Cooking Canning questions

[Promomx2]

My mil lent me her really old Mirro 12gt pressure cooker to can some green beans. SHe couldn't find the directions so I looked online. The directions I found said that you could not use the 12gt to can foods. Is it because there is no number pressure gauge on the cooker?

 

[VickiV]

You should have a number gauge so that you know you are processing at the proper poundage for the correct amount of time. If you don't know this, you could end up will food that will spoil at the least. Pressure cookers can also have inaccurate readings. They should be tested for accuracy, especially older models. Where I live, we have "County Extension Agencies" that are operated by a major university. They offer free testing. They recommend that pressure cookers used for canning be tested annually.

Perhaps the next time you get a bounty of green beans, you might want to consider making "Dilly Beans". They are green beens with a dill pickle flavor. Not fond of green beans, I was hesitant to try them, but they're actually very good. My brother can eat them by the jar They're easy to make and can be processed in a water bath canner rather than a pressure canner.

VickiV