USING AND CARING FOR A PRESSURE CANNER

Before you start canning, be sure the canner is in good operating condition. Have a dial pressure gauge canner tested each canning season to be sure it measures pressure accurately. Contact your county UW-Extension office to arrange a time to have your dial gauge tested.

Canners with weighed pressure gauges DO NOT require testing. But the regulators and vent pipes must be kept clean, and gaskets need to be in good condition. Replace any rubber gaskets that are old or leaking.

To safely home can low-acid foods, the only practical way to obtain high enough temperatures is to process filled jars of food long enough in a steam pressure canner.

Temperatures higher than the boiling point of water (212 degrees F) are needed to destroy heat-resistant bacteria and their spores that can spoil low-acid vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish. Of special concern is Clostridium botulism, a spore-forming bacterium that must be destroyed by high-temperature processing to prevent its growth in low-acid canned foods. If the heat-resistant spores are not destroyed, they can produce a deadly toxin in the sealed jar.

ELEVATION - Marathon County residents and many northern counties are above 10,000 foot elevation. Use the processing times recommended for above 1,000 feet. If you have questions, contact the Marathon County UW-Extension office.

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