Is It Safe To Can Food With A Pressure Cooker Instead Of A Canner?

“Hi there, just ran into a tricky situation. I’ve got this trusty pressure *cooker* sitting on my counter and I was wondering if I could use it to can some veggies and stews I’ve been making. I’ve heard mixed things online, and I want to avoid spending the extra money on a pressure *canner* if I don’t have to. But I’m also really focused on safety — I’ve got a couple of kids I’ll be feeding this to, and I’d hate to take any unnecessary risks. Could really use some guidance here! Thanks in advance for your time and help,” Mary, Calgary, Canada.

Using A Pressure Cooker for Canning: Is it Safe?

First off, Mary, you’re not alone! So many folks have looked at their pressure cooker and thought, “Hey, this could do double-duty as a canner.” But there’s definitely some important stuff to consider before you start sealing up jars in that cooker. And I get it – sometimes spending extra on a specialized piece of equipment feels like overkill when something you already own seems like it could do the same job.

But when it comes to safely preserving your garden veggies or homemade stews, there’s a big difference between using a pressure cooker and a pressure canner. Let’s dig into those differences and get you the info you need for making safe choices when canning at home, especially when you’ve got littles relying on your homemade goodness!

What’s the Difference Between a Pressure Cooker and a Pressure Canner?

Let’s clarify this right up front, Mary. A pressure cooker is designed for quickly cooking food under high pressure, a real time-saver for meals. Great when you’re in a rush to get a stew or pot roast on the table in under an hour.

But a pressure canner? That’s a specialized piece of equipment. It’s built to maintain certain necessary internal pressures for long periods of time (think 10-90 minutes) to safely preserve low-acid foods like veggies, meats, and soups. It’s not just about sealing jars or cooking something quickly; it’s about creating an environment inside those jars that can kill botulism spores and other harmful pathogens that *would otherwise thrive* in an airless, sealed container.

One big difference between the two: canners have a gauge (dial or weighted) that lets you precisely monitor the pressure used during the preservation process. Cookers usually don’t, and that’s a huge game-changer when it comes to food safety!

Why Pressure Canning Matters

If you’re canning something low-acid—like beans, meats, or some veggies—it’s vital that your equipment can achieve and maintain at least 240°F (that’s 116°C for our Canadian and European friends). That’s the point at which those botulism spores I mentioned can be destroyed. Regular boiling water only gets up to 212°F (100°C), which just isn’t enough.

This is where the pressure canner comes in, creating and holding those high-pressure conditions for the length of time needed. A pressure *cooker*, even though it can sometimes get up to high temperatures for short periods, isn’t designed to hold those precise pressures over time. And here’s the dangerous part: if the spore-killing process doesn’t happen correctly, you could wind up with sealed jars *full of botulism*. Yikes, right?

Why Pressure Cookers Just Don’t Cut It

I hear you, Mary, about wanting to cut costs—who wouldn’t? But here’s the honest truth: it’s just not safe to can in a pressure cooker. Pressure cookers are great for meal prep, super-fast meals, or even infusing lots of flavors in a short time. But they weren’t built with canning safety in mind.

1. Pressure Cookers Can’t Maintain Steady Pressure

Even when a pressure cooker gets hot enough, maintaining **steady pressure** for the long time periods needed for canning isn’t something they were meant to do. They’re designed to cook food quickly at high heat, then cool off just as fast. That cooling process you’d typically want for dinner? Not good at all for canning!

2. No Pressure Monitoring Tools

Most pressure cookers don’t come equipped with that all-important pressure gauge. Without a dial or weight to properly measure whether the internal pressure has stayed high enough for long enough, there’s no way of knowing if your canning process was actually safe. And while some online forums suggest approximations or shortcuts to get around this, there’s no safe hack for foodborne illness!

3. Size Matters (Way More Than You Think)

Pressure cookers are smaller than pressure canners. This limits how many jars you can process at once and also creates a cramped space, which can slow down or prevent proper heat distribution. A canner, on the other hand, has plenty of room to fit multiple jars with equally spaced air circulation around them, ensuring the process works as it needs to.

4. Thickness of Material

Pressure *canners* tend to be built from sturdier, thicker materials compared to cookers. This allows for **even heat distribution** and helps maintain the precision required for canning. Thinner-walled pressure cookers cool down too fast and may not sustain appropriate pressure levels throughout the entire canning process.

Food Safety Risks: Why It’s Not Worth the Gamble

Explaining Botulism (Without Fear-Mongering)

I don’t want to scare you, Mary, but botulism is real, and it’s a nasty business. It’s a rare but dangerous illness caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, and it’s most common in improperly canned low-acid foods. Symptoms can range from nausea and fatigue to paralysis—and it can even be fatal if untreated.

Low-acid foods like green beans, meats, potatoes, and stews need to be canned at high temps so these spores are killed off before being sealed in a jar. Sealing them under pressure without first killing the spores creates the perfect little anaerobic environment where that bacteria can thrive, potentially turning a batch of homemade food into a health risk.

For these reasons, it’s super important to stick with a pressure canner—not just a regular pressure cooker—whenever you’re canning low-acid foods.

Signs You Canned Food Wrong (And What to Do About It)

If you’ve already canned something in a pressure cooker (no shame, a lot of us have been there!), here are some signs to look for that *could* indicate trouble:

• If the jar’s lid looks **bulged** or puffed up—do not open it. Botulism inside could be lurking.
• If the food smells **off**, even slightly—when in doubt, throw the whole jar out.
• If there’s **visible mold** along the inside of the lid or around the food.
• Or, if when opening any can, the jar doesn’t create that satisfying **seal-breaking sound** (like a pop).

Beyond this, if you really feel that something might be wrong with a batch and don’t trust it, it is 100% okay to discard it. You’ve gotta trust your instincts when it comes to food safety, Mary!

Investing in the Right Equipment

Here’s the kicker: a pressure canner is an investment, but it’s one of those things you’ll soon see the value in—especially if you’re doing a lot of preserving. I remember when I splurged on my first canner, thinking I’d only use it a handful of times. But the peace of mind, knowing every batch was safe, quickly paid for itself. It’s also worth thinking about the time you’ll save in the long run from not worrying about whether something’s safe to eat.

Canning Hacks and Shortcuts I Use

I get it, buying extra equipment isn’t always a fun option. But here’s a bonus tip: once you’ve got that canner, you don’t need other fancy tools to speed things up. I love using everyday kitchen tools (tongs, towels) for handling jars, and I wrap old hot pads around my jars to keep them warm while they’re cooling down. Simple, right? Don’t overthink the accessories!

Alternatives If You’re Not Ready to Buy a Pressure Canner

If the idea of buying a pressure canner doesn’t sound doable right now, you do have other options for preservation:

• Freeze your food: A great short-term solution for veggies, soups, and stews.
• Pickling: This raises the acidity which allows for water bath canning (no need for a pressure canner).
• Fermenting: A whole other lovely, healthy, and effective way to preserve certain veggies.

Troubleshooting Common Pressure Canning Issues

So, let’s say you do decide to go with the pressure canner route after all (good for you!). Sometimes, even the best equipment can have hiccups, though.

Here’s what to do with common canning problems:

• Not gaining full pressure? Double-check that the vent pipe is free of any debris, and make sure you haven’t overfilled the canner.
• If jars aren’t sealing: Check the rim of each jar for chips or cracks — even the tiniest flaw can prevent a proper seal. Also make sure your lids are still new-ish; reusing old lids can interfere with that airtight closure.
• Foamy liquid around jars? This can sometimes happen if jars are only partially covered by the liquid inside, but it won’t necessarily hurt anything.

Final Thoughts…

Thanks again for the great question, Mary! I know safety is super important when you’re canning, especially with your kiddos depending on you. While pressure cookers are awesome for quick meals, they just don’t offer the reliability and precision that pressure canners do when it comes to keeping your preserved food safe. If you decide to make the leap and grab a proper canner, you’ll have peace of mind and be able to whip up safe, long-lasting meals to enjoy all winter long.

Happy canning!