Well-Preserved Pressure Canning Safety The Well-Preserved news column is prepared by Lan caster County Cooperative Extension. It includes food preservation information and questions. A question we often hear at the cooperative extension office: “Is it safe to use a pressure can ner?” If you have never used a pres sure canner, using it for the first time can be an intimidating ex perience. One senses that the questioner visualizes the canner blowing up as the pressure in the canner increases or that she/he has had the experience of seeing a pressure plug blow. Today’s pressure canners are designed for safety. They are lightweight, thin-wall kettles. Most of them have tum-on lids fitted with gaskets that expand during heating to give an air tight seal. However one style is made of a heavier metal and has screw-down knobs around the canner but does not have a gas ket. All the canners have remov able racks, an automatic vent/ cover lock, a steam vent, and a safety fuse or plug. This metal or rubber plug acts as a safety release. If the canner gets above 25 pounds of pressure, the metal plug melts or the rubber plug pops out to release excess pres sure. The pressure canner may have a dial gauge for indicting TIMONIUM, Md. The 2003 Maryland State Fair is a sure bet for summer food, fun, and cele bration. In its 122nd year, the 11-day festival will feature thou sands of home arts and agricul tural exhibits, daily livestock and horse shows, a wide variety of midway rides and games, and thoroughbred horse racing. The Maryland State Fair opens Friday, August 22 and runs through Monday, September 1, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Baltimore Coun ty. Early risers are welcome to at tend livestock and horse shows at 9 a.m., exhibit halls are open TOYS, T-SHIRTS, & COLLECTIBLES John Deere I\EW HOLLAND CHECK OUR WEB SITE www.abcgroff.com OR VISIT OUR STORE It's only one hour away from Harrisburg <TAB(yS ( GROFF I VNk Thc Name You Can Trust Jy VW Since 1890^^^^ the pressure or a weighted gauge for indicating and regu lating the pressure. Newer model canners have a lid lock that prevents you from opening the canner while there is still pressure in it. These added safe ty features should give you extra confidence when using a pres sure canner. Also look for the UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) Seal of Approval. Pressure canners come in var ious sizes. Some hold only one layer of quart or smaller jars, while others are deep enough for two layers of pint or smaller size jars. A pressure canner should be large enough to hold at least four quart jars. Smaller kettles are referred to as pres sure cookers and are not recom mended for canning because they cool down too quickly to maintain the higher tempera tures needed to destroy harmful bacteria. A pressure canner should not be confused with a steam can ner. A steam canner does not operate under pressure and can not heat foods above 212 F. The use of a steam canner is not rec ommended as a safe canning procedure even for high acid foods by the USDA because pro cess times for use with current models have not been adequate ly tested, heat distribution inside a steam canner is uneven, and pockets of air trapped between jars or under the dome can 122nd Maryland State Fair To Run Aug. 22- Sept. 1 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., and the Midway opens at 10 a.m. on weekends and 12 noon on week days. Admission is $5 for adults and children under 12 are admitted free. Rides are individually priced. The 4-H Livestock Show will begin Friday, August 22 and run through Sunday, August 24. The 4-H Livestock Sale is on Sunday, August 24 at 7 p.m. A variety of Open Class livestock shows will begin Monday, August 25 and run through Labor Day. Thoroughbred Horse Racing begins Saturday, August 23 and runs throughout the Fair with 717-355-2121 800-346-8319 110 South Railroad Ave. New Holland, PA 17557 Monday thru Friday 7:30-5:00 as Saturday 7:30 - Noon cause cold spots where tempera tures are below 212 F. Learning to use a pressure canner properly will ensure its safety for both the user and the food canned. Watch the pres sure dial or weighted gauge to avoid excess pressure. Adjust burner temperature to maintain a constant temperature. This is not the time to get distracted. Two important procedures are adjusting pressure canner temperatures for altitude and venting the canner. The internal canner pressures and tempera tures are lower at higher alti tudes. Canners must be operat ed at increased pressures to adjust for these temperature changes. Check a USDA can ning guide for adjustments needed for altitudes above 1000 feet. Air trapped in a pressure canner lowers the temperature obtained for a given pressure which results in under process ing. All pressure canners must be vented 10 minutes before the petcock is closed or the weight ed gauge is placed over the vent port. To vent a canner heat the sealed canner on high with the vent port uncovered until the water boils causing a visible fun nel of steam that is continuously escaping the canner. After 10 minutes of continuous steam, live and/or simulcast races from a variety of other tracks around the country. Admission to the race track is included in the admission price of the Fair. The Maryland State Fair fea tufes daily exhibits and presenta tions for visitors of all ages. New this year: University of Maryland Agriculture Fair Tours; The Toyota Concert Series featuring three concerts free with paid ad mission to the Fair by national artists Jars of Clay; The Rock and Roll Army (including Rare Earth, Mitch Ryder, Spencer Davis, and Mark Lindsey) and Brad Paisley. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. RT 283 toward Lancaster (Past HBG Airport) to 30E to RT 23 (New Holland Pike) turn left onto 23E towards New Holland, go about 12 miles. Once in New Holland turn right onto South Railroad Avenue. Go 1.5 blocks, look for white 3 story building on right before railroad tracks. the petcock or vent port can be closed to begin pressuring the canner. The canner will pressur ize in the next 3 to 5 minutes. Have the dial gauge checked yearly at you local Cooperative Extension office. If the gauge reads high or low by more than one pound, it should be re placed. If the gauge reads low by one pound or less, add that amount to the recommended pressure. Processing procedures also af fects safety. Constantly monitor the pressure during the process ing. Loss of pressure at any time can result in under-processed and unsafe food. If at any time the pressure goes below the rec ommended amount, bring the canner back to the correct pres sure and begin the timing pro cess over. Start from the begin ning and use the total original process time. Quick and large pressure variations may cause unnecessary liquid losses from jars. This may occur during pro cessing because of burner ad justments or cooling the canner too quickly. When the processing is com pleted, the canner should be re moved from the heatset it off an electric burner. The heat in the canner at this point is part of the processing needed to destroy bacterial spores. Let the canner cool down naturally. The canner is de-pressurizing while it is cooling. Do not cool the canner under cold running water or open the vent port before the canner is fully depressurized. These are forms of forced cool ing and will cause loss of liquid from jars and seal failures. Back by popular demand: the XTREME Air Ultimate Stunt Show; The Birthing Center where fairgoers have the opportunity to witness the birth of calves and piglets under the-supervision of veterinarians. and veterinarian students; the NASA/FIRST High School Robotics Display and Stack Attack Robotics Competi tion; and more. Fairgoers are invited to explore the Farm and Garden, 4-H/Home Arts Buildings, the Cow Palace, Horse Show Ring, and other agri cultural buildings and displays as well as the Exhibition Hall. For nature lovers, join the Depart ment of Natural Resources in the Direction from Harrisburg: Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16, 2003-B5 These procedures may also warp the canner lid. Older heavy-walled canners require about 30 minutes to depressur ize when loaded with pints and about 45 minutes when loaded with quarts. The newer then walled canners cool more quick ly and are equipped with vent locks that are designed to open when the pressure is gone. At this point the vent lock drops to a normal position. Then remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock and wait 2 minutes as a safety precaution before unfastening the lid. Al ways lift the lid with the under side away from you to direct any steam coming out of the canner away from your face. Jars will be extremely hot when removed from the pressure can ner. Avoid placing these hot jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft as the temperature ex tremes may cause the jars to break. By following canner and pro cessing directions exactly, you can have safely canned foods and be safe while you are doing it. Remember, pressure canning is the only safe method to pro cess low acid vegetables such as com and green beans, meats, and combination foods such as soups and tomato sauces with meat. If you have food preservation questions, a home economist is available to answer questions on Wednesdays 10 a.m.l p.m., call (717) 394-6851 or write Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lancaster County, 1383 Arcadia Rd., Rm.l, Lancaster, PA, 17601. State Fair Park for a chance to see native animals (such as owls, snakes, and turtles) at the “Scales and Tales” exhibit and learn about conservation, recreation, stewardship, and the protection of Maryland’s natural resources. Parking on the Fairgrounds for a minimal fee and free parking at the Park and Ride location on Deereco Road are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Fairgrounds encourages use of the Light Rail with an easily ac cessible Light Rail stop at the Fairgrounds’ Cow Palace Gate. For general information, call (410) 252-0200, ext. 227; or visit the Maryland State Fair Website at marylandstatefair.com. II Pre-Season Sale Aug. l to Sept, is 1060 Division Highway 322 East, Ephrata, PA 17522 1 Block East of Rt 222 (717) 733-4973 800-642-0310 www. bowmansstove .com Mon , Tins, Wad 10 to 6, Thurs ,
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