How To Can In A Pressure Cooker?
A pressure cooker, also known as an instant pot is primarily functional to cook meals quickly. However, there can always be more than one usage of kitchen equipment. Having said that, a pressure cooker can be used to water bath food items at home.
You can simply use a pressure cooker as the canning pot and start with the water bath canning process. The following are a few points that will help you understand the steps:
- fill water in the pot and bring it to a boil
- prepare the jars in the meantime and fill them with food
- leave a little headspace in each jar and seal them adequately
- once the water is hot, place the jars in the hot water
- let them process on a medium to low heat for about 30-40 minutes
- once the timer is off, remove the jars and set them aside to cool
Note: Here you do not necessarily need to use the lid of a pressure cooker, the boiling water will be enough to process the canning jars to preserve the food. Therefore, an instant pot cannot be used as a pressure canner.
Pressure Canner Vs Pressure Cooker!
If you are thinking that the processes of canning in a pressure cooker and canning in a pressure canner are the same, then you might be wrong. This is because both a pressure cooker and an instant pot cannot be compared with what a pressure canner does.
While, you can use a pressure cooker or an instant pot as a water bath canner to can high-acid foods like jams, fruits, and jellies. It cannot be used to can low-acid foods like vegetables, and meat. For low-acid foods, a pressure canner works best.
Some pressure cookers come with instructions that they can be used for canning but they might not mention which method of canning. Remember it is not safe to use a pressure cooker for pressure canning.
How Does Pressure Canning Work?
Unlike water bath canning, the pressure canning method precisely uses a certain temperature of 240 F to process the jars. Also, the timing needs to be specific depending on the type of food you are canning. Otherwise, the food might spoil.
It works the same as a water bath canner, but what majorly matters is the food density. For instance, liquid foods like soups can be processed far more quickly whereas solid foods like meat need more time.
As mentioned above, the heating temperature has to remain constant. This is because the constant temperature rapidly kills the spores of botulism in low-acid foods. Therefore, you need to maintain the heat to ensure that spores of botulism are eliminated sufficiently.
Why You Cannot Use A Pressure Cooker For Pressure Canning?
Now that you know, how pressure canning works, you must be clear that a pressure cooker just cannot be used for the purpose. This is primarily because a pressure cooker cannot maintain a constant temperature of 240 F. And low-acid foods if processed under 240 F will be affected by botulism.
Is The Pressure Cooker Safe For Water Bath Canning?
You can use a pressure cooker for water bath canning because it consistently boils the water to process the jars. Likewise, you can literally use any large pot as a water bath canner. Therefore, we can say that a pressure cooker is safe for water bath canning, as long as the jars are complete;y submerged in the water.
It will not affect the quality of the food thus preserved and you can store the canned food for a long time. Summing it up, that was all about using a pressure cooker for canning food at home, Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of a pressure cooker, use it carefully the next time.
