Your Canner, tell us about it.

I have several 1/2 gallon and gallon jars, but I don't can in them. I use them for dry storage of things like beans, rice, and pastas. The lids for the gallon jars aren't made for reuse and I've never seen new canning lids to fit them. I think they are single use jars as far as canning goes. I wish I had a lot more of them for dry storage. I love using the gallon jars. It's nice to just look on a shelf and see whats there intead of having to read lables or open plastic buckets.

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I have an old Sears, Roebuck and Company Maid of Honor 16qt cooker canner. A neighbor gave it to me about 15 years ago and it is still going strong. I replaced the seals a few years ago and I still have the original instruction book that came with it. Of course the one year warrenty ran out about fifty years ago. LOL

I have your basic spatter-ware water bath canner, aluminum water bath, and the Presto that each hold 7 quarts. In my heart, I lust for the American -- no gasket! No gauge!

I'm not terribly jazzed about the aluminum. It doesn't hold heat well at all, the basket is smaller than my graniteware canner, and... It's flimsy. But in a pinch, it's there.

Pony!

I have 3 all american canners, 1 that holds 7 qts or 15 pts. and 2 that hold 4 qts or 7 pts. I use them all! usually at the same time!

I have two Presto canners. Both hold 7 quarts and one allows pints to be stacked so you can do 18 pints in it. I've had canners like this for over 40 years and only once have I had to replace a pressure gauge...this year! The canners I'm presently using were purchased at auctions in like new condition for $5 and $10. I've canned tomato juice in 2 qt. jars but never anything in gallons. I use my gallon jars to store dried beans or rice.

I think if I were going to buy a new canner I'd go with All American because of their not having a gasket. However, since I don't have that kind of $'s available, I'd most likely look for another used canner.

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can't for the life of me remember the name, but it is stamped McKinney Texas on the lid. Uses no gasket, like the American, heavy aluminum. Has a spring loaded vent to bleed it off, a pressure gauge, and an overpressure pop valve. I think this and cockroaches will be the only thing still kicking in the end.

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Well, a few years back, I got a presto 21 quart job. Worked well, until I misplaced the little jiggler thingy. Still cant find it!
So, ran across an ancient canner at a garage sale, 10 bucks...bought it.
They said the old lady used it just the last season... Took it home and it pressured up, works like a charm. It has 1922 stamped on the bottom of it, and it has no gaskets. It is one of those that you crank these little handles all the way around to close it good. Pressure gauge still in good shape, and I can fit about 9 or 10 quart jars in it. (I have some square jars that present a challenge every now and then)

Now, no lectures about using antiques! I LOVE that canner! We have developed quiet a relationship over the last few years....

I would can in 1/2 gal if I had the jars, but only have quarts. Very rarely can in pint jars. That is what my jelly goes in, but everything else in quarts.

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Let's see.....2 National pressure canners (G-Mother & Mother), 1 All American (Me) and 2 Mirro Pressure Canners (Me), all hold 7 quart jars. Great to be able to allow a couple to cool slowly while I keep on canning in others. Luckily, our local extension office still checks guages used on the nationals and All American. I actually like the Mirro jiggling pressure system the best, much less attention is required. Also 2 or 3 water bath canners.

I have 3 All Americans. 2 hold 7 quart jars and one will do 14 quart jars. I am not sure how many pints each one does but it is alot, and depends on the jars.
I have filled and canned in all 3 in one day and found it to be more work than I ever want to do again.

I agree, and being as helpful as I am, I will take one of those All Americans off your hands!

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I haven't been here for a few days, what with work and the then the kids all competing for computer time, but just skimmed over all the replies about canners and didn't find anyone mentioning "Weck." It's an electric water bath canner (I bought mine years ago and don't even know if they make them anymore). I love it! It's tall and you can stack the jars (pints, anyway). The most I ever did at one time was 30-some pints of pickles and they all sealed! It plugs into the wall, so only uses 110 instead of 220. Since no burner is being used (at least for the canning process itself), it doesn't put out nearly as much heat as your stove-top canners. It's a really wonderful thing and I would be interested in finding out if there is a source out there for replacement, when and if necessary (I think I'll "google" Weck when I get off here and see what I can find). The only problem I've ever had with it is leakage around the heating thing on the bottom. And, I've had far fewer sealing problems with it than with the stove-top.

Just an update: I did "google" Weck and found a lot of stuff listed for them. I didn't go into anything because I don't have the time right now. But, I highly recommend them! I bought mine probably around 14 years ago and am pretty sure I paid less than $100.00. Hard to say what they cost now, but.......unless they're hugely expensive, in my opinion, the time and convenience and comfort they offer is worth quite a bit.

I have a Burpee canner that is a double decker. It will can 14 quarts or I think 18 pints. It has a top as big as the bottom part with a band thingey that tightens with a screw mechanism.

I also have a single decker Burpee. It will double deck pints - but not quarts.

Both of these are from the 40's. My mom had one of the big ones and one year she bought a smaller canner and gave me the big one. It was just the two of them and she only canned a little and in pints. The next year, she asked please, please, could she have her old one back. She said she had been canning with that cooker for over 40 years and they just had a relationship going.

I had told a friend the story and she found me a double decker at a garage sale.

I also have a Sears, I think, regular pressure cooker that holds 7 quarts or 9 pints. It may be Mirro or Presto since one of those people made Sears some time back. Don't know now. I haven't used it yet, but it is just like one I used to use years ago.

Also, I found a pressure cooker that just looks like a miniature canner. It is a Maid of Honor, but it probably would hold 8 qts of liquid and maybe you could can 6 pints in it. Right now, it needs a gasket and one of the little things that blow if the pressure gets too high. I can't find a model number, so haven't been able to find the parts for it on line - but I'm still looking.

Since reading this board, I have been looking for one of the non-gasket type canners at garage sales. I have owned several of them, I know, and was afraid to use them since I knew nothing about them. One I had was a miniature version of their big canners.