Can You Use Instant Pot For Canning

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Before You Jump In Do A Hot Water Test

Pressure Canning in the Instant Pot Max

This recommendation comes straight from the Instant Pot manufacturers themselves and is as simple and filling the pot with water and running a cycle under pressure. Not only will this suss out any defects before you need dinner done in 30 and the pot wont seal, but it also gives the pot a gentle clean too.

Instant Pot Max Pressure Canning

When the Instant Pot Max was introduced onto the market, it had an added feature that was canning. We have just seen how you can use an Instant Pot for canning.

People figured out how to do his by themselves but it wasnt a feature that came with the Instant Pot. The market spoke and the makers of Instant Pot answered by adding the canning feature in the Instant Pot Max but just how effective is this canning feature?

I am going to look into this and more in the rest of this article. The idea of canning food is to preserve it and increase its shelf life but just how safe is it to can food in an Instant Pot.

Health and food safety organizations and even Instant Pot themselves have warned that canning food is not a simple press of a button process.

There are a lot of steps involved and you need to take certain measures in order to make sure that you kill off all harmful bacteria during the canning process.

Pressure canning requires the right combination of time and temperature. There really is nothing magical about the pressure but that you need to ensure the right heat to kill bacteria is reached and that the heat is maintained for the right amount of time.

Pressure canning is used mainly for low acid foods. Though the Instant Pot Max was touted as the first USDA approved electric pressure cooker for home canning,

it has not yet been approved for all foods so this statement needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. As already stated in this article,

Foods That Can Be Pressure Cooked

It is important to know what foods can be pressure cooked and those that cannot. For example, most fruits cannot be pressure cooked because the heat is simply too intense, and the fruit will break apart. Fruit needs to be canned using a gentle method like the water bath method, which would boil the fruit.

Remember that high-acid foods do not have to be pressure cooked they can simply be water bathed, while low-acid foods need to be either pressure cooked to fully sanitize them of bacteria or brought to a high acid state with the addition of high acid foods or vinegar.

Also Check: What To Do If Your Instant Pot Says Burn

How To Can In An Instant Pot

The first thing you need to do is make sure that there are no cracks on the jars that you are using for canning. Next up you can sterilize your jars in the Instant Pot.

Put a bit of water and vinegar and then load your jars on the trivet. Close the Instant Pot and set the vent to seal. Start the steam cycle and run it for 1 minute.

Now for the steaming process, pour your water and a bit of vinegar into the Instant Pot. Next up, pour your food into the hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace.

Clean the rim of the jar. This ensures that you get a tight seal each time. Put the lid on and make it fingertip tight. His means that the moment you start to feel any resistance, you stop.

Repeat this process with all your jars then load them into your Instant Pot. Put on the lid then set to venting and not sealing.

This is very important to remember. Set to steam and wait for the float valve to come up. Once the float valve has come up, you can now start timing your processing.

Once you have reached the recommended processing time for that food type, switch the Instant Pot off then allow the pressure to come down.

This takes roughly about 2 minutes. Once the float valve comes down again, carefully open the Instant pot and take out the jars and put onto a cooling rack and leave them undisturbed for about 12 hours.

How Pressure Cookers Help With Canning

Can You Use An Instant Pot For Canning?

There are two different ways that a pressure cooker can help with canning a particular food item. The first deals with the temperature. Some items must be cooked at a high temperature to ward off bacteria. This is necessary because the food being canned does not contain enough acid to kill off harmful bacteria.

The second reason that an instant pot pressure cooker is helpful is because it helps cook the food product faster as the pressure can be controlled. This helps preserve the natural flavor of some food items.

But what can you actually preserve in an Instant Pot?

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What Is The Safest Way To Can Foods

People have been using water bath as well as pressure canning methods. But, water bath canning is the most recommended method. Although, there are instructions mentioned on the manual of electric pressure cooker, but pressure canners are specially designed for this purpose. These are heavy pots containing a lid with a vent, safety fuse and pressure gauge.

Test : Time To Pressure

Once the canner has vented steam for 10 minutes, the weight or the weighted gauge is put in place and pressure begins to build inside the canner. Then I started a timer, waiting for the canners to reach 15 pounds of pressure. Thats the highest pressure most canners should be operated at, and the pressure that high altitude canners will need to use. Those who live below 1,000 feet may be able to pressure-can at 10 pounds of pressure.

During this test, I began to appreciate canners with dial gauges since I could watch the indicator to see how far and how fast the pressure was rising. Could I step out of the room to let the dog out, or should I keep watching because there was a short time left?

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Winner : The All American Pressure Canner

Donna Currie

This is a beast of a canner that looks like it will last for generations. It also looks a bit intimidating, and takes a little bit of practice to feel confident when putting the lid on, but I got used to it quickly and rapidly began to prefer it over twist-on lids. It doesnt have a rubber or silicone gasket that will need to be replaced over time instead, it has a metal-on-metal seal that works remarkably well. While the 10-quart test cooker only had a capacity of four one-quart jars or five wide-mouth pint jars, thats a comfortable size for someone who isnt cooking in huge batches, and it’s relatively easier to store. The canner is made from machined aluminum and is quite thick and a bit heavier than our other favorites, but not enough to be a deal breaker.

No matter what I canned, from jars full of water to actual food, the jars sealed without an issue, and the process was simple. It was easy to read the dial gauge and easy to see the weighted gauge move. This canner also kept pressure at a lower level of heat than the others, which is great for anyone whose energy costs are high.

The one thing to be aware of is that it’s theoretically possible to loosen the screws that hold the lid on while the canner is under pressure. That, of course, would cause hot steam to vent. Experienced canners would certainly know better.

Your First Step To At

Instant Pot Steam Canning: Part Two

Donna Currie

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The popularity of Instant Pot electric pressure cookers has led many home cooks to consider exploring the process of pressure canning. There are plenty of questions in online pressure cooker groups about whether electric cookers can be used to pressure can sauces and soups safely. While the answer to that specific question is “no,” it reveals a burgeoning interest in long-term food preservation.

While pressure cookers and pressure canners are related, theyre not the same. Both pressure cookers and pressure canners work according to the same basic principle: They trap steam to build pressure inside the pot as it’s heated, which, in turn, raises the boiling point of water for faster cooking and more thorough elimination of unwanted microorganisms .

And somewell, well get to that.

I tested six different pressure canners, in a range of prices. Before moving on to canning real food, I tested each canner with measured amounts of water. I then attempted to can different types of foods. The best of the bunch quickly rose to the top, while a few sunk their own ships rather quickly.

Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Without Trivet

Does Pressure Cooking Kill Bacteria

docookingpressurepressure cookerboilingkillsbacteriapressurekill bacteria10 Minute Pressure Canned Tomatoes

  • Step 1: Boiling Water. Start out with lots of tomatoes.
  • Step 2: Ice Water. Remove them from the boiling water and drop into cold ice water.
  • Step 3: Time to Peel. When you get a whole sink full it’s time to slip the skins off.
  • Step 4: Core.
  • Best Overall: Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer at Amazon.
  • Best Multipurpose: Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker at Walmart.
  • Best Electric: Instant Pot Max 6-Quart Multi-Use Pressure Cooker at Amazon.
  • Best Budget: Mirro Polished Aluminum Pressure Canner at Amazon.

Pressure Canner Gauge Styles: A Closer Look

First and foremost, a pressure canner should do its job: process containers of food so that food is free of potential pathogens. There are enough other parts of the food preservation process to worry aboutis my tomato sauce at a safe pH? Did I tighten the jar lids just enough?your canner should not be one of them. Since its impossible to see whats going on inside the canner or check internal temperatures with a thermometer while it’s sealed and under pressure, you need to be able to trust what the product is telling you via its gauges.

Donna Currie

There are two main types of gauges: dial gauges and weight gauges. Dial gauges are just like they sound. They have a dial with a single hand that shows the pressure inside the canner. Most have numbers, and some include other informationfor example, a warning when the cooker has gone beyond a safe pressure level.

Weighted gauges sit on top of a steam vent and begin to move when a specific pressure has been reached . Its important to read the instructions for the particular cooker to see what kind of activity to look for. Some manufacturers say that constant movement of the weighted gauge is an indicator of the proper pressure level, while others say their weighted gauges only need to move a few times each minute.

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You Should Consider Getting A Second Stainless Steel Insert

Your Instant Pot comes with one stainless steel insert, but a few of our readers have suggested getting a second one for a couple reasons. First, if you use your Instant Pot a bunch, its nice to have one available to use while the other one is in the dishwasher. The second reason is that you can quickly change settings on the Instant Pot and make a couple different dishes.

Buy: Genuine Instant Pot Stainless Steel Inner Cooking Pot, $30 for a six- or eight-quart pot

Are there any other words of wisdom youd give to someone who just purchased the Instant Pot? Please share in the comments!

Is The Instant Pot A Good Option For Canning

Can You Do Canning In An Instant Pot?

This graphic from Instant Pot shows the heat pattern inside the device while its on.

You can see that during the pressurized cooking time, the temperature inside the Instant Pot fluctuates between 239ºF and 242F.

239ºF does not meet the safe canning recommendations for preserving low-acid foods.

And that doesnt take into consideration the potential for error. What if its not heating properly? Theres no way to assure that the temperature inside the cooker even maintains that 239ºF minimum. Which, again, is not hot enough for safely canning low acid foods.

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The Instant Pot Is Not An Always Intuitive Appliance

If youre new to the slow cooker or pressure cooker, the Instant Pot is going to take some getting use to. There are so many buttons and settings to consider that it might feel overwhelming at first, but dont let that deter you. As Kelli said in her review of the Instant Pot, its best to really sit down and read the manual before digging in.

When youre trying out recipes for the first time in your Instant Pot, keep things simple. The best recipes to start with specifically if youre new to pressure cooking are eggs, dried beans, and simple vegetables.

Recipes to Start With

Can You Use Electric Pressure Cooker For Canning

Pressure cookers have certainly been around for a long time and they have made lives easy with reduced cooking time. One can cook anything in pressure cookers such as rice, stew, meat or vegetables. For sure, they have eased our lives as cooking has become a matter of minutes. Restaurants use stove top pressure cooker, and normal ones have been replaced with the invention of electric pressure cooker like Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi etc.

Despite of all the time saving and quick cooking benefits, the electric pressure cooker is still not the answer for healthy food preservation of low acid foods. High acid foods such as fruits that can be water bathed may be done in an electric pressure cooker in small quantities but low acid foods need a larger, dedicated pressure canner.

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Why Electric Pressure Cookers Are Not Safe For Canning

The problem with electric pressure cookers is that you have no way of knowing what pressure youre actually cooking at. That means you dont actually know what temperature your jars are actually coming to.

Even if it has a digital readout that tells you what the pressure is, theres no real way to test it for accuracy.

Can You Pressure Can In A Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Steam Canning: Part One

I think the proper question is: SHOULD you pressure can in a pressure cooker?

The answer is NO.

A pressure cooker is not as sophisticated as a canner.

First, it is not built for monitoring pressure/temperature as accurately which is SO important in canning safety. So while it might be able to take small jars of food up to a pressure, you really cant know for sure what that pressure is.

Second, it is not made to maintain a specific pressure with razor-sharp accuracy. If the proper pressure is not met and maintained, then the proper temperature is not met and maintained.

In other words, you may not destroy the harmful bacteria that cause botulism.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation advises against using a pressure cooker for canning. There are just too many different makes, models and brands and most are not as accurate as the manufacturer may claim.

So the bottom line is that a pressure cooker is just built for cooking not canning.

It is really never a good idea to pressure can in it especially since we are talking about the potential for botulism here.

Save a pressure cooker for just cooking.

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How To Use Your Instant Pot For Canning

Its important to note that there are multiple types of canning methods, and we will not be using a pressurized method with your Instant Pot.

A pressure cooker is not the same as a pressure canner!

If you wish to do the pressure canning method, youll need to pick up a proper canning machine.

Yet that doesnt mean you cant begin canning some types of foods! Thankfully you can use water bath canning to preserve a wide variety of foods.

Can You Do Canning In An Instant Pot

The research data has revealed that you shouldnt use an electric cooker for pressure canning. As per the United States Department of Agriculture, they had not released any statement verifying to use of pressure cookers for pressure canning.

And another research data released by Utah state university, electric pressure cant manage 15psi units of pressure. So they stated that cookers shouldnt be used for canning.

Some pressure cooker products have claimed that they can maintain 15psi units of pressure. And one of the products is Instant pot. The Instant pot has one of the features called Canning, you can see the front display panel and it has internal pressure which can maintain up to 15psi units of pressure.

The question why Utah state university released data that the unit has failed in the test?

The company claimed it is because of the altitude level. The key to preserving food is every different altitude has a different boiling point which has different atmospheric temperatures and high temperatures. High temperatures can kill the bacteria inside your pot.

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Why Trust The Spruce Eats

This roundup was written by , who has been a writer and editor for more than 25 years. She currently specializes in pickling, preserving, sourdough baking, and generally making good food from scratch year-round. She grew up pressure canning foods from the family garden and published her first cookbook, “The Complete Guide to Pickling,” in 2020.

This roundup was updated by Sharon Lehman, a home cook who happens to be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She happily makes space for any gadget that make cooking faster and easier and specializes in small kitchen appliance testing and reviews for The Spruce Eats.

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