Posted: 5/22/2009 2:52:42 AM EDT
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I have a National canner. It is like the All American in appearance, but has a strange pressure regulation system that (a spring loades knurled thing)
Anyway I could use an Owners Manual if anyone has one. I did find on a different site instructions for conversion using an All American weight. Amy information about this old timer would be great. Thanks Mike on the lid it says . C18 National Eau Clare.Wis |
| I assume you are talking about a pressure cooker? If it were me, I would go bu a new one, with good seals, known pressure regulation, and safety improvements. Canning can be dangerous, especially meats if you aren't a little on the careful side, and I personally wouldn't risk getting sick or dead over a seventy dollar (if you want a big nice one) pressure canner |
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I have never heard of that manufacturer. I would probably remove that regulator system, and see if the hole could be threaded to take a All American "bouncing" style weight. The aluminum lid would be easy to thread with a hand held tap.
If the canner is similar to the All American style, I would keep it and make this simple change rather than getting rid of it and spending a bunch of money on a new one. If you have any second hand stores around, you could look and see if they have any pressure cookers there. Perhaps you could use that pressure system on it. I see the pressure cookers fairly often, the pressure canners not so much, but some of them seem to have the same style of weight on top. |
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National was a common brand around here when I was a kid. You used to be able to get instructions and even order new seals for all kinds of pressure cookers through the local county extension offices here. You had to talk to the home-ec person in the office and they could either get them or send you to the source. I don't know if that's still true or not. So few people, relatively, are canning nowadays. They may have gotten away from that service. |
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Thanks everyone,
National became Presto. The canner that I have is a metal to metal style that is simular to the All American and the modification parts will thread right in. The reason that I am looking for the instructions is that I am a bit interested in the regulation system that is on it, I like to know how stuff works. Thanks again for the help Mike |
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Quoted:
Thanks everyone, National became Presto. The canner that I have is a metal to metal style that is simular to the All American and the modification parts will thread right in. The reason that I am looking for the instructions is that I am a bit interested in the regulation system that is on it, I like to know how stuff works. Thanks again for the help Mike Mike, I found a National #7 pressure canner at a second hand store that I think has the same style of regulator and pressure gauge as yours. From the research I did I found that the spring loaded petcock is to adjust the amount of steam released to maintain the unit at the proper pressure for your altitude. After you've vented the canner for about 10 minutes you close the petcock and let the pressure build to the correct pressure. Then you crack it back open slightly to get it to maintain the proper pressure for the duration of the cooking time. This system was generally replaced with the weighted 'rocker' similar to the type that a generic pressure cooker uses. The good thing about the weighted jiggler thing is that you can hear and see it working. The only inconvenient thing about them is you need different and heavier rockers as you go up in altitude. The petcock type with the pressure gauge works fine if you understand how and why it works. I've used mine and had perfectly good results but the one thing about the older style is that you must monitor your gauge throughout the cooking time as you can't let it drop below your target pressure. If that happens you must bring it back up to pressure and start timing over from zero. One word of caution: to safely pressure can with these you should pressure test the canner every year to make sure the pressure gauge reads correctly. If you are going to update and upgrade to a weighted rocker you must get the parts that are for pressure canners. The parts for regular pressure cookers are not designed to keep the proper amount of pressure in the unit. You have to get the correct parts for your altitude. gk |