| Food
Safety
Pressure Canner Testing
Dial
gauge pressure canners should be tested yearly before you start
your canning. Bring your canner lid with the gauge for free
testing between October and May. Call Ivy Nelson at WSU Stevens
County Extension, 509-684-2588 for an appointment to have your
dial gauge tested. You may have your canner tested June through
September at a clinic by a WSU Food Safety Advisor.
Why
Test?
Pressure
canning is the only recommended method for canning meat, poultry,
seafood, and vegetables. The risk associated with preserving these
low-acid foods is botulism poisoning.
Botulism
is caused by a toxin produced by bacteria called Clostridium
botulinum. These bacteria are rarely if ever destroyed at
boiling-water temperatures. At the higher temperatures of a pressure
canner, they are easier to destroy. All low-acid foods should
be processed at temperatures of 240 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit,
temperatures reached with pressure canners when operated at 10
to 15 pounds of pressure.
Testing
your pressure canner will determine whether your canner is functioning
properly and helping you produce a safe food.
Testing
done by appointment in the off season (October through June).
Contact
Ivy Nelson at the extension office at extensionstevens@wsu.edu
or call 509-684-2588 to make other arrangements.
Pressure
Canning Resources Available Through Extension:
PNW
421: Using and Caring for Your Pressure Canner
PNW 172: Canning Vegetables
PNW 194; Canning Seafood
PNW 361: Canning Meat, Poultry, and Game
PNW 395: Salsa Recipes for Canning
PNW 450: Home Canning Smoked Fish
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