The research I was referring to are the very ones you very helpfully gave in your response. I apologize for not citing my sources. I got a little too excited! I am normally quite conservative about my canning methods and was delighted to see that the research on steam canners had finally been done.

I have lurked on this forum for years and respect the knowledge and experience of its members so I wanted your opinions. And yes, I understand that this would not be recommended by any research or government agency. I highly doubt that such research will ever be done.

Your points about the possible differences were exactly what I was looking for and they are something to consider. However, at some point, logic has to enter into my assessment of risks.

I think we can agree that steam is steam is steam. Either the thing is full of steam or it isn't. Something full of steam should be at 212 degrees at sea level. No matter what vessel is containing it. I powered up my pressure canner and let it vent for 10 minutes. I then inserted a thermometer into the vent. It read 212 degrees exactly.

No, this is not a scientific experiment. Yes, there's a risk involved and it's not approved. For me, considering the added convenience and my own assessment that the risk is very low, I'm willing to give it a try. Especially with jams and jellies that are very high in acid.

Since I know confusing newbies is often a concern, I will say it again. This would be an at-my-own-risk experiment that is NOT an approved method.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it for high acid fruit jams and jellies given the small jar size and that the goal is merely to force the air out of the jars to create a vacuum.

Personally I might be a little more hesitant with quarts of pickles or tomato juice where acidity is a bit more precarious, volume is greater, and density is much greater. But that is just me. ;-)

Dave

If anyone is curious, I bought a steam canner and discovered one other difference between it and my pressure canner without the weight.

The vent hole on the steam canner model I bought is at the lower lip of the lid, while obviously my pressure canner vents from the top. On the other hand, the dual boiling water bath/steam canner combo that Victorio sells appears to vent from the top so this is likely not a huge factor.

Just another thing to consider. Sorry to be geeky about it. If only I had the resources to commission a study, we could all save a little money! However, I feel safer using the approved device rather than winging it.

Good to know. Thanks for passing the info on. Curious as to which model you bought?

Dave

It's a Victorio #VKP1054.

I used it empty last night to try it out. The temperature indicator on the top is quite accurate, at least according to my instant read thermometer. It was also easy to tell when all the air had been expelled because there is a sound like a tea kettle when the air is being released but it becomes silent when only steam is escaping. The change in sound correlated with the temperature gauge reading that it was ready to begin timing. At least that's how it worked in my kitchen at my elevation.

The temperature dropped quickly if the flame was too low so I'm glad I tried it out. It needs a fairly good jet of steam escaping constantly to stay at the right temperature. I also tried removing the lid and seeing how quickly it would come back up to temperature. It was about 5 minutes before the gauge and my thermometer read 212 degrees. So no peeking allowed!

More good info. That is the model I was looking at too on amazon.

Dave

Hello I was wondering how you made out using this steam method instead of the bwb method?

Keep in mind that, despite the original question in this thread, I did end up purchasing a dedicated commercially-made steam canner. Also, using a pressure canner without a weight is NOT an approved method.

I absolutely love the steam canner (atmospheric steam canner to be precise since pressure canners also use steam). I don't have to heat up large quantities of water and the entire process goes much faster. There's no need to carefully lug jars out of a huge vat of scalding water. When I'm finished using the canner, it's easy to dispose of the excess water, rinse out the whole thing, and back on the shelf it goes. I highly recommend it. I've done a lot more canning since I got it because I'm more likely to do small batches instead of waiting for a canning day.

Ahh I see I missed that. I liked your idea of using the pressure canner. I am well aware it is not approved but man it would be nice to use my 41.5 quart all American like that. Thanks

To tell the truth, I would have complete confidence using my pressure canner to steam can, especially with jams and jellies. I'd even use it for quick pickles and other avid foods but I wouldn't give those as gifts. If I'm going to take risks, I want to be the only one risking it. The Victorio steam canner also has the temp gauge which takes the guesswork out of the equation and it's super light. I think it's with the money and shelf space to get the real deal.

If anyone wants to look at the instruction manual for the Victorio 1054 its available online: vkp1054 manual

University of Wisconsin Extension publication Safe Preserving: Using a Steam Canner
(replaces the link at the top of this thread which seems to be no longer available): https://fyi.uwex.edu/safepreserving/2017/10/24/safe-preserving-using-a-steam-canner/