need a new presure gage. The bigger ones are more versital . I dont can in two quart anymore but when I was a kid we canned in 2 quart quarts a lot. Jelly was about only thing in pints & mostly even jelly went in quarts .
My large canner is a DIXIE its an antique & is heavey as a box of rocks.

[Michelle8]

That All-American sure does look nice!!

I have one that I purchased from Wal-mart about 20 yrs ago and I have my mother-in-laws that is "older-than-dirt". Both still work great and I'll keep using them until they won't regulate any more.

The All-American won't work on my smooth top range.

Michelle

[Patio Princess]

I have a 16-qt. one, but then again, I hardly use it (I can mostly hot-water bath-type foods, such as applesauce). Most canners probably make much larger batches of food than I ever do (only 2 of us here, and I have no one to help me do it "assembly-line" style). It would depend on how much stuff, and how often, you intend to can. If you anticipate a huge load of produce form your garden, for example, you may want the largest canner you can afford. As someone else mentioned, you can stack the jars in layers in a larger canner. As pressure canning takes a lot longer than water bath canning, this certainly is worth thinking about! You could save a lot of time that way, not to mention electricity!

Now, if you also intend to use it as a pressure-cooker, that's another thing to think about--how large a roast, for example, would you need to cook?

To sum it up: if you are a "typical" canner, like people I know, you'd be better off with a larger size. Most canners I know of can a winter's worth of food, in a great variety.

[Patio Princess]

That All-American sure does look nice!!

I have one that I purchased from Wal-mart about 20 yrs ago and I have my mother-in-laws that is "older-than-dirt". Both still work great and I'll keep using them until they won't regulate any more.

The All-American won't work on my smooth top range.

Michelle

Michelle, thanks for reminding me of that! Isn't there some rule about not using smooth top ranges for either hot water bath or pressure canners? I thought I read that somewhere. I ask, as DH keeps looking at smooth-top ranges, and I seem to remember discouraging him a few years back, because I had just taken up canning. Thanks!

[Michelle8]

PP,

I can on my smooth top. The bottom of both canners is smooth which is needed. The size of the eye is also a consideration. My extra large eye will cover the size of the canner. I also do water canning on it on the extra large eye.

I cannot use cast iron on my smooth as it has scratched the surface. I really loved cooking with them, but have given them up while I have the smooth top.

I do love cooking and cleaning with smooth top.

Michelle