The popularity of pressure cookers for providing unlimited joy to home cooks brought a great opportunity to explore the process of pressure canning and out of hundreds of brands Presto Pressure Canners are considered and approved to perform well with a giant space and guaranteed safety.
The leading model Presto 01781 has blown the cooking world and has become the best choice to buy for home use.
But first, we’ll discuss best Pressure Canners and you’ll see how Presto is exactly the dream item you are probably looking for.
When readily available food arrives so does the bounty of relaxation and happiness and it is possible by using Presto Pressure Canners.
It traps the steam and generates pressure by the elevated temperature of the water inside the air tight pot,
it performs the cooking faster and it does a thorough elimination of unwanted, harmful microbes that spoil the food very frequently.
It is specifically designed for safety reasons concerning food mostly low acid food, tomato sauces, and pickles to survive for a very long duration of time.
Different foods being Canned in it need a different time for appropriate storing.
It has been the largest capacity canner the brand line up owns for over decades, and it justifies the pantry with a full sized water bath canning.
It is nothing less in the area of meeting the safety requirements, the well known Underwriter Laboratories (UL) has approved and certified it safe and for proof, they stamped a UL certified symbol on the bottom of the pot.
It has passed under hard trials and inspection to be called a safely operating appliance.
Secondly, there is a common question might be popping into your mind is canned food safe to consume,
while canning with Presto there is nothing to get worried about as the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) has regulated this model and considered all types of canned food to be safe to eat.
It is a famous saying by Christina Ward, who was the Master Food Preserver for Wisconsin and an author of Preservation that,
A little bit of planning and education can provide a great help to make your home canning project a total success.
Now, we are going to see an in detail performance, quality, and features of the Presto Pressure Canner.
- It arrives with ergonomic side handles for safety.
- It is spacious and large with 23 quarts capacity.
- The dial gauge on the head of the lid is for regulation.
- A free recipe book is added in accessories.
- It has precise pressure settings to meet every recipe.
- It is best to be used for water bath canning.
Presto 01781 Pressure Canner Cooker 23 Quart Review:
As a cookware blogger and an experienced chef for the past 10 years, my personal working and thinking say that there is no better way to prepare home cooked food instead of buying from the market, and for this reason,
I have tested out canning for a couple of weeks with the ideal and most reliable Pressure Canner manufactured by the known brand Presto that bears a notable name in the cooking industry and has presented to us the Giant 23 Quarts pressure cooker.
I loved its working and size as it allowed me to enjoy the seasonal vegetables, sauces, fruits, and meats for a whole year.
First I canned beef stew with vegetables for which I collected boneless beef, sliced and peeled potato, sliced carrots, chopped onions, sliced shallots, tomato paste, salt, black pepper, dry thyme, beef broth, and a small amount of vegetable oil.
I prepared the stew in its pot and then filled pint jars with this cooked stew placed them inside the pressure canner and adjusted the water level in the base,
I carefully locked the lid and waited to bring a boil on medium to high heat then vent steamed it for 10 minutes.
Then I left it as it is for around 75 minutes.
Once the cycle is complete I turned off the heat and allowed the pressure to release and turn to zero,
then I removed the canner lid and jars and let them cool down overnight and then set these in my pantry,
and believe me you guys I tried the stew after 1 week and it was just amazing that I ate the whole bowl.
The strawberry jam I canned using a boiling water bath in it with the fresh and delicious strawberries has a sweet and juicy flavor that boosts the savor when I spread it on toast.
The pickles I canned by using it are so yummy, that I ate 2 to 3 pieces daily and they have a balanced potion of every ingredient.
I filled my pantry with beans, corn, carrots, stews, etc by canning in Presto, and here is a look:
Design:
Presto has a quite fascinating tall and roomy size, it has a total 23 Quarts large capacity with a footprint that allows boiling water bath canning under pressure.
Whether there are pint sized jars, a half pint sized jars, or quart sized jars it can accommodate each type without getting congested on the inside.
If you see at the count of jars then it can churn through up to 20 pint sized jars, around 16 half pints sized jars and 7 quarts sized jars in a single batch which is in reality the most useful benefit it offers to even used for the commercial level like small home businesses.
There is no need to run the canning cycles all day long just grab the foodstuff and can them in less time and give delight to your pantry by filling it with homemade and ready to eat meals.
Another remarkable thing in building it is the compatibility to work on both gas stovetops and electric coil cooktops to make it easy to work the way you are comfortable.
But as it is a bulky pot after loading the jars, make sure to check the cookware specs as it weighs around 52 pounds (with loaded jars),
in the case of gas stoves check the BTUs though it is tempting for the users, but a 12000 BTUs can wrap the bottom equally and can also void the warranty.
An eye catching design and ability to work a cooker make it very valuable for weeknight dinners and can be placed on a separate table to get the warm food directly from it.
It s tall which makes it look compact and also beneficial to store it in cabinets when not in use.
The lustrous finish on the exterior says it all and pushes it towards a fancy look.
Functions:
The name of this cooking tool indicates that this device is for canning food material.
The process of canning is a very precise and effort-taking task.
You don’t expect any negligence in canning because a little carelessness can result in whole food spoilage.
So, Presto pressure canning and cooking equipment are designed to can food items without spoiling them for a long period.
Canning food items require the proper killing of all the microbes residing in the food along with the elimination of toxins.
Presto maintains a pressure of about 15 PSI at 121°C temperature for 20 minutes during the process of canning.
The pressure is measured by a pressure measuring gauge inserted on top of the cooker.
The precisely measured conditions of the canner can accurately preserve the food for months or even years.
Jams and Pickles:
In a large capacity jar, you can preserve pickles and jams by canning them in this pressure canner.
The canning of jam requires it to be boiled in a sealed jar for a minimum of 10 minutes in boiling water.
So, the water is preheated in this cooker before loading the jam jar.
After preheating, the jar is loaded and boiled for 10 minutes with precisely measured pressure from the Presto pressure measuring gauge.
It is preserved for many months if the seal remains intact.
Vegetables and Meat:
The canning of raw vegetables and meat is done in a lot of geological regions.
The main purpose of vegetable preservation is to eat off season vegetables around the year.
You can also preserve meat such as chicken, beef, lamb, pork, turkey, and duck.
You have to maintain high temperature and pressure for at least 20 minutes for preserving meat because meat contains many pathogenic bacteria.
If the seal of the jar gets broken, the food should be discarded to avoid any harm to human life.
For preserving any kind of meat or vegetables, Presto canner is the best option to utilize because of its precisely adjusting pressure feature.
Material:
Presto pressure canner is made to ease the cooking experience of its customers.
That’s why the material used in its manufacturing is customized and is of premium quality.
The material used to make this canner is high quality Aluminum.
The walls and the bottom of the canner conduct even heat throughout the cooking compartment.
This is because the tri ply walls and bottom of the canner are specifically designed to cook the food evenly.
Canners that conduct heat without even conduction result in damage to the food.
Food requires precisely measured temperature with even conduction of heat for perfect and long term canning.
If one side or cooking tool conducts more heat as compared to the other, the canning jar doesn’t get the expected heat and the pathogen in food remains intact.
The surface of the canner is made nonsticky under superbly high temperatures.
So, the food doesn’t get stuck to the aluminum surface of the cooker and keeps it intact.
Also, this feature aids you in easily wiping the dirt while washing and cleaning this cooking equipment, and saves you from deep and hard cleaning.
The material used for the handles of the canner is one of the best quality non conducting plastic substances.
This plastic doesn’t conduct heat even at very high temperatures and helps the cook lift the hot pot from the stove.
You can place the canner at any place once the canning conduction to the food is provided for desired time.
A good quality gasket is also included in this pressure canner.
The material of the gasket is rubber and it can withstand high temperatures without deforming its shape.
The gasket quality mainly saves the canner from leakage and maintains pressure inside the cooker.
All the materials used in the cooker are safe to wash under tap water and dishwashing soap.
Warranty and Care:
Presto guarantees 12 years long lasting warranty which indicates that it is built differently because no brand offers a warranty for more than one decade.
In terms of care and maintenance, it can be cleaned by a non abrasive cleanser on the inside of the pot and there is multiple metal polish available that are approved for aluminum.
It can also work as a pressure cooker so to avoid cross contamination it needs some extra care so both processes can be done without facing any hindrance.
Do not wash it too rigorously as it will fade its natural appearance.
Accessories:
It comes with the most useful accessories that assist the best in the whole working hours.
It has one rack, easy to remove, and has small holes to assure the uniform dispersal of heat to every jar.
It is easy to remove and fit and stays between the base and the jar.
Along with it, an accompanying booklet arrives that has 50 plus recipes including the vast varieties and covering the most loved dishes.
The recipes range from basic pot roast to soup stocks, and stews and even include some English Plum Pudding and brown bread,
give a try to the tenderize lean cuts of meat i.e beef and pork, fish, delectable vegetables, cook chicken everything faster, healthier and appreciable in contrast to microwave or traditional methods that might lose the moisture.
Pressure gauge:
The process of preserving food for a long period requires some highly regulated and precisely measured conditions.
People used to preserve food to enjoy the same taste in nonseasonal times and get its benefits throughout the year.
The preservation time of food depends on the sealing of the jar and the tool used for canning.
Presto pressure canner uses a pressure measuring gauge that measures the required pressure and maintains it by releasing extra pressure from pressure releasing valve.
The pressure of steam required for canning the food is 12 to 15 PSI.
This pressure should be maintained for a minimum of 20 minutes depending on the food item being preserved at a temperature above the boiling point of water.
A pressure measuring gauge is important for cooking in an area that is at a higher altitude where the boiling point of water fluctuates.
This fluctuation leads to a change in pressure generation inside the cooker.
So, this gauge helps to achieve the exact pressure for cooking food without depending on the time of cooking.
As the time of cooking also increases at altitudes. So, Presto cooker and canner solve the problem of canning at altitudes.
Weight on the pressure releasing valve has a high role in maintaining the pressure.
The gauge measures and shows the current pressure of the cooker and the undesired pressure is continuously released depending on the weight of the valve.
Some bacteria and harmful toxins are denatured specifically at 14 to 15 pascal pressure,
that’s why Presto canner is the choice of customers for canning food items like jelly, jam, vegetables including carrot, meat of pork, lamb, mutton, beef, and chicken.
Jam, jelly, and vegetables are canned at 12 to 13 pascal pressure with even heating of food from all sides.
The stove temperature should be maintained in a range of 330 degrees F.
And for the meat of chicken, lamb, and mutton, the pressure should be precisely maintained at 15 PSI for a minimum of 20 minutes for long term food preservation.
This can only be achieved by Presto pressure canning and cooking equipment.
Thermometer:
Presto has made it really easy to control and monitor pressure and temperature inside the pot.
To make things more convenient it comes with a pre-built thermometer, the reason to place it is to ensure that there are controlled conditions maintained in the pot as per the type of food being processed.
As a result, it achieves the results more efficiently and becomes a versatile pot.
Safety:
The safety measures of a cooking device keep the operator free of trouble and disturbance.
Presto pressure cooker and canner are designed to keep the operator safe and sound while working with it.
Sometimes when pressure is built into the cooker, the lid of low-quality cooker can’t handle the pressure and gets blasted.
This results in damage to the person and loss of money.
That’s the reason why the Presto pressure cooker uses a safety pressure indicating valve.
This valve is very sensitive to pressure and indicates when the pressure inside the cooker is built.
Normally, the valve is at the level of the canner’s lid but the pressure is generated.
Gradually, the valve rises depending on the amount of pressure generated.
The valve material is of good quality and makes a good indication of when to open the lid to avoid accidents.
When the pressure valve is up, it is the time when pressure is very high inside the cooking chamber, and opening the lid will result in damage.
By releasing the pressure using pressure releasing valve, this indicating valve slowly goes down and signals to open the lid.
Another safety measure in this pressure canner is safety locks.
The lid of the canner is tightly sealed with the main body to generate pressure and also to keep the lid held tightly to the canning body.
The lid is rotated on the top of the canner to make it tightly grasped with the canner.
This keeps the lid tight and avoids any blasts during the process of pressure generation.
If you place the lid on the canner without rotating, the pressure is not generated as the steam can escape from the sides of the canner and it is dangerous because the high steam pressure can blow the lid in no time.
That’s why the lid of the cooker is made safe with safety locks and a pressure indicating valve to keep the operator and the cooking appliance safe and secure.
The Advantages:
There is a hand full of advantages to building a significant Presto Pot and without any doubts leads it to do successful cooking and canning for decades. Some of the advantages in detail are:
- Canning is performed to be at ease and not to tire yourself by working for days and keeping in mind it has a very huge, gigantic space that can convert the load of the days into hours.
- Safety is the utmost priority and truly present in it, starting from its safety handles that no matter what temperature is inside, they stay cool. They are two sets on both sides and are manufactured strongly to stay in place while offering protection to hands.
- The pressure is maintained by smoothly increasing and it meets the final stage according to the food item being preserved or cooked.
- Water bath canning is done for foods with high acid like tomato sauce and Presto along with low acid foods can do these with maximum possible victory.
The Disadvantages:
Not everything is designed without a single flaw or error and has some disadvantages too and so is the case with Presto.
- It has only one rack which is useful but not as useful as two racks that give more space to fit more jars in one go.
- It needs to be tested for calibration after a few months because there are chances that it may not be calibrated correctly which affects the upshots.
Specifications:
| Dimensions | DxWxH 15.1 x 15.4 x 14.8 Inches |
|---|---|
| Weight | 12 Pounds |
| Capacity | 23 Quarts/ 21.77 Liters |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Color | Silver |
| Warranty | 12 Years |
| Finish Type | Stainless Steel |
| Operation Mode | Manual |
| Dishwasher Safe | No |
| Wattage | 1000 Watts |
What can be canned in a Presto pressure canner?
By canning different food items, you can preserve them for a long period.
It is done in different regions of the world to get the benefit of off season fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of food items.
The shelf life of canned food depends on the type of food and how it is canned.
Some canners use steam for detoxifying the food and some uses boiled water for this purpose.
You can preserve a variety of food items using a Presto pressure canner because it has a pressure gauge that can precisely measure the canning conditions of different food items.
Let’s discuss the food items that can be canned in this canner;
Vegetables:
Vegetables like beets, beans, carrots, cucumber, corn, and tomatoes are usually canned in small and large jars.
For canning, a good quality glass jar that can accommodate a good quantity of vegetables should be used.
Vegetables usually contain spores of different pathogenic bacteria and fungi and also of flowering plants.
Their spores can cause respiratory diseases and results in problem with human health.
To kill these spores, the temperature of these vegetables should be maintained at 240°F with a precise pressure of 11 Pascal.
All these conditions are maintained by a presto pressure canner.
Fruits and meat:
To enjoy fruits of different regions and also off-season fruits, canning is the best method to avail them.
Fruits like apples, pears, peaches, plums, and nectarines are usually canned at home using home based canning tools.
Fruits are soft and have high moisture content in them, so the temperature for canning fruits is maintained in a range of 140°F to 180°F.
And for canning meat like pork, mutton, lamb, beef, and bear, there is a high requirement for proper sterilization.
The jars should be sealed properly with no contact with the outer environment.
Meat can be spoiled easily and quickly, and its shelf life is also little compared to other food products. So, it is preserved for a short time.
Meat is canned at 240°F temperature and maintained for 20 minutes at a pressure of 15 PSI.
Presto pressure canner with its tri-ply bottom evenly conducts the heat and maintains the temperature in the desired range.
The pressure gauge also aids in adjusting the pressure level at optimum.
How to can low acid food in Presto pressure canner?
All types of food items can be canned with the help of a Presto pressure canner.
The canning conditions of the food items vary depending on the amount of moisture, PH, and tenderness.
Canning is nothing but the preservation of food for long term use.
People can food items in their homes and also at the industrial level canning is carried out.
It is the game of controlling and maintaining the pressure, temperature, and relative cooking time.
Low acid foods such as seafood, meat, dairy, and vegetables are canned at different conditions in a Presto pressure canner. Let us discuss these food items:
Low acid Fruits:
Fruits such as melon, mango, fig, banana, and coconut are low in acid levels.
These fruits contain a high level of spores and Clostridium botulinum.
It is the enemy of humans because it can cause health problems in humans.
If the fruits are not properly stored or preserved, then these microbes get activated when encountering the human body which results in uncurable disorders.
So, the low acid fruits should be canned using a Presto canner in boiling water at 140°F and 12 PSI pressure measured by the Presto pressure-measuring gauge.
Seafood and meat:
Seafood includes catfish, trout, shrimp, salmon, and mushrooms are normally canned at home to increase their shelf life.
Normally people do salting of seafood for preservation but this lasts only for a few days to one or two weeks.
But the seafood preserved using Presto pressure canner is preserved for many months and years.
A sealed jar containing seafood is boiled at 270°F for a time of 25 minutes at 15 PSI pressure.
These conditions are also used for canning mutton, chicken, lamb, and beef for months.
By using a Presto pressure canner, one can benefit from home based canned food items.
This is cost effective as commercially available canned food is expensive and there is no guarantee of them whether they are properly canned or not.
Conclusion:
With utter joy, we conclude that Presto 01781 is the pressure canner and cooker one can look for spacious canning capacity that can bear a load of filled jars while maintaining the precise temperature and pressure settings.
It comprises safety features, a sleek design, a durable body, high quality material, and lightweight to over your hunt of encountering a worthy canner.
It is the most suitable pot for beginners to master their skills as it needs low maintenance and have more useful traits and guaranteed safety features.
It can hold plenty of jars at once and regulates and releases the pressure by dial gauge, and over pressure plug.
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