Before Using Your New Pressure Canner; Pressure Canning General Information - Granite Ware F0730 Instruction Manual And Users Manual

BEFORE USING YOUR NEW PRESSURE CANNER

1. Pull the lid gasket sealing ring out from the underside of the lid. The sealing ring will
come out easily from the lid groove.
2. Wash the pressure canner body, lid and sealing ring in hot soapy water to remove any
excess manufacturing residue. Rinse all parts with clear warm water and towel dry.
3. The lid gasket sealing ring comes pre-lubricated. A light coating of cooking oil or
food-grade mineral oil may be applied to the sealing ring and the underside of the
canner body lugs if desired, to help make the cover easier to open and close.
4. Put the lid gasket sealing ring back inside the lid, making sure to tuck it securely
inside the lid groove and up against the inside edge of the lid all the way around. The
ring should fit under the bent sections of the lid rim.

PRESSURE CANNING GENERAL INFORMATION

Foods for canning are classified into two types: high-acid foods and low-acid foods. Before
you start canning, you need to determine the acid level of the food. Each type of food
requires a different method of heat processing to achieve the required temperatures necessary
to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
 High-acid foods include those with a pH of less than 4.6, such as fruit, pickles,
sauerkraut, jams, jellies, marmalades and fruit butters.
 Low-acid foods include those with a pH of more than 4.6, such as meat, seafood,
poultry, soup, milk and most fresh vegetables, except tomatoes. Tomatoes are
borderline high-acid food and require an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to be
added for safer canning.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends the pressure canner as
the only safe method for canning low-acid foods – generally, vegetables, meats, poultry,
seafood or a combination of low-acid and high-acid foods. Pressure canners use steam under
high pressure to ensure low-acid food reaches the high temperatures necessary to eliminate
the bacteria that causes botulism.
Molds, yeast and enzymes are part of the natural spoilage cycle of fresh foods and can be
destroyed at or near the temperature at which water boils (except in higher altitudes, see
Canning at Altitude, page 9). Water-bath or boiling water canning is effective and sufficient
to destroy these microorganisms. Using boiling water canners for low-acid foods, however,
poses a real risk of botulism poisoning.
Botulism is caused by a poisonous toxin released from the spore of the Clostridium
Botulinum bacteria. The spore of the C.Botulinum bacteria is not destroyed at boiling water
temperature, and the bacteria actually thrive on low-acid foods in the absence of air
(anaerobic) conditions. All low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to ensure
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