Putting Food By: part 5

Processing vegetables in a pressure cooker is a bit trickier than doing it in a water bath, if you are familiar with that method. Every pressure cooker comes with a book of instructions and processing times, as well as pressure amounts. If for some reason you don't have the instructions it would be best to find someone who does have the instructions. You could also try writing to the company who made the cooker you have.

However, here is a bit of instructions according to my book and some years of canning. Put the cooker on the stove. Make sure the round platform with the holes that came with the cooker is in place in the bottom of the cooker. You'll see that the lid to the cooker has a removable rubber gasket all around the inside rim. Take this out and stretch it just a bit, then rub a touch of lard or shortening on it and replace it inside the lid. The stretching and the lard helps the kettle and lid seal up tight so it can get its pressure up after you turn the heat on under it.

Pour about a quart of hot water into the cooker, then place the jars of corn in it. Pressure cookers seem to vary in model as to how the lid goes on and is fastened down. The pressure gage also will vary, which is another reason you should have the instructions for yourcooker. But just for a guideline, my cooker holds seven quarts so we'll go with that. Before attaching the lid remove the pressure gage and make sure the vent hole in the cooker's lid, that the gage sits over, it clear and not clogged. Attach the lid and replace the pressure gage. Whether I am using quarts or pints I set the pressure gage for 10 pounds of pressure. Now turn the heat on.

You will know when the cooker is building up pressure because the gage will start to sputter and dance and a bit of steam will start to escape. I can't say just how long it will take for this to happen because a lot depends on how many jars are in the cooker or how high or low your heat is. It may seem like forever but just be patient. I'd say, if twenty minutes goes by and nothing happens you haven't sealed the cooker's lid on properly. You then need to turn the heat off, remove the cooker from the stove and wait till the cooker cools before you open it and try it again. If this happens, don't despair. If happens sometimes no matter how many years you have been canning.

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