Rhonda Sue's Home Canning Basics - Part 2 Pressure & Dry Canning

Welcome to part 2 of Home Canning Basics! In my last post, I shared with you information and tips for Water Bath Canning and Steam Canning. Now let’s take a look at 2 more canning methods – Pressure Canning and Dry Canning!

Pressure Canning

Pressure canning is the most versatile method of canning. You can process all vegetables and meats in a pressure canner, but if you’re new to canning, definitely do your homework before you try this method since there’s a few more steps involved. I would highly recommend starting with the water bath method to get your feet wet.

It’s a beautiful thing to see those lovely little jars of yumminess get lifted out of your canning pot. Canning preserves the flavor and color of foods and they look so beautiful sitting on the shelves in the pantry. It’s also very rewarding when you use the food you’ve canned later and can proudly say you canned it!

Pressure Canning Pot

I just recently purchased my first pressure canner. I have used one a few times before, with my mom when I was younger, and again when Sharla and I did our canning escapades. We tested out canning pinto beans using a non-soak method. It was a little tricky making sure we had the pot put together correctly, and the pressure level correct, but once we figured it out, it became much easier. The first few batches we watched closely, and at one point I remember thinking, “I hope we don’t blow up my kitchen!” Any fears or insecurities I had about trying this method passed quickly though when we lifted those beautiful, steaming jars out of the pot.

The Lid

The first thing you notice about a Pressure Canner is the lid. These lids are more complex than a water bath or steam canner lid. A pressure canner lid has a ring in the bottom to ensure a secure seal and locks in place on the pot. On top of the lid you will find a Pressure Gauge, a Weight (pressure regulator), Vent Pipe, and an Air Vent/Cover Lock.

Pressure Gauge

The Pressure Gauge is exactly what you would expect it to be; a gauge that reads the amount of pressure inside the canning pot. Turning the heat level up or down on your stove burner will cause the pressure inside the pot to fluctuate up and down appropriately. You want to make sure the psi (pounds per square inch – aka pressure) inside is maintained at the level designated for your elevation. Be sure to check your recipe, canning pot manual, or the Ball/Kerr site Adjusting for Altitude to check the correct psi for where you are.

Weight & Vent Pipe

Depending on the pot you have, there are two different types of Weights that are used for pressure canners; Dial Wiights and Weighted Gauge (often referred to as a dead weight canner). It doesn’t matter which type of Weight your pressure canner uses, they both measure the pressure in their own unique way. The weight on the pressure canner sits on the Vent Pipe and controls the amount of pressure in the pot. I have a 16-quart Presto pressure canner with a Dead Weight. The Weight acts as a regulator to prevent the psi from building up beyond 15 psi.

The Vent Pipe is exactly what it sounds like, a little pipe that acts as a vent. If the psi inside the canning pot reaches an excess of 15 pounds, the vent will release steam to relieve the pressure inside. If your canner has a dead weight, it will jiggle a little when this happens. Don’t panic, it’s normal.

Air Vent/Cover Lock

The Air Vent/Cover Lock is triggered underneath the lid when you lock the lid into place. It acts as a visual indication of the pressure inside the canner. If the vent is popped up, don’t open you pot! Once all the pressure has released and the Air Vent/Cover Lock has receded back down, it is safe to open the lid.

Tools

Pressure Canning uses the same tools as Water Bath and Steam Canning; Canning Rack, Funnel, Jar Lifter, Magnetic Lid Lifter, and a De-Bubbler. You can also choose to use a Jar Wrench if you feel you need help holding on to your jars while you close them.

The only difference with a Pressure Cooker tool is with the Canning Rack. The racks for these pots don’t typically have the hanging handles. They are more like a flat disk with holes than a basket style rack used in Water Bath Canning.

Pressure Canning Directions

When canning meats, or low acid foods, pressure canning is a very effective process when you follow the directions…

Place 3 quarts (check the owner’s manual for your pot to ensure this is the correct measurement for your model) of hot water in the bottom of the pot with the rack in the bottom.
Place your filled jars with lids and rings on them on the rack in the pot. Make sure your jars aren’t touching each other or the sides of the pot. Try to space them out as much as you can.
Check your Vent Pipe to make sure it is clear before locking the lid into place on the pot. (Be sure to clear anything blocking your Vent Pipe as this will affect the process).
Once your lid is securely locked into place, check your canning pot to confirm it is positioned in the center of your burner, and using med/high heat, heat the pot until a steady stream of steam is seen or heard coming out of the Vent Pipe. Let the steam vent for 10 minutes adjusting the heat level as needed to maintain a steady stream of steam.
Place your Weight on the Vent Pipe and if you have a Dial Weight, turn it to the weight indicated for your elevation. Check your heat level and watch your Pressure Gauge and Air Vent/Cover Lock rise to indicate the pressure is rising inside your pot. Adjust your heat level as needed to maintain the proper psi on the gauge.
When your pressure has reached the necessary psi, start your timer and process your jars according to the time indicated in your recipe or as instructed at freshpreserving.com

Elevation & Weight

Recipes and directions for pressure canners are typically written for elevations below 1,000 feet. Atmospheric pressure at higher elevations effects the boiling point of water in all methods of canning, but pressure canning is affected the most since the psi is the important part of this method. For this method of canning, you’ll need to increase the pressure depending on your elevation. If you live at a higher elevation, Ball/Kerr has a great cheat sheet to help you with this at freshpreserving.com

*Be sure to keep an eye on your gauge. You will need to adjust the heat level if the psi changes which means you will need to start your timer over to ensure the food is processed correctly.

Once your processing time has ended, turn the burner off and remove the pot from the heat.
Let the pressure drop on its own. Do not rely on the Pressure Gauge at this point. Wait until the Air Vent/Cover Lock has receded completely and there is no steam coming from the Vent Pipe. Remove the Weight from the Vent Pipe and let the canner cool for 10 minutes.
Unlock the canner lid (if you’re canner lid seems stuck, wait a few more minutes before trying again as this could indicate there is still pressure inside the pot). Carefully remove the lid as there will be steam escaping when you open it.
Remove the processed jars from the canner and set them aside to cool.

Cooling & Labeling

As with the other canning methods, be sure to keep your jars level when removing them from the pot. Don’t tip them even if there’s a puddle of water on top. Tipping them can cause the liquid inside to slide under the lid if it hasn’t pressurized yet and will keep your lid from sealing. Again, Trust me! I know this one from experience. Your jars will be VERY HOT so using a Jar Lifter is your best bet. If you don’t have a Jar Lifter, you can use potholders. I recommend silicone ones because the hot water will soak into cloth ones burning your hands. Also, be careful of the steam both when opening the canner lid and when removing your processed jars from the pot.

I set up a cooling station with a large, thick towel (my mom always used a beach towel). I spread it out on my counter or table to set the hot, processed jars on. You’ll need to let them cool completely before handling them for labeling. Just remember, the steam created under a hot, wet jar, will ruin a wood table so be mindful of where you’re setting up your cooling station.

Once your jars are completely cooled, you can check the seal by pressing in the center of the lid with one finger. If the lid makes a clicking sound, it isn’t properly sealed. You have the choice to either re-process it with a new lid, or transfer it into your refrigerator for use.

Siphoning

A few years ago, my canning partner in crime, Sharla and I decided we wanted to try canning dry beans in her Pressure Canner. Sharla had read people were canning beans without soaking them over night. Why not? We are both very experienced canners, but we had NO idea what we were doing with the beans. We just jumped right in without doing any research. Well, it was a TOTAL DISASTER!

We over filled the jars with beans, and then we ended up removing the lid from Pressure Canner without waiting the 10 minutes. The result was what canners refer to as siphoning. This is when the pressure canning process isn’t performed correctly so about 1/2 the contents of our jars came pouring out when we removed the lid from the pot. We tried using less beans and processing them longer but neither worked. We finally gave up after ruining 3 batches of beans, but we ended up using what we had for dinner the next day.

Fast forward to this week….after extensive research on canning beans, I decided to try both Pressure Canning and Dry Canning them. Both types turned out BEAUTIFUL because I followed the directions!

Pinto Beans processed in my Pressure Canner

Bean Tip: When Pressure Canning dry beans, be sure to only put 1/2 cup of beans in pint jars, and 1 cup of beans in quart jars. Fill the rest of the jar with hot water, leaving 1″ headspace at the top.

Shelf Life

Label each jar with what’s inside and the date you processed it. It’s important because many foods look similar once processed. Marking the date is important too so you know how long your jar has been on the shelf. Pressure canned foods that you’ve self-canned have a recommended shelf life of 1 – 2 years. Your recipe may have additional information on storage and shelf life.

A note about lids – I mentioned this in my previous post, but just to reiterate, I was taught to never re-use lids (seals), but I know a few canners that do. After using them in one of the canning methods, you run a higher risk of the lids not sealing properly. You can, however, re-use the rings forever. You can also use the lids with the rings to close the jars that you are currently using in your refrigerator.

Storing any home canned items in a cool, dark location (like the bottom of a pantry or a basement) will give you the best results.

Extra Tip: For any of the canning methods using water, you can add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the water to help prevent water stains on your jars or lids, especially if you have hard water.

Canning Resources

There are many different resources available today for home canners. Try searching the internet for “Home Canning” and you will find hundreds of blogs, videos, social media groups, and canning supply exchange groups with a whole world of information for you. I always recommend starting with the Ball/Kerr website freshpreserving.com for the most information in one place. If you don’t have it already, the unofficial “Canners Bible”, the Ball Blue Book, is a great investment for any home canner, and there are many other great canning books from Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset, and other great publishers. Be sure to check the magazine isle of your local store, especially in the Fall, for some great seasonal canning publications.

Dry Canning

It’s interesting to me that dry canning has become a thing. I can remember years ago getting together with ladies from church to use a Dry Pack Canning machine that our church owned. It envolved using large, aluminum, #10 size cans to dry pack flour, sugar, rice, pasta, and anything else you wanted. We would place oxygen absorbers inside before sealing the lid on with the canning machine.

I had forgotten about this process completely until my friend Martha told me about the Facebook group Rebel Canners. Joining that group was the best thing I ever did! I was immediately launched into a whole new world of canning that I didn’t even know existed! People were canning things I never knew you could can!

Channeling My Inner Rebel

One of the popular topics being posted in there was a dry canning method using your oven. I was instantly brought back to those dry pack canning days and was engrossed in learning more about this oven process. My husband knew something was up when I texted him at work asking him to pick up more quart jars on his way home!

My favorite thing about Dry Canning is the ease of doing it, and the amount of dry goods that you can fit in a jar. For example, when you process dry, Pinto beans in a Pressure Canner you can only put 1/2 cup of beans in a pint jar and 1 cup of beans in a quart jar. The rest of the jar you fill with water. The reason for this is because the beans will actually absorb the water and expand as they “cook” during processing. When you process dry, Pinto beans in the Dry Canning method, you can fill the jars up to the neck of the jar (leaving a 1″ headspace at the top). That means you can put 2 cups of beans in a pint jar and 4 cups of beans in a quart jar. No water needed. Dry canned beans take up a lot less pantry space than pressure canned beans.

It’s not the same for all foods though. Flour can’t be processed in a Pressure Canner and meats can’t be processed in the Dry Canning method. This is why its good to check your resources & recipes before canning. It’s also why learning each of the 4 canning methods is beneficial. It gives you the flexibility to preserve whatever food you’d like as long as you use the correct method.