Pressure cooker

[Evastaffan]

I was just given a pressure cooker, and I replaced the gasket so it is working as it should. But how do I know it comes up to above 100 centigrades (or preferably 120) to make sure it is safe to make my own preserved meats and fish without getting botulism?

[jaybird1111]

Unless you want to buy a wireless food thermometer, you're either going to have to believe the thing works as presumably you've found the manual, and the manual is telling you, or you can calculate the temperature using the Ideal Gas Law

[NahanniV]

If the water is boiling it is 100C.

If there is any pressure being developed inside the cooker the temperature will be well above 100C.

Unless you are at some extreme altitude.

Cheers,
JM.

[a64pilot]

Being in the Netherlands, your real close to sea level, I believe 15 PSI is sort of standard for a pressure cooker, and water boils at 121 C at 15 PSI. Hows that for mixing standards
I have never canned myself, but want to think a pressure gauge is normal for canning pressure cookers? Be real easy to drill and tap for a low pressure gauge.

[ranger58sb]

It might have a pressure "gauge" already. Either a real one, with a needle and dial read-out, or a pseudo on that simply sits on top and rocks at various speeds (slow is low pressure, faster is higher pressure, too much will launch it).


If only the latter, when it's rocking, the liquid is probably boiling.


-Chris

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

I was just given a pressure cooker, and I replaced the gasket so it is working as it should. But how do I know it comes up to above 100 centigrades (or preferably 120) to make sure it is safe to make my own preserved meats and fish without getting botulism?

Here (6€) : Livre 300 recettes pour casserole à pression SEB (en flamand - A vendre | 2ememain.be


SEB pressure cooker recipe book, in Dutch, last section of this book (in mine) describes how to make your own "canned" glass jar.


Edit : Check Pix 2 " inhoudstafel"
Het steriliseren (pages 194-200)

[Evastaffan]

Unfortunately I do not have a manual, and I cannot choose the different pressures on the knob. It is an older model of Fagor.

And thanks, but my Dutch is lousy. We live here but I am Swedish. And we get by with English.

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

I was just given a pressure cooker, and I replaced the gasket so it is working as it should. But how do I know it comes up to above 100 centigrades (or preferably 120) to make sure it is safe to make my own preserved meats and fish without getting botulism?

I own 2 pressure canners. One is a semi-pro electric with a microprocessor control, all stineless steel, another is All Americal 15 quat for gas stoves. I do recently make quite a lot of canning, although I prefer All American. Electric is bulky and takes too much space on my kitchen, elthough it allows for truely push-button operation...

So, about your concerns. I had them myself before buying my canners, I was concerned that manufacturer stated that their preset settings for meat were 60 min @ 115 degrees, and for fish - 40 mins @ 113 degrees, or something like that. I too "know" that botulism dies at 120 degrees, so I was sort of worried.

Then I came across detailed aricle describing professional canning, and learned about so-called "f-value". This is something like time\temp function, and it looks like botulism is killed by not the temp per se, but temperature AND duration. For example, it gets killed by exposing product to 120 degrees for something like 5 minutes or so, but it gets killed at lower temperatures, however, at longer time. That's why in the manual for my All American they state that for meat por 0.5 liter jars, you will need to set pressure to 11 psi (I believe that corresponds to 115 degrees) and process it for 75 minutes. That will achieve the same botulism-killing as processing it at 120 degrees at required 5 minutes (or whatever it is).

So, you should not worry about botulism if you process it at officially recommended pressure and time. On most sites dedicated to pressure canning, time and pressure are clearly indicated, and for meats, poultry and fish it is universally accepted to be 10 psi (for weight gauge, that corresponds to 11 psi dial gauge), and 75 mins for 0.5 liter (pints) or 90 mins for 1 liter (quarts).

15 psi is required only if you are above 1000 ft. On sea level and below 1000 ft 10 psi (weight gauge, corresponds to 11 psi dial gauge) will do the trick.

If you are worried, google for something like "pressure canning f-value" (or read a good one here). You can even calculate required time for various types of products you are canning. I don't bother with that, I simply use universally accepted time.

In general, canning is fun, and I will take a canner with me when I go cruising. It is not that difficult to figure things out and it is pretty straightforward after that.

PS I am not sure if you can use Fagor cookers for canning though. Never had one in my hand

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

Unfortunately I do not have a manual, and I cannot choose the different pressures on the knob. It is an older model of Fagor.

And thanks, but my Dutch is lousy. We live here but I am Swedish. And we get by with English.

Ooops, then blocket or tradera should be the place to look.
;-)

According to my book, 100 C is OK, but then it is a question of cooking time...up to two hours for some recipes.
You need to make sure that the water line inside your PC covers your cans, better check and top up if needed.

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by Claude_Marie

According to my book, 100 C is OK, but then it is a question of cooking time...up to two hours for some recipes.

100 C and 2 hours are definitely not enough. F-value for 100 c is 0.0077, which means that to achieve same botulism reduction as required by health authorities, you will need 2.5 min x (1\0.0077) = 5.4 hours.

100 C is for pasteurisation only, i.e. fruits and veggies. It is absolutely not a safe mode for preserving meat and fish.

[JanetGroene]

I think if you bring it up to full pressure, that's 15 pounds on almost any pressure cooker Consult a canning book for times. As I recall, fish is 90 minutes.

[Claude_Marie]

Originally Posted by Sea Frog

100 C and 2 hours are definitely not enough. F-value for 100 c is 0.0077, which means that to achieve same botulism reduction as required by health authorities, you will need 2.5 min x (1\0.0077) = 5.4 hours.

100 C is for pasteurisation only, i.e. fruits and veggies. It is absolutely not a safe mode for preserving meat and fish.

Here Recette Pâté en conserve - Le Parfait
a recipe for a pork + veal + cognac Paté from Le Parfait/Familia Wiss glass jar manufacturer website.
It says 3h @ 100 C.
I swear it does not poison us.
Could be the Cognac, though...or a robust immune system.
;-)

[Evastaffan]

This sounds way more complicated than I anticipated... Thank you for all input so far, but I am getting nervous about all these comments. Maybe I should buy a new PC with a manual and learn like that. What do you suggest?

[Sea Frog]

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

This sounds way more complicated than I anticipated... Thank you for all input so far, but I am getting nervous about all these comments. Maybe I should buy a new PC with a manual and learn like that. What do you suggest?

It is not complicated at all, once you make your first batch. I was concerned just like you and tried to read a lot of stuff, but it all turned out as simple as cooking. Actually you will be more concerned about good recipes than the canning process itself which is very straightforward. Just remember - 10 psi for weight gauge, at 90 mins (1 lt) or 75 mins (0.5 lt) (after it reaches target pressure), for meat/fish/poultry, and you are all set.

As for suggestions, sinse I do not have any experience with other brands, the only thing I can suggest if All American. They are heavy, built like a tank and do not require a rubber seal that will harden and require replacement. But Presto is another brand that is popular, and they are much cheaper (like, 16 quarts is 100 bucks cheaper than All American 15 quarts) and more light weight too. Presto cookers use weight gauge too (the one that juggles when pressure reaches set limit).

I bought mine from Amazon. I was adviced by someone to go for a smaller variety which is 915 model with 15 quarts capacity. I am satisfied completely. Canning is fun and easy, if you remember basic stuff.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

Unfortunately I do not have a manual, and I cannot choose the different pressures on the knob. It is an older model of Fagor.

Originally Posted by Evastaffan

Maybe I should buy a new PC with a manual and learn like that. What do you suggest?

Have you looked on-line for a Fagor manual?

-Chris