I had the exact same thought about using the pressure canner as a water bath...so maybe its not that silly of a question. I havent done it yet, but i havent read or heard anything that says not to. Maybe ill wait for answer here and avoid a kitchen fiasco.

Thanks everyone!

If it is deep enough for the jars to still be covered by 2" of water then yes you can. Many of us who have the Presto 23 qt. model use ours as a BWB as that is one of the big advantages to that model. Leave the rack in the bottom, just set the lid on loosely and leave the vent hole open.

Dave

It has been discussed here before, probably in one of those impossible-to-locate threads.

That is by far the most money-sensible and space-saving option, rather than having both a PC and boiling water canner.

Also it can be much more handy for processing quarts as PCs are often deeper while quarts are always iffy in a boiling water bath.

Carol

http://www.commonsensehome.com/new-to-food-preserving-start-here/

Jodie, thats exactly what this article says to do. I think it makes perfect sense to own one piece of equipment and have it do double duty.

Now, what about cooking in your pressure canner?

As others have said you can use the pressure canner if it allows 2 inches of boiling water above the jars. Be very careful, however. Two years ago I was using this method and had locked down the lid leaving the vent open as JodieMo suggested earlier. A small amount of pressure had built up and when I removed the lid, the superheated water exploded up out of the canner and burned me quite badly. I still have the scars to prove it.

This was a very old canner (it has since been retired) and did not contain the pressure lock that modern Presto models have. However, I will never again lock a pressure cooker lid down for boiling water processing. Either remove the seal or search for a lid that fits the pot.

For the current Presto models, the instruction manual has a section on BWB canning. It says to leave the vent pipe open AND remove the rubber overpressure plug. It also says the 16 quart models are NOT tall enough to BWB quarts.

From everything I have read about this and from my own personal experience with doing it, you are much better off if you do not lock down the lid. Just set it on top the canner to prevent splattering and allow the excess steam to escape easily.

A locked down lid is going to allow some pressure to build up inside even with the vent open and possibly even with the overpressure plug removed (ever try getting one of those back in?).

You gain nothing by locking the lid and can cause potential problems.

Dave

I use my pressure canner as a BWB all the time... simply because it is convenient.. and I leave the lid loose and the vent open... works just fine.. been doing that for 50+ years...

I also use my pressure canner for waterbath canning because it's tall enough for quarts. if I put 7 filled quarts in my water bath canner, the water is nearly to the top of the container.

I just set the lid on top, I don't lock it down and I leave the vent open, as has been mentioned.

Annie

I use my 22 qt Mirro for BWB but I don't bother with its gasketed lid, I have a universal lid I've had for decades that fits it, + the glass lid to a 12" chicken fryer style skillet that just fits it too. Have you checked your cookware, you may have something.

Here is a link that might be useful: Universal lid like this one

My old BWB canner finally wore out so I added "extra' holes and used it for a flower pot in the garden - the lid was in perfect condition so I saved it and now I use it for a lid on my 22 qt Mirro for BWB - works great!

I have used my large Presto canner for cooking a huge batch of Brunswick Stew many times. I do not use the lid and I don't put the stew under pressure, just let the stew simmer for an hour or more to get really thick. I think I've made my applebutter recipe in the canner also. It was the biggest pot I had for many years.

Teresa

I'm annoyed with myself today, because, when I moved into the current house and was getting rid of everything possible, I tossed my BWB pot, I figured I would just use the PC. I wasn't really canning anything then anyway.

For the last 10 years it's been no problem, because my canning has all been jam, chutney, and pickles, in pints or smaller (and I mostly just used my stockpots).

But this year I have a bumper crop of pears! It only occurred to me in the middle of the night, night before last, that quarts might not have enough water above them in my ancient PC. Sure enough. I am borrowing a BWB from a friend today...