On 8/27/2015 6:18 AM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> On 2015-08-27 04:03:21 +0000, Randal Oulton said:
>
>> My new steam canner has changed everything. Used to dread the water
>> bath stuff because of how long it took the water to start boiling
>> even, but the steam canner is up to processing speed in about 10
>> minutes now. I motored through processing 4 full rounds of dill
>> pickles tonight, 4 x 7 quarts, in under 2 hours, with just one steam
>> canner.
>> You can use it for anything high acid approved for water bath canning;
>> pickles, relishes, chutneys, jams, fruits, tomatoes, etc. The high
>> acid stuff that you'd water bath, because the steam only gets to 100 C
>> (212 F). Everything else that needs pressure canning, still needs a
>> proper pressure canner. Steam canning got approved at the end of June
>> this summer based on Wisconsin Extension research led by Barbara
>> Ingham, and I had one in my hands a week later from Amazon.
>>
>> I got the Vittorio stainless steam canner, that has the gauge on the
>> top that tells you when to start counting your processing time. My
>> only wish would be that it would dingle or whistle or whoo-hoo or
>> something when it's at temperature for when you have your head turned
>> chopping something else, but it doesn't.
>
> Aw, c'mon, Randall --- is it so tough to turn around and look at the
> temp? <grin> Mine came last week and I, too, love it. I haven't used
> it on my induction burner yet, though.
>
> Though my UMN extension people are good with the asc (atmospheric steam
> canner), the NCHFP isn't on board.
>
> I'm not crazy about the rack but that's only because of the kind of
> canning I do -- 95% is in half pint jars.
>
> Rock on!
Canner racks are my main problem. For the usual canner rack is made of
carbon steel and begins to rust almost immediately. A stainless steel
rack costs more than I want to spend.