Pressure Canning Outdoors in Wintertime

This is a different subject but I have a 22quart Presto - it holds 7 quarts at a time -and can on my glass top stove without problem. I can't use the All American because it is considerably heavier and I am afraid I will break the glass. I have a double propane "turkey fryer" with legs and although I haven't used it in the winter I can't see that there would be a problem as long as the temperature is correct the pressure should stay stable...perhaps not in a windy spot however.

I am going to purchase a large hotplate so I can use the AA indoors -mine holds twice as many jars as my Presto so it would cut the time in half!

Canning meat in quart jars for 90 min @ 10 psi is ok, unless your elevation is higher than 1000', then it's 15 psi. I too don't see it to be a problem canning outside, as long as you can get enough heat to get you the pressure it should be fine. Do a trial run first empty and see.
Sounds like someones going hunting!

How about using wood in a rocket stove?

How about using wood in a rocket stove?

The problem will be keeping the heat even and being able to turn it down when the pressure is at the desired rate. I would think a rocket stove would make that tricky however I've heard of lots of people who can on a woodstove and I would assume the issues would be the same.

Great idea on doing a run with just water in the jars - I guess we can't call it a dry run!!! 😆

Hi Anita,

I have canned on both a propane stove outside (can't see it being that different then the propane stove you are talking about, The biggest thing I found is that yes, you need a wind block, ideally something that can cover two sides and be easily moved if and when the wind directions change from day to day..

Waterbath canning on a rocket stove is possable but fussy as you have to feed all the time, where as if you get a small cast iron fishing hut stove, it fits the canner size really well and its much! easier to keep a nice steady heat for boiling canning, however for the pressure canning, the wind becomes the same issue..

I do the canning of the water whenever I have extra space in a canner, its useful to have a bit of extra water put up, and does not leave empty spaces in the canner..

Just curious as to why one would want to can outdoors in the first place. I like the heat staying indoors. If propane still exists, chances are that electricity does as well.

While I agree with you that in winter if you have a wood stove and you are canning inside in winter, you are going to be heating the house, but I can think of at least once reason to can outside, if as the cost of power/propane goes up higher and higher and you have not changed your house over to wood, you could greatly reduce your power bill by canning outside on a small cast iron stove.

Interested in what others will think about this question?

I only started canning about a year ago, but as I learned, the canning season comes early. I can A LOT of tomatoes and they are ready LONG before I want to be adding heat to the house. Tomatoes of course are only an example...there is a lot of food you may want to can before the weather turns cold.
I have been looking for a small and free (because I'm a cheap bugger) wood stove on kijiji and craig's list for a while, but keep missing my chances. An old kitchen cookstove would be ideal and I could easily set it up outside to can during warmer weather. Also, an old outdoor stove is a great place to burn non heating wood such as pine, spruce and even old lumber or plywood.

The big problem would be maintaining the pressure because the outdoor air will be cooling the pot almost faster than you can heat it. One solution is to wrap a slab of Roxul insulation around the canner. Just tie it on with wire, tape or string.

Roxul does not burn. You can hit it with a blow torch for 20 min. and it will just get a slightly black, slightly melted surface. I use it on my outdoor wood furnace and on my chicken scalding barrel. It will also double as the wind break suggested by others so that you can keep it closer to the house. Using the Roxul I think you would be able to control the heat as well as on your kitchen stove. Less propane use overall when doing your canning outdoors.

My wife and I purchased an electric pressure cooker and it works fine, have done a few dozen jars already.

Hi gwhunter - I hate to be the bearer of bad news but pressure cooker is not the same as a pressure canner. If you are canning low acid foods it is not safe. If you are canning high acid foods you just need a boiling water bath.

Please some research yourself so you don't have to take my word for it.

here's a good place to start: http://nchfp.uga.edu/questions/FAQ_canning.html

One more specifically about pressure cookers: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/pressurecookers.html