Vacola "V" Pressure canner? The mind boggles!

[LeLoup]

I read here somewhere that vacola jars can be used in a pressure canner, so I assume this is a different animal? If so, what is a pressure canner and does it have advantages over the vacola jars?

I was going to ask if one can preserve pumpkin in vacola jars, but then I read a post here regarding acid content of foods, so can I assume that pumpkin can't be preserved in vacola jars?
Thank you for your time.
Le Loup.

[mallee11]

The open water bath canners can't get water any hotter than 212 F and that's not hot enough to kill the bacteria that can grow in low acid foods. A pressure canner hits 240F which allows for home canning of many more foods, like corn, beans, meats, etc.).

A water bath canner is fine for acidic fruits and vegetables, such as jams, jellies, applesauce, apple butter, and some tomatoes, but for almost all other vegetables, like carrots, squash, green beans, squash, corn, okra, etc. you'll need a pressure canner.

I haven't had much success with fowlers in a pc so I use ordinary recycled jars with twist tops and I buy new lids and keep the fowlers for bwb .

[minnie]

Same here as Mallee11 I use the vacola jars in the vacola water bath and mason or recycled jars in the canner.

Pumpkin soup 'cans' well but you have to can it with the pumpkin in chunks rather than blended and then blend when you reheat it, I just use the stick blender and it works well.

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Same here, I use re cycled jars with new lids or Mason jars in my pressure canner. FV jars mainly in my water canner or the vacola unit. I have used the FV jars in the PC but the rubbers tend to stretch and so I prefer to keep them for the FV only.

Speaking of soup, I so want to get my canner out and do some soup - tomato, tomato vegetable and beans, brocolli & cheddar, spicy tomato & veg, pea & ham, cream of mushroom, chicken and veg, cream of chicken, chicken and corn; oh my and the list goes on. I can just see it all now! Where did I put that canner?

Kathleen

[minnie]

Hi Kathleen,

Speaking of Pea and Ham soup... can't remember if I said I had a big problem!

I was rushed into canning some when we got our half pig cured, anyway during the 40 degree heat I heard some popping and didn't check... I know I should have checked but when I was pulling down the shelves with all the bottles I noticed some horrid bugs on a jar, then noticed more and they were not looking good. I put them in the sink in hot water and yep the jars weren't sealed, I tell you the smell... I was violently ill it was so bad and I've told DH NEVER again am I eating or making pea and ham soup!!

My goodness it was shocking... so what did I learn, CHECK LIDS!! especially when you hear popping!

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

Right on! always check the lids, not only when you first can but also over time. I check the lids on everything I can or put up at least once a fortnight sometime admittedly only once a month because one never knows when a lid just might fail.

Kathleen

[minnie]

I will she says with head hanging in shame

No-one could believe how terrible pea and ham soup smells when it's been in 40 degree heat and full of...

Vicki

[Shadowgirlau]

I could; I know exactly how bad it can smell. Quite put me off pea and ham soup for several years
Still we live and learn.

Kathleen