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HOME CANNING TIPS
Canning should be done on the cooktop only.
Pots that extend beyond 1 inch of the surface unit
circle are not recommended for most surface cooking.
However, when canning with water-bath or pressure
canner, larger-diameter pots may be used. This is
because boiling water temperatures (even under
pressure) are not harmful to the cooktop surfaces
surrounding the surface units.
HOWEVER, DO NOT USE LARGE DIAMETER
CANNERS OR OTHER LARGE DIAMETER POTS
FOR FRYING OR BOILING FOODS OTHER
THAN WATER. Most syrup or sauce mixtures—and
all types of frying—cook at temperatures much higher
than boiling water.
Such temperatures could
eventually
harm the glass cooktop surfaces.
Surface Cookware Tips Home Canning Tips
Observe the Following Points in Canning
1. Be sure the canner fits over the center of the
surface unit. If your cooktop or its location does not
allow the canner to be centered on the surface unit,
use smaller diameter pots for good canning results.
2. Flat-bottomed canners must be used. Do not use
canners with flanged or rippled bottoms (often
found in enamelware) because they don’t make
enough contact with the surface units and take
too long to boil water.
Flat-bottomed canners are recommended.
3. When canning, use recipes and procedures from
reputable sources. Reliable recipes and procedures
are available from the manufacturer of your canner;
manufacturers of glass jars for canning, such as
Ball and Kerr; and the United States Department of
Agriculture Extension Service.
4. Remember that canning is a process that generates
large amounts of steam. To avoid burns from steam
or heat, be careful when canning.
NOTE: If your house has low voltage, canning may
take longer than expected, even though directions
have been carefully followed. The process time will
be shortened by:
(1) using a pressure canner, and
(2) starting with HOT tap water for fastest heating
of large quantities of water.
CAUTION:
Safe canning requires that harmful microorganisms
are destroyed and that the jars are sealed
completely. When canning foods in a water-bath
canner, a gentle but steady boil must be maintained
for the required time. When canning foods in a
pressure canner, the pressure must be maintained
for the required time.
After you have adjusted the controls, it is very
important to make sure the prescribed boil or
pressure levels are maintained for the required time.
The cooktop surface units have temperature
limiters that prevent the glass cooktop from
getting too hot. If the bottom of your canner is
not flat, the surface unit can overheat, triggering
the temperature limiters to turn the unit off for
a time. This will stop the boil or reduce the
pressure in the canner.
Since you must make sure to process the
canning jars for the prescribed time, with no
interruption in processing time, you do not
can on any of the cooktop surface units if your
canner is not flat enough.