http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

In the link: "Pressure canners come deep enough for one layer of quart or smaller size jars, or deep enough for two layers of pint or smaller size jars. The USDA recommends that a canner be large enough to hold at least 4 quart jars to be considered a pressure canner for the USDA published processes."

Short answer is that it's much too small for pressure canning.

Rodney

Right - much too small. The heat up, cool down times for canning sized vessels are figured into the tested recipes - yours would void those.

12 qt is about the smallest you can get away with. I have a Presto 8 qt that states on the box 'is a canner'. It's not by today's guidelines. It is about an eyelash shy of putting 4 quart jars on a rack and closing the lid securely. That's the size test for pressure canning, not cooking, acceptable size. If it wouldn't hold 4 quart jars on a canning rack and close, don't use it.

Ok, thank you for the advice. I dont want to risk hurting myself or anyone else. I will hunt for a 16qt canner in the meanwhile before pressure canning and just use this one to cook food with