This is the link to the main canning page at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia). Read first the material at the link "Using Pressure Canners." Then check the link for canning vegetables and vegetable products for times and procedures for beets.

P.S. The siphoning you describe is not typically attributable to processing time but to processing procedures; the bleached or faded beets may be due to preparation but could be a consequence of the variety. Not all varieties of beets can with equal success.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Canning Main Page

Agree. As Carol said your problem was called "siphoning". I think it is discussed in the thread you mentioned but it is also discussed here in many other threads and also on NCHFP.

And siponing isn't a problem with the canner itself or the time used (assuming you followed the recipe) but with the manner in which it was operated. ;)

Siphoning is caused by either over-filled jars, too high heat during processing, or most often by inconsistent levels of heat during processing and improper cooling down of the canner. As the pressure is allowed to fluctuate, the liquid is siphoned out of the jars. You'll need to do the practice runs with colored water in the jars to learn how to effectively control your stove so that when finished, the water in the canner is still clear and the level in the jars is the same as when you started.

Your canner originally came with a gauge only and what is called a "counter-weight" which is factory set to 15 lbs. But if I understand you correctly you also have the 5-10-15 lbs. weight set? If you don't you'll want to get the set.

As you read other discussions here on Presto you'll discover that most ignore the guage because of its inaccuracy and use the weight-set exclusively to monitor pressure.

Dave

Beets often do fade in color, as you described.
Another thing to help with siphoning is to leave the lid on the canner an additional 10 min. after the processing time is done and the pressure drops.
This is a fairly new guideline :
First, research done at the University of Georgia for the US Department of Agriculture has shown that to be safe, holding times at the end of the canning process need to be lengthened. More specifically, they used to recommend that after the food had been processed in a boiling water bath for the correct amount of time, the jars should be lifted out without waiting. Now they recommend, "When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars." For pressure canning, the recommended holding time was two minutes. Now the recommendation is to wait ten minutes.

Here is the specific instruction: "After the canner is completely depressurized, remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock. Wait 10 minutes; then unfasten the lid and remove it carefully. Lift the lid with the underside away from you so that the steam coming out of the canner does not burn your face."

Thanks all for your quick replies; I'm not in a panic yet, the beets aren't up very far,, :) .

"readinglady", the bleaching must surely be due to processing procedure, since doing them in a BWB and then canning at regular atmospheric pressure gave great results. I'm sure it's not the variety.

"digdirt", I quite agree that the colored canning water is from syphoniing out of the jars; I couldn't imagine why else. I only mentioned it as a symptom.

Yes; heat control has been a problem; and quite perhaps, some points toward finesse would solve the whole issue.
Our setup is sort of jury-rigged. Not wanting to heat up the kitchen and the rest of the house when the beets are abegging, we use a big propane "fish cooker" outside in a breeze-way with a temporary windscreen around it. The flame on the cooker can be made _very_ big/hot, so we've had quite a time controling it. I understand about the high heat to get the canner up to operating psi, and then turning it down to just maintain our "10 #'s".
Probably our issue is knowing the nuances of controling the 10# weight's behaviors.

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And even there, I'll have to back up and explore whether I'm right that we've got the proper regulator weight. What we've got is not the three holed disc for 5-10-15#'s that I'm familiar with, but a truncated conical thingie with a small triangular black plastic handle on top; it provides no clue of what it's operating pressure might be - I may have known and forgotten, but presumed it to be 10#'s.
An online search gave me no information from the Presto site. A general search only produced an eBay seller offering a passel of them as a set. So I've found no way online to confirm or deny. I guess I'll have to contact our local general-hardware/presto dealer to get more definite.

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p.s..: "linda_lou", we _did_ let the canner sit after processing time - in fact, we let it sit extra time (like 15->20) just to be sure we weren't doing bad. And then, when we removed the lid we _did_ leave them in the water a while longer before pulling them out.

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But the essence of the issue might well be just regulator weight behavior nuances.
What we'd tried last season was getting it up into operating range and then trying to keep the heat so that the weight just rocked a little bit. But maybe that was a bit too much, eh.?

Ok, you don't have a weighted gauge on that canner if you are using the type that came with it. That is only a counterweight, not meant to regulate pressure. That is only to hold the pressure in. I believe you are confused in the type of canner you own, since it is a Presto with a dial on it. You regulate and use the dial gauge that has been tested. You adjust the heat to keep a dial at 11 lb. pressure, unless you live at higher altitude and need to adjust. Always use 11 lb. with a dial gauge at elevations below 1000 ft. The extension office should have done a better job at exlaining things to you. ( I work at one, and teach food preservation safety, so I feel this way. We should never assume that folks know these things, as often the client has never used a canner or been taught these things. I am sorry this happened to you.)
If you want to use it as a weighted gauge canner, you order part number 50332 from Presto. Then, you take it apart, use the center post, which is 5 lb. and add one ring, to make it 10 lb. All three pieces will be 15 lb. No one else will tell you this information. It is something I discovered while thinking about how an All American canner has both gauges. I did confirm the safety and ability to do this through the NCFHFP and also Presto. The gal at Presto is the one who gave me the part number. It will cost you about $10 to $15 dollars. You can order it online. A few stores have them, but not too many. You will still leave the dial gauge on, just instead of using the counterweight, you will put on the 10 lb. weight. You ignore the dial or just use it as visual aid, but don't rely on it. You will vent the canner for the full 10 min. Then put on the weight, let it start jiggling steady, and then start timing your processing. Keep the weight jiggling the whole time. Then, turn off the heat, let the pressure drop all the way. Let it sit for the additional 10 min. as in my other post. Don't let them sit longer, as a thermal loving bacteria can start growing at that point. Also, the lid may get a reverse vacuum and permanently sealed on there. They need to be removed so they can cool down at that point, after that 10 min.time.
No wonder they siphoned out for you. The pressure fluctuated too much. The turkey fryers are not recommended for canning on due to not only safety issues, but because they are so hard to control the pressure on them. We do not suggest their use for canning on. I think most manufacturers of the fryers are putting a warning on them about this now. I would check with the manufacturer of both the Presto canner and the turkey fryer manufacturer to see if yours are safe to use in that manner.
It is common for beets to fade out like that. Mine do it. The pickled beets stay much brighter than pressure canned plain beets. Since we must pressure can plain beets , I don't have a way to keep them as bright. No problem, they still taste great.

I'm hearing several things that concern me. First, it appears you don't know your canner very well or the proper procedures for its use.

What is your model? The current Presto canner models have a 15-pound weight and a gauge. I don't know of any Presto canner, past or present, that has a single 10-pound weight. Either you determine the pressure by using the gauge (which has been tested for accuracy) or you purchase the three-piece 5-10-15 pound weight which Presto sells as an accessory. Then the gauge is unnecessary.

Secondly, beets are a low-acid vegetable and should never be canned in a boiling water bath, unless they're being pickled. In that case the vinegar would contribute to preservation of color. But properly pressure-canned beets often do lose color, as Linda_Lou and I mentioned.

Beets are not a product to take risks with in processing. It's really important to get it right so that you can serve what you process with confidence in its safety.

Carol

Sorry but I have to agree that there is either some communication problems here or some very serious concerns about safety.

This sounds like a very jury-rigged PC set up and that is risky. It sounds to me like an old Presto with an old Mirro-like "three holed disc" that got added to it somewhere along the line - Presto never made weight like that.

And since doing them in a BWB and then canning at regular atmospheric pressure...huh???? Hope that wasn't the same batch and if you did beets in a BWB without pickling them - pitch them.

digginlight - any chance you could post a picture of this canner and the weight? Otherwise, you need to go back to square 1. Start with how to can beets at NCHFP and please understand if you don't already, that siphoning isn't something to just be accepted. It is a symptom of a potentially serious problem. Sorry if I am misunderstanding your post but there are some very real concerns here.

Dave

Thanx all for your commentributions.

"linda_lou", I took your suggestions and started asking around for parts info.

My local sources don't carry that kind of thing; Prestos's person-of-the-hour said they wouldn't sell me part number 50332 because it wasn't supposed to work with my model.

I asked if it would even fit on the unit and she said probably, but she just wouldn't sell me one.

I'm not sure I'm fully up to speed here. You asked if I "want to use it as a weighted gauge canner,,,," then I should use a particular other piece. And I'd like to, indeed, most all the posts disrecommend using the dial guage. But I'm up against some different information with the "Prestos's person-of-the-hour" response.

Is this part 50332 a 'universal' type that should fit any of their canners..? If it doesn't fit the "counterweight" spout, can the spout be changed out..? - threaded in just like the dial guage.?

As far as cooking on the outdoor fryer, we've got a small, portable, much lower flame camping two-burner we could use instead.

ThanX all for your time and patience.!

Calls to Presto have yielded varying results depending upon whom you talk to. They aren't always forthcoming about this part. In fact, at one point it was so difficult to locate on their site I thought they'd discontinued it.

Here is a link to a previous discussion on this weight with information from Linda Lou regarding information she received from Dr. Elizabeth Andress at the NCHFP.

What you're basically doing with this weight is emulating the design of the All-American canner.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Presto Three-Piece Regulator

In Carol's link above you'll finds links included to several other vendors/sources that are more helpful than Presto is at times. ;) Sorry you encountered one of the UN-helpful ones.

If you plan to do a lot of pressure canning it is vital to resolve the problems you are having and I hate to throw another monkey wrench in but several have tried using their pressure canner on 2 burner camp stoves, myself included, and it just won't get hot enough nor is there space over the burner for the PC to fit. Gas bar-b-que grills have the same problem.

While your turkey fryer burner is not recommended becuase of the inability to adjust the flame in the small degrees required and control the heat, there are approved outdoor propane gas burners you can use - and several of us do and have discussed them here many times in the past - photos included. Alternatively, you'll have to use the stove inside.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Propane burner discussion

The Northern Tool three ring propane burner has very good control over heat. If you get the NT model, make sure you also get the hose and regulator, as they are not included.

Here is a link that might be useful: 3 ring burner

I had no problems ordering my 3-piece weight set online. I didn't have to talk to anyone. Just go on the Presto.com web site.

Not all the folks at Presto, sorry to say, know what they are talking about all the time. Sure, the canner did not come with the three piece weight set, but as I said, I did check it out with Elizabeth Andress at NCFHFP and also emailed and called Presto on the phone.
The gal I emailed told me to call her. She then gave me the part number on the phone. Perhaps she did this "off the record" over the phone so as not to get in trouble, or something, I don't really know....
However, it will depend just how old your Presto is whether or not it will fit. It it fits on your current vent pipe, then the three piece weight set will fit and will work. It will be safe to do so.
The part number 50332 also says on one site it fits pressure CANNNERS. I usually order online. I did find the part here at one hardware store, but that was the only one that had it.
What size and model do you have ? Mine are Presto 22 and 23 quart sizes, depending upon how old they are. Both of the ones I have use the same weights on the vent pipe. I also had another Presto I sold that used the same one.
One older model (really old) was the only one so far that the vent pipe was different on and I was not able to convert it over.
One of the ones I use I have had for 30 years, at least, so I know they go back that far with the vent pipe on them that works with the weight set.
Please, bear with us, and we will see what we can do to further help you out.
I, too, was concerned about the BWB comment, but I didn't say anything specific about it. Just that we needed to pressure can plain beets.

I have one of those "weights" with the traingular black plastic handle on top too, but it's to my Presto pressure COOKER. Surely this can't be the problem. If you've taken the whole thing to the extension office and had it tested, I shudder to think that they might have missed that. There just isn't that much to go wrong with a canner except the pressure guage. Don't give up.

Ok; lots more information.

Now that I've gone to look at all your references for the "Weight Set", I see a unit that looks suspiciously similar to what I've got that y'all refer to as a "counter-weight". The only differences immediately obvious are that mine looks like the center section would be a bit conical instead of as in the picture which looks quite cylindrical. Of course, mine doesn't offer any intuitively obvious way to disassemble it into its separate 'weight' parts - in fact, it kind of looks like it was cast all in one peice particularly to resemble the "Weight Set".
How confusing that they would make two different parts for two different tasks and make them look _essentially_ the same. Under the heading of K.I.S.S., they've sure fooled this stupid cook.
I'll order one of the 50332's directly - thanX for the links for 'um.

linda_lou, ours holds seven qt jars; it's the CA16 model.

By-the-way, the ones we did BWB,,, they were fixed as sweet and sour - vinegar and a little bit of honey. (And they're still quite good.)

Thanx again.