You DO need a rack in between. I don't think there's any problem doing 3 or 4 layers as long as the racks are in between.
Deanna

harvesthunt,

I found a very inexpensive round rack the right size that is meant to be for cake cooling and I use that.

You might measure your pot and see if you can find something cheap! I just needs to be any kind of rack that is flat, that water will flow through, and that fits.

I did try to make one myself by cutting a round of hardware screening and I can't really recommend that approach.

Zabby

Places like Home Depot have 2 foot by 4 foot sheets of perforated aluminium, that can easily be cut into any size with a sharp pair of shears. I used a piece of this in my canner, because the stainless steel wire rack just wasn't supportive enough for the smaller sized jars. It sits on top of the wire rack and has many large triangular holes in the sheet. The cost was about $3.00.

Thanks Ken, I'll have to check that out.
I have one for my 12qt. stockpot (I use to BWB), but would like a flat one for my canner. I only have the divided one that hold 7 quarts now and I hate it for standard pints or smaller.

The aluminium is a thin sheet at a 1/64 inch or less. Its not as flimsy as foil, and can hold up to small jars weight, I suppose you could even cut a larger circle and bend some of the edges down to raise it above the bottom of the pot. The Kitchen Krafts site has an all stainless teel wire rack too. Never wears out or rusts.

Ken,
I've got this one:
{{gwi:893319}}

But want to make/buy more like this:
I have one that fits inside my water bath canner, but I want one for my pressure canner.
{{gwi:893321}}

Deanna

Must be a nice fit! The Kitchen Krafts SST one has handles too, and they can be removed with pliers if need be. Because my canner is every so slightly smaller in diameter, I had to remove the outer ring of the KK rack, and bend over the protruding legs so it would fit inside and still raise the items from the bottom. Once that ring was removed, it had lost the outer most support for smaller jars, so thats hy I used the stamped holed aluminium sheet cut to the same round size. No tipping jars anymore. Personally, I don't like those handles, as they tend to get in the way sometimes, and I don't have the careful strength to lift up the 7 full very hot quarts using the two handles. I use my tongs with the rounded end to pick out each jar instead.

Deanna, if you have a Bi-Mart near you they have a good supply of canning supplies including the rack you show for the Presto canners. If your canner isn't a Presto take a measurement before you go. Those things are pretty standard.

True-Value Hardware also carries Presto supplies and I believe Ace does too.

Carol

Thanks for the advice! My pressure cooker came with a flat one, so I've been using that on the bottom so more will fit (with pints it's easier than the formed wire one that's really more for quarts) and then using the formed wire one on top, because I haven't had a "really full" load yet and that's working so far, but I'm not sure for how much longer it'll keep working! As I get more confident, my loads keep getting bigger!

Who ever knew this could be so addictive!

I've got a weighted Mirro canner (well, two actually) and the bottom is wider. The little flat rack I have is only about 13" diameter I think. I lied (not on purpose) up above. The flat one fits in my 12 quart stock pot, not my waterbath canner. I use the pot for smaller jars/batches since there's less water to heat!
I've even got an old speckled pot with a colander type insert that I can do just 4 pints if necessary.....if I had a rack.... (grin). I use it........with a towel or extras canning rings or whatever on the bottom. Not often though as I don't usually do just 4 pints of anything!
Deanna