Canned Food Recipes - Joseph Stanley - Bog

A steam canner is a large-capacity pot that has been constructed to trap steam inside of it and then gently and carefully let out any surplus steam that has built up. The initial models were of the kind with the shallow pot accompanied by a tall cover; in the last few years, models with huge tall pots with flat lids have emerged into the market; these models are termed "multi-canners" since they can also be used for water-bathing. You begin by placing your jars on a rack inside the sterilizer along with a little amount of water. Next, you cover the sterilizer, bring the water to a boil in order to generate steam, and last, you process the jars while the steam is held within the sterilizer by the lid.
According to Elizabeth Andress, the project director at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, atmospheric steam canning truly means that you are surrounding your jars in a steam atmosphere and not at all in water at any point throughout the process. You put some water in a shallow bottom tray and bring it to a boil in a steam canner, which is sort of like an upside down version of boiling water canning. Your jars sit on a rack above the boiling water and are enveloped by steam, which is what we mean when we say "atmospheric steam canning." [2] Standard steam canners are quite affordable (about $40 at Walmart as of January 2015), and the advantages are enticing: a steam canner "uses less water than traditional water bath canners, which considerably lowers your preheating time." [3] The time savings will, of course, result in savings on the amount of gasoline used.
Models that are a little bit more costly often have a very convenient gauge that is integrated into the top of the unit. This gauge gives you the confidence that your steam is truly keeping the appropriate processing temperature.
A steam canner is a large-capacity pot that has been constructed to trap steam inside of it and then gently and carefully let out any surplus steam that has built up. The initial models were of the kind with the shallow pot accompanied by a tall cover; in the last few years, models with huge tall pots with flat lids have emerged into the market; these models are termed "multi-canners" since they can also be used for water-bathing. You begin by placing your jars on a rack inside the sterilizer along with a little amount of water. Next, you cover the sterilizer, bring the water to a boil in order to generate steam, and last, you process the jars while the steam is held within the sterilizer by the lid.
According to Elizabeth Andress, the project director at the National Center for Home Food Preservation, atmospheric steam canning truly means that you are surrounding your jars in a steam atmosphere and not at all in water at any point throughout the process. You put some water in a shallow bottom tray and bring it to a boil in a steam canner, which is sort of like an upside down version of boiling water canning. Your jars sit on a rack above the boiling water and are enveloped by steam, which is what we mean when we say "atmospheric steam canning." [2] Standard steam canners are quite affordable (about $40 at Walmart as of January 2015), and the advantages are enticing: a steam canner "uses less water than traditional water bath canners, which considerably lowers your preheating time." [3] The time savings will, of course, result in savings on the amount of gasoline used.
Models that are a little bit more costly often have a very convenient gauge that is integrated into the top of the unit. This gauge gives you the confidence that your steam is truly keeping the appropriate processing temperature.