Beth, if you've been reading our forum, you've obviously seen many, many references to websites and the Ball Blue Book. Please take time to look at the following website, which is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. There's a wealth of information and I'm certain you're find it very informative and enlightening. It's also a good idea to purchase the very reasonably priced BBB. Good luck.

Kathy in Washington

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

how can I tell on these old models if they're really canners?

It is the size primarily, Beth. The link Kathy provided has a section all about Pressure canners that explains it all in more detail.

But to qualify as a pressure canner it has to be able to hold for processing a minimum of 4 quart jars. So generally speaking it will be the larger ones like the 12 quart size (eg. a 12 quart Mirro brand will hold 4 quart jars but just barely I think) on up to 15-16 quart size, and the 21-23 quart size is even better, etc. Presto's 23 quart is the largest and most common one unless you get into the All Ammerican brand. I think they go all the way up to 41 quart size.

Then you want to find a model that comes with a 5-10-15 lb. weight as well as a gauge or one with just a weight and without a gauge. The ones that have just a gauge are the least desirable because the gauges are so inaccurate and have to be recalibrated each year.

Plus if you get one of the bigger models like the 23 gallon one it can also be used as BWB.

Check out the previous discussions on this below for even more input. Hope this helps.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Pressure canner discussions

Thanks Dave & Kathy!

Deciphering seller's descriptions (on Ebay) is just too iffy on the old stuff. I had read many of the discussions here and it looks like I'll save my pennies for that Presto 23 - especially since it will do both the canning and BWB. (And be content to absorb info for now - like, who knew you could freeze a lime!!)

And Dave, it's been good to see you on this forum after starting out on the tomato forum! I've learned a lot from you and many others, and am thankful for it.

Beth

Hi, and welcome.
Oh, Dave, I am sorry, but I have to laugh at what you wrote !
Plus if you get one of the bigger models like the 23 gallon one it can also be used as BWB.

I would love to see one of those 23 gallon ones and the stove you use it on... I think we could can a lot in that one !

I agree, get the 23 quart size. It is a good canner, you can stack jars inside and get done faster. Well, not 2 layers of quarts, but 2 layers of pints and 3 of half pints.

ROFL!!! Linda Lou. Yeah in a 23 gallon one we could can anything we wanted but it would take 5 of us to lift it onto the bonfire! :^O

Beth - if you see a 23 QT. used Presto they can be a good buy as any parts it might need are readily available. But don't look for a 23 GALLON one, ok? ;) Sorry about that.

Dave

Watch for sales on that 23qt its a great canner I found the stuff I looked at on ebay tended to cost to much to ship to justify it for an old canner
amazon can usually get them around $80

Cooker/canners are usually smaller than a true pressure canner. They may also only offer a low or high pressure, whereas pressure canners use mostly a 10 pound pressure unless its in high altitude. Buying and old used one may require a new gasket, or other worn parts. The cheapest and most common is the 23 quart Presto at under $90 on Amazon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon price $84.00 FREE SHIPPING!

You will sometimes see pressure cookers listed as canners, even though they don't meet current USDA standards. To be a canner, regardless of brand, the vessel needs to be large enough to accomodate 4 1-quart jars.

The reason is that tested recipes have been developed assuming time to heat up the canner and time to cool it down as part of the total safe processing time. A smaller pressure cooker might accomodate pints but it heats up and cools down more quickly so that total processing time ends up inadequate for guaranteed safety.

Carol

Ok, got a good laugh this morning! Must have missed the "gallon" issue last night because I was laughing so hard at the woman on another thread/discussion talking about her husband hiding behind the bedroom door when she cranked hers up the first time!!

Thanks again all!

To answer your question about a pressure COOKER - I still have an old one, which is about 4 quart size. It is made by Presto also, and can be used to pressure cook meals - like roasts, etc., that take a long time to cook otherwise.

It is an oldie - but seldom used now, because of other cooking methods, which I find tastier in the long run. It is still used as a cooking pot and makes a great rice steamer. I wash/rinse about 2 cups of rice a few times, then cover with water in this pot, bring to boil for a minute or 2, until water is below rice. Then turn off heat, cover with the lid and the weight, let steam for about 10 minutes. Works great, although not a rice cooker especially, I find it works well for that purpose, besides being handy for cooking potatoes or other veggies.

It has the same weight that Presto uses on some CANNERS that Presto makes, and the one I have. In that way, if I lose my CANNER weight, I can use the COOKER weight as a substitute.

However, having said that, I recently purchased the newer weight that can be disassembled and used as a 5-10 or 15 lb. weight - so nice for PRESSURE canning, and great for more accuracy.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I love my pressure cooker. Makes really good roasts. There is a nice cookbook called Miss Vickies Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes. There is one recipe for Salisbury steak where you put the ground meat patties on a steamer rack and the sauce and veggies on the bottom. It was good. Lots of recipes for whole pot meals.
I also like to cook dried beans in mine. Really I have no idea why they fell out of fashion for so long ! They save time and money in electricty or natural gas.
Bejay, thanks for your comments.
I will try cooking rice in mine. Haven't done that yet. My gas stove has to have a special simmer plate on just to cook rice, even on low. Othewise it just burns in the bottom. I have nice, heavy cookware. So, it isn't the cookware.

a pressure canner has thicker walls........sturdier.............

An All-American has thicker walls, but my Presto canner and my Mirro are quite light and thin.

Carol

Same here - both of my Presto's, a 23 qt. canner and a 6 qt. small cooker have the same wall thickness.

Dave