Here is your complete guide on how to use your pesto precise digital pressure canner at home. Step by step instructions.
So you want to save on freezer space and have found yourself wanting to learn to preserve your food using a safe pressure canning method.
If you are like me, then learning to can food seems a bit intimidating and you may be struggling to make that jump into the pressure canning world. Well let me tell you that the electric pressure canner is the way to go. It makes the process much more simple.
So how does a digital pressure canner work? Well it has an innovative sensor that will maintain the temperature needed for proper pressure canning, at 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
You don’t have to monitor the pressure and no longer need to worry about if you are setting the pressure correctly like on the the older models of pressure canners. Digital pressure canners do that work for you.
It also monitors the venting periods, making that another thing you don’t need to worry about. Follow the simple procedures and you will have no problem using this pesto precise digital pressure canner.
Disclaimer
I am not sponsored by pesto, I am just pleasantly surprised at how much I like using this product and want to share the good news with you!
Can you use the pesto digital pressure canner to water bath can?
Yes! When you are using the boiling water canner function you will need to to do altitude adjustments (unlike with the digital pressure canning).
Places with high altitudes usually need to add boiling time to the water bath canner. You will use the water bath canning method when canning high acid foods.
When you have low acid foods, you will need to pressrure can them.
Can I set it and forget it?
For part of the process, yes. But there are a few steps at the beginning of the process that you will have to do.
- warming the jars
- filling the jars(obviously)
- putting the lid and regulator on
After you do those things and press the advance button, the digital pressure canner will do the rest. It has a built in timer that will kick in after the canning process starts.
Once it reaches the pressure needed, the timer will start. Then the venting and cooling process will all happen on its own. It has another built in timer for cooling and will time for the proper 10 minute cooling process at the end.
I really like that after you put the regulator on you don’t need to be around for the rest of the process. I have had been very buys during the canning and cooling process.
It did everything and beeped 10 times signaling that the process was done. I didn’t have time to get to the jars right away and that was fine. The jars were simply cooling in the canner until I could get to them.
What recipes can I use in my digital pressure canner?
Just like with a non-digital pressure canner, you will need to use tested recipes from the USDA home food preservation. You can find their book USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning to be very helpful.
These are considered safe canning recipes . It is important that you NEVER use your own recipes, or recipes that your great grandma used. Please use tested recipes.
What comes with the pesto precise digital pressure canner?
- canner base and lid with regulator
- large pot/removable pot liner
- instruction manual with complete instructions and a recipe book section
- in addition to the instruction manual there is a QUICK GUIDE that is super handy to have (After reading the instruction manual I now just follow the quick guide to follow the process).
- power cord
- metal rack
My Review
This is the first digital pressure canner that I have used and I would say that it would be a great fit for any home canners whether they are beginners or advanced.
It has built-in safety features that make it safe and simple to follow procedures suggested in the quick start guide. In my opinion, I would suggest a digital pressure canner over a stovetop pressure canner any day.
Pro’s
- pressure canning and water canning
- easy cleaning
- less involvement
- user friendly-great for first time canners and long time canners alike
- cheaper to use, this canner is more energy efficient/cost efficient to use because it uses electricity instead of gas or propane
- doesn’t heat up the house
- don’t need a stove top in order to use
Con’s
- not yet verified by USDA
- short power cord
- high upfront cost
How many Jars will fit in this digital pressure canner?
Will I need to replace parts on my pesto digital pressure canner?
Just like all pressure canners, there will be replacement parts that you many need eventually.
Has this canner been approved by the National Center for Home Food Preservation?
No. Pesto states “the canner has been subjected to extensive testing and was designed to match the internal canner and jar temperatures that are achieved in a stove top pressure canner.
Can I cook food in a digital pressure canner?
No. Although this digital canner seems similar to the instant pot, it should never be used to cook food. ONLY USE THIS PRODUCT TO PRESSURE OR WATER BATH CAN food.
Do I need to have my digital pressure canner calibrated or checked?
“because the pressure canner is electronic, it won’t need to be calibrated.”
Supplies needed
- Digital pressure canner
- Canning tongs
- Bubble Remover
- Canning jars
- Canning Lids and rings
- Prepared food
- Towel
- Mason jar funnel
How to use your Pesto pressure digital pressure canner
Here is your step by step guide on how to use your digital pressure canner. Once you have chosen the canning recipe that you want to use, PREPARE your jars, lids, bands and the food you have chose to can. AGAIN you need to use recipes that have been tested and approved for ANY pressure canning that you do.
These instructions are for using the pressure canning mode. (It looks like a lot of steps, but this first part takes less time than you think and are things that you already have to do with a stove top canner
- Step one: Make sure you have your supplies ready
- Step two: Put the metal canning rack into the removable pot
- Step three: Fill the removable pot with hot water to the fill line (hot water isn’t necessary, but speeds up the jar heating process) and put into the digital pressure canner
- Step four: Plug in your digital pressure canner into a 120VAC wall outlet and the words PRESSURE CAN will start to flash on the digital display
- Step five: Press the control knob to select that you want to use the pressure can function.
- Step six: Turn control knob up, in increments of five minutes, until you get to your desired canning time. This time should be in your recipe
- Step seven: Double check that you have the right time and right program set. If you have made a mistake hold the cancel (X) button down for three seconds and the machine will start over
- Step eight: press the “advance button” which is the shape of a triangle and INSERT JARS will light up prompting you to fill your desired jars half full with hot water and then place jars on the canning rack inside the removable pot.
- Step nine: REMOVE THE REGULATOR
- Step ten: Put the lid on the pressure canner and rotate it until you reach cover lock. Lower the sensor arm with the green latch. Turn the green latch clockwise to lock in place and press the advance button and WARM will show up on your digital display. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start preparing your food.
- Step 11: Canner will BEEP TWICE letting you know that it is time to FILL THE JARS. Using you canning tongs remove the hot jars from the large pot and dump out the hot water and fill with food. ( DO THIS ONE JAR AT A TIME so that the other jars can remain hot while you fill the current jar). Remove bubbles using the bubble remover. Make sure to wipe the top of your canning jars to remove any pieces of food, place the lid on and twist on the bands (finger tight). Put the filled jar back into the pressure canner and repeat.
- Step 12: Put the cover on, lock, lower sensor arm and turn green latch to reveal the air vent and double check that the REGULATOR IS OFF. Press the ADVANCE BUTTON and the word HEAT will show up.
- Step 13: the canner will begin to heat up and once it reaches 240 degrees it will begin to vent through the vent pipe and a timer will show up on the digital display. There will be a 10 minute count down. The canner will start to beep when the ten minutes are over and will continue to beep until you put the REGLATOR ON. Use a pot holder to snap on the regulator, then press the ADVANCE BUTTON.
The “forget it” part (this part takes the longest)
- Now is the nice part! you don’t have to do anything. The canner will do the rest of the work. There will be some steam that comes out and that is normal. The canner will let you know what step it is on when CAN lights up and this is phase 1. CANNING will then light up and the timer that you set will begin to count down.
- When the timer is up, it will beep four times, but you don’t have to do anything. It is just letting you know that it is starting the cooling process and the word COOL will light up. THIS PROCESS CAN TAKE UP TO 1 1/2 HOURS TO COOL. When a ten minute timer shows up you know that the canner is in the final cool down period.
- Step 14: After the digital canner has beeped 10 times then it is DONE. Press and hold ( X) to end. make sure you check the vent/cover lock to see that it has dropped. The cover/lid will NOT open until the vent has dropped. If you need to switch the regulator to vent to allow more steam to leave then you can.
- Step 15: lift the sensor arm and remove the cover/lid towards you so that the steam doesn’t get your face. Use canning tongs to remove your jars and put them on a towel. Let them cool for 24 hours.
Conclusion
This Presto Precise Digital Canner is well worth the investment. I believe that digital canners will be the future of canning. For some it may be difficult getting past the fact that this product isn’t supported by the USDA, but I personally feel very comfortable with using this product for all of my future canning projects!
If you have any questions, let me know in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer them!
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