The Atmospheric Steam Canner was approved as safe for home food preservation ten years ago. However, it seems that many people have never heard of it. Here’s what it is and how to use it to preserve homegrown foods.
What Is a Steam Canner?
The one I have is a two-part pan set. The bottom pan has sides that are a few inches tall, and a rack fits inside the base. It has a large lid that covers the bottom pan, which has a steam vent.
It differs from the boiling water bath canner because you do not fill a large pot with water. You only fill a couple of inches of water in the base of the steam canner. Therefore, it requires less water overall and it heats up and is ready to use faster than a large pot of water.
Once the canner heats up and steam starts venting from the hole on the side of the lid, it’s time to start your timer. Similar to when your water bath canning and the pot begins a rolling boil, that’s when you know to start your timer per the recipe you’re following. That’s how we know it’s reached the safe temperature to preserve the food.
What Food is a Steam Canner Used to Preserve?
This canner allows you to safely preserve acidic foods, the same as a water bath canner. Any food that you can safely preserve in a water bath canner can be safely preserved in a steam canner (see “Important Notes” at the bottom of the article).
High-acid foods or foods that have been acidified and have a pH of 4.6 or lower can safely be preserved with the steam canner. That means vinegar pickles, jams, fruits, jellies, tomatoes, syrups, chutneys, and so on. Steam canning can be used for both hot packing and raw packing.
The processing times for the steam and water bath canner are the same. So, if your recipe directs you to water bath jam for 10 minutes, then you’d process it in the steam canner for 10 minutes. Any recipe that requires you to process for 45 minutes or longer will have to be processed in a water bath canner, as the steam canner does not hold enough water to safely boil for that long.
How Do You Use a Steam Canner?
1. Add water to the noted line in the base of the steam canner, 2-3 quarts, less or more depending on how much you intend to preserve. If I’m canning one batch of jam for 10 minutes, I would add less water. If I’m canning several batches, I’ll fill the water to the max-fill line. Add the lid on the pot’s base and turn the heat up so that the water warms.
2. Fill your jars as you normally would when water bath canning. Add lids and rings just the same.
3. When you’re ready to place your jars in the steam canner, turn down the heat, and slowly lift the lid AWAY from you, so that if there is any steam, it does not go in your face.
4. Place your jars of food on the rack. Return the lid on the pot’s base and turn the heat up to high. Once steam starts venting from the canner, you can start your timer per the recipe you’re following. My steam canner notes in the instructions that if the lid begins rocking and water is spurting out, to turn the heat down.
5. Once the food is done processing, turn the heat off on the canner and allow it to sit covered on the burner to cool down. After a few minutes, open the lid AWAY from you once again, to not burn yourself with steam.
6. Using canning tongs, transfer the hot jars to a towel-lined surface and allow the jars to cool completely (12+ hours) before touching.
Important Notes
Read the instructions that come with your canner, as different brands vary.
Remember to only use trusted recipes. No low-acid foods can be preserved in a water bath or steam canner. Only a pressure canner can safely preserve low-acid foods.
Remember that elevation determines your boiling point temperature, so consult your altitude chart for added timing if you aren’t sure.
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