To insure the canner's proper working condition, check the dial gage for accuracy each year or if a canner or lid has been roughly handled or dropped, the dial gage glass broken, or any parts are rusty. The manufacturer or your county Extension office can give information on testing availability. Study and follow the manufacturer's directions for using your pressure canner.

Scalding tomatoes in a blancher.

Run through the process of operating the pressure canner on your range in a trial run before you get into the canning season, to be sure everything is working properly. Make a note of the dial setting of the range if you use an electric range for holding pressure steady.

Trying to use a pressure canner obtained from garage, rummage, or auction sales or handed down to you from someone's attic may prove dangerous. You may not have any idea as to the care, handling, or storage of the canner. A manufacturer manual on care, use and replaceable parts usually is not available. Old-old canners did not have complete information manufacturer's name, address or model number on the appliance.

General kitchen equipment is helpful in any needed washing, peeling, coring and slicing in the preparation of fruits and vegetables. Examples are, a vegetable brush for cleaning vegetables, a blancher or wire basket for scalding fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and peaches to loosen skins for peeling, and a colander for washing delicate fruits such as berries.

A food mill is handy for making purees and straining fruits for making juices, and a strainer for straining juice. A long handled fork or plastic spatula aids in fitting and packing food and removing air bubbles. A wide-mouth funnel is very convenient for filling jars, and a jar lifter helps you avoid burns in handling hot jars. Use an automatic timer to time processing accurately.

The number of pints of preserved food you will get from a given quantity of fresh food depends on the quality, variety, and maturity of the fruit or vegetable; on the size of the pieces, and on the packing method used.

Selection of good sound fruits and vegetables is of paramount importance. The quality of canned fruits and vegetables will be no better than quality of the raw food used. For best flavor retention, preserve only those vegetables that are young, tender, and freshly gathered.

Work Fast

All steps, from beginning to end, of any lot of canning should be carried through as rapidly as possible. A good slogan is "two hours from harvest to container".

Work fast with small amounts of food at a time, especially vegetables with high starch content such as corn and peas which lose quality rapidly. Any delay will result in loss of flavor and nutritive value.

Sorting and grading should be done very carefully, according to size and degree of maturity and ripeness.

Use only uniformly well-ripened products. Discard all defective products and use together those of the same size.

Dirt in seeds, bits of food, or sirup contains bacteria that is hardest to kill, and encourages yeasts and molds to grow on the outer surfaces. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before canning.

Scalding, peeling and coring some fruits, such as peaches and tomatoes, are scalded in order to peel them smoothly.

Follow up-to-date recommendations, available in U.S. Department of Agriculture or Extension publications, for detailed procedures in preparing fruits and vegetables for canning.

Heating beans thoroughly before placing them in jars. Here, cut beans are covered with water to be followed by five minutes of boiling.

Packing Methods

You can pack food hot or raw in jars. Hot-packed food is heated thoroughly before it is packed into jars. Raw-packed food is placed raw in jars. Watery and soft foods such as tomatoes are pressed gently to make their own juice.

Air, a poor conductor of heat, should be removed from the jar. Remove air bubbles by gently moving the blade of a plastic spatula or plastic knife around the jar being careful that the food is not broken. Add more boiling liquid if necessary to get a proper fill.

When filling jars, you will find the jar-filling funnel easy to manage. This makes it possible to avoid spills of seeds, bits of food, or sirup that could prevent sealing. But even when using a funnel you still need to wipe the jar rim.

Prepare the lids and sealing of jar according to the manufacturer's directions. When using a flat metal lid, place the composition side on the rim of the jar. Add the ring band and screw it down until firm, but not hard enough to cut through the sealing compound. The lid will have enough "give" to let air escape during processing. This is called venting and means heating to remove air from jars.

When using porcelain-lined zinc caps, fit the wet rubber ring on the jar shoulder, but do not stretch it more than necessary. Screw the cap firmly and turn it back 1/4 inch.

Use a jar lifter or tongs and place the filled jars on the rack in the canner. Fill and place jars in the canner one at a time to keep jars as hot as possible while filling the canner.