Pressure cookers vs pressure canners, They are all basically the same thing, "most" [but not all] of the newer pressure canners have a gauge on top as well as a weight, [just so you can watch , and monitor it] ,- The newer pressure canners have a heavier wall and bottom thickness [this is a good thing] as it distributes the heat better, and cools a little more slowly, - BUT - the older canners / cookers, worked/ work just fine without gauges, or heavy wall thickness. All of this modern hype over not using the pressure cooker to can [bottle] in is "just barely" founded on any logic or scientific principals. We all used them for years with no problems, [some of us still use the older models] my "All American 921 1/2" is at least 45 years old. and has a gauge, but no weight, it has a screw type pressure adjuster, and is thin-walled] - it works perfectly every time. [I agree that my newer All American 921 is much better than the old 921 1/2," and a lot more costly"] - I also have an old "Presto" that just has a weight and no gauge it still works great]- but I don't like gaskets.-
It is the weight that creates and maintains the correct pressure [not the gauge] - in older pressure cookers / or canners it is good to use a little more water in them [about 1/2 way up the jar] so it will heat and cool more uniformly [and slowly]. and always have a spacer, [or a couple of dish cloths] between the bottom of the jar, and the canner/ cooker.--
and just so I don't appear quite so closed minded, and set in my prehistoric ways, - I agree that a gauge is a good improvement, especially when cooking /processing things [like beans] that could possibly block the vent hole [under the weight] and cause over pressurization , with out a pressure gauge it could go unnoticed. resulting in an accident [or big mess]
[Just the opinion of an old-timer]
__________ Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:02 am __________
Zass":34btpqcq said:
I personally prefer to can only older, tougher animals, since fryers sometimes fall apart into shreds for me.
(the same goes for chickens)
I usually debone and sear my meat since that was on the instructions that came with the canner.
It may not be necessary. (I don't know for sure, but make sure to research anything to do with canning and food prep, since there will
always be someone who says just about anything is fine, since their mother, grandmother or aunt always did it and never died.)
My extended family likes to act like I'm being a snob, because I INSIST on pressure canning my green beans and other low acid foods. They swear that it just needs to cook longer, and do not listen when I explain that boiling water never actually hits the temperatures required to to kill all botulism, and that by putting it under pressure, we are able to achieve those temps....
AH here are raw pack instructions!
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_05/chicken_rabbit.html
We used to process everything with a water bath type canning method also, - but- if only for the time savings, - the pressure canning method was a vast improvement.
And, - especially at my "high elevation" [about 6000 feet] water bath canning of low acid vegetables and meat is very risky [even if you boil it for hours] and care must always be taken to assure that you are not feeding the kids botulism . [if you have a choice, - why take such a chance unnecessarily ]
We almost never have a "bad" bottle of food using a pressure canning process. I would totally disagree with your "extended family"
{for those survivalists out there,[or the terminally curious] - it is "possible" to bottle meat, and low acid food at high elevation without a pressure canner,[ in a water bath canner], - by using oil as a cooking medium instead of water, as oil will heat to a much higher temperature than water, - but- this is such an unnecessary mess!! .]
