Steam Power: Canning Instructions For Your Power Cooker

The Power Pressure Cooker XL is an entry-level electric pressure cooker. It has a canning button that cooks at 12 psi, which is high pressure. The Power Pressure Cooker manual does not recommend pressure canning if you are at an altitude above 2,000 ft. However, a division of the USDA warned consumers against pressure canning in digital (electric) pressure cookers. Hot water bath canning is safe.

To use the Power Pressure Cooker XL for canning, you will need to follow these steps:

- Wash your jars with hot, soapy water and rinse them well.

- Keep your jars hot until you are ready to fill them.

- If you are planning to use the water bath canning method in your pressure cooker and the recipe calls for the jars to be boiled during the water bath for fewer than 10 minutes, you’ll need to sterilize the jars beforehand. Do this by boiling them in a saucepan of water for 10 minutes. If you are at an altitude over 1,000 feet, add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet of elevation.

- Follow the recipe to prepare and fill your jars.

- Seal them while still hot.

- If you are using the water bath canning method in your pressure cooker, continue to the following steps:

- Fill your pressure cooker with enough water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches of water and begin heating.

- Place jars on rack or trivet immediately after filling.

- Lower the rack into the pressure cooker.

- Ensure that the jars are covered with 1 to 2 inches of water. If there isn’t enough water, add more boiling water taking care to pour between the jars and not directly on them.

- Place the lid on your pressure cooker.

- Start counting the processing time once the water comes to a rolling boil. Monitor the cooker to be sure the water stays at a rolling boil.

- When the time is up, turn off the cooker, remove jars, and place on a rack to cool.

Canning with an electric pressure cooker

Electric pressure canners were first released in 2020, and they make pressure canning simple for beginners. The canner does almost everything, and all you have to do is load the food and wait.

Step-by-step guide to canning with an electric pressure cooker:

• Place the canner on a stable surface near an outlet. Check that all parts are in place and nothing is broken or missing.
• Plug in the canner and add the inner pot and the canning trivet.
• Add 3 quarts of water to the canner. You are not filling it all the way, just adding enough water to allow the inner chamber to fill with steam.
• Once you've added water, turn on the canner and select the "pressure canning" setting.
• The canner will prompt you to set the total canning time. This will depend on the recipe you're using, and you can choose between 10 and 180 minutes. Most recipes range between 20 and 100 minutes, but refer to a tested pressure canning recipe for specifics.
• Once you've set the canning time, the canner will prompt you to place the jars in the canner to pre-warm them. This also pre-warms the canner, so you can't skip this step.
• If you tend to pre-warm your jars by running them through the dishwasher, you can still do that. Just allow the canner to pre-warm without the jars inside.
• Once the jars are pre-warmed, the canner will prompt you to fill the jars with your prepared food. Follow the recipe and fill the jars with hot food, leaving the correct headspace specified in the recipe, and then cap with 2-part canning lids to finger-tight.
• Load the jars into the canner when prompted by the electric pressure canner.
• After you load the jars, place the lid on the canner and seal it shut. You won't put the pressure regulator on yet, just lock it shut using the latch.
• This will allow the canner to come up to a boil, but you'll be venting the canner before you put on the pressure regulator.
• Once the canner is latched, press the advance button, and the canner will begin heating the contents to boiling.
• This should take about 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how hot everything was when it went into the canner.
• Once everything is boiling, the canner will show "venting", and it'll count down for 10 minutes.
• Steam will be filling the chamber to allow for even processing.
• When venting is over, the canner will prompt you to put on the pressure regulator and turn it to "canning" so that the canner can come up to pressure.
• At this point, you'll take the pressure regulator and place it on the steam vent.
• Make sure it's aligned for "canning" rather than venting.
• When the pressure valve is in place, press advance, and the canner will start coming up to pressure.
• As the canner comes up to pressure, there are extra locks that will turn on to prevent you from opening the canner accidentally when it's at pressure.
• This time coming up to pressure is important, but the food is not processing yet. The processing timer won't start until the canner is at the proper pressure for processing the food.
• Once the canner is up to temperature, the screen will display a countdown timer that shows how much processing time is left.
• This will depend on your canning recipe.
• Since the canner automatically adjusts for altitude, you know that the food is properly processed at the correct pressure regardless of where you live.
• Once the canner finishes processing, it'll display a "cooling" screen.
• The canner will slowly come back down to zero pressure. This could take anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes.
• When there are about 10 minutes left in the cooling process, it'll show a countdown timer.
• Once the chamber has cooled, the lock will release, and the screen will display "done".
• Be aware that it's still boiling hot inside the canner; it's just not under pressure. The contents aren't actually "cool", so you'll still need to remove everything with a canning jar lifter.
• You can leave the jars in there as long as you like, or you can remove them promptly; it's up to you.
• Either way, allow the jars to cool completely and then check the seals.
• This is just like regular canning on the stovetop, and you do still need to check the seals. The jars can have sealing problems that have nothing to do with the canner.
• Once the jars are cooled, and you've checked the seals, remove the canning rings and store them on the pantry shelf. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.

Tips for canning with an electric pressure cooker:

• Unlike stovetop pressure canners, electric pressure canners are well-insulated and won't heat up your house while canning.
• Electric pressure canners run automatically and prompt you for every step in the canning process, so you can't forget anything or miss a step.
• They also maintain accurate pressure automatically and have multiple fail-safes to prevent accidents.
• However, electric pressure canners have limited capacity (5 quarts or 8 pints) and take a long time to cool down due to their insulation.

The difference between pressure cooking and pressure canning

Pressure cookers and pressure canners are not the same, and the difference is important to know for food safety. Pressure cookers are used to quickly and easily prepare meals. They use pressurised steam to heat food in a fraction of the time that's needed for regular pots, slow cookers, or roasters. Pressure canners, on the other hand, are designed for canning and preserving fresh goods. They are often much larger, holding seven quart jars or up to 24 half-pint jars.

While both units can cook and prepare food, pressure cookers cannot be used for canning and preserving foods. Pressure canners, however, can be used for both canning and cooking. Pressure canners are simply large pressure cookers.

Pressure cookers can be purchased as stovetop models or electric appliances. They are ideal for cooking meats, pasta sauces, fresh vegetables, rice, and other foods three to ten times faster than regular cooking methods. Pressure canners, on the other hand, are used specifically for canning low-acid foods such as vegetables, meat, and fish.

It is important to note that pressure canning requires precise heat-up and cool-down times, as well as accurate pressure measurements, to ensure the safety of the canned goods. Using a pressure cooker for pressure canning may lead to under-processed products, allowing dangerous botulism spores to survive. Therefore, it is recommended to use separate units for pressure cooking and pressure canning.

Foods that need to be pressure canned

Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning low-acid foods, which are foods with a pH of greater than 4.6. Low-acid foods must be canned in a pressure canner to guarantee their safety.

• Vegetables (home garden or store-bought)
• Soups and stews
• Stocks and broths
• Meat products (beef, poultry, pork, etc.)
• Seafood
• Wild game meat
• Chili and baked beans
• Milk, cream, dairy products, coconut milk
• Flour, corn starch, rice, pasta, starchy foods, and eggs
• Other thickeners (Canning Clear Jel is the only exception)
• Candy (caramel, marshmallows, etc.)

Why pressure canning is necessary

Pressure canning is necessary to ensure the food is safe to eat. Pressure canning uses pressure to create temperatures well above boiling to effectively heat process low-acid foods like meat, vegetables, beans and soups. A boiling water bath canner is sufficient for canning jams, pickles and other high-acid foods (pH under 4.6), but low-acid foods can harbor more potent bacteria.

Pressure canning is the only safe method for home canning vegetables. Clostridium botulinum is the bacterium that causes botulism food poisoning in low-acid foods, such as vegetables. The bacterial spores are destroyed only when the vegetables are processed in a pressure canner at 240 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for the correct amount of time.

Botulism spores can live through a boiling water bath canner, and then begin proliferating inside the sealed jars if the pH is above 4.6. So, to keep food safe, you must use a pressure canner when a recipe specifies pressure canning. Unlike a water bath canner, the jars do not need to be completely covered with water. The directions that come with the pressure canner tell you how many cups of water to add in order for it to generate the right amount of pressure.

Pressure canning supplies

Pressure canning is the only canning method recommended safe by the U.S.D.A. for low-acid foods such as vegetables, meats, and fish. Ordinary water bath canners can only reach 212 F and cannot to kill the types of bacteria that will grow in low acid foods. This temperature can be reached only by creating steam under pressure as achieved in quality pressure canners.

• Pressure canner: This is a large pot with a locking lid that allows you to process jars of food at high temperatures. Look for a canner that is made of durable materials, such as stainless steel or aluminum. It should have a pressure gauge and a safety valve to release excess pressure.
• Canning jars: You will need jars specifically designed for canning, with two-part lids that create an airtight seal. They come in various sizes, such as quart, pint, and half-pint.
• Jar lifter: This tool helps you safely remove hot jars from the pressure canner. It has a gripper mechanism that securely holds the jar, and a handle that keeps your hands away from the heat.
• Canning funnel: A wide-mouth funnel helps you fill the jars with food without making a mess. Look for one made of durable material, such as stainless steel or plastic.
• Lid lifter: A magnetic lid lifter helps you remove the jar lids from hot water without burning your fingers.
• Jar wrench: This tool is used to tighten the jar lids to ensure a proper seal. It has a rubberised grip for comfort and control.
• Bubble remover: A bubble remover, or bubble popper, is used to remove air bubbles from the filled jars before processing. It has a long handle and a curved end that fits into the jar.
• Headspace tool: This tool helps you measure the correct amount of headspace (the space between the food and the lid) in each jar. It is usually made of plastic or metal and has markings for different jar sizes.
• Labels: Labels are important for identifying the contents of your canned goods and noting the date they were processed. Look for waterproof labels that can be written on with a permanent marker.
• Other supplies: Other useful supplies include a food mill for pureeing fruits and vegetables, a pea sheller, apple peeler, corn cutters, and a comprehensive guide on home canning and preserving.

Frequently asked questions