Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pressure canning on a Camp Chef Explorer question

For you guys who do your canning on a Camp Chef propane unit, do you have any issues with warping of your Presto canners?
Presto says don’t do it as the heat is too high at 30,000BTU’s but I know some of you do it. I see they have diffuser plates available, do you use those?
I have 2 new Presto canners. Never did any canning before and want to try it. I’d like to use the Camp Chef Explorer stove, but don’t want to warp my canners.

Any comments from your personal experience?

Thanks,
Fenton

I’ve not used a Presto. We have an All American. You don’t need to start or run the Camp Chef at full throttle. Half way would give more than enough heat to get it boiling. Once it comes up to pressure you’re going to keep just enough heat on to maintain pressure.

I don't have a gas stove like that. All of ours is done inside on a glass top electric stove. I did find this link with some info on canning on an outside burner:
LINK
It looks to me like the main thing is to not crank it up to the volcano heat that many of them are capable of. They do say that the burner needs to be close to the diameter of the canner to spread the heat evenly.

Here's another quote from Simplycanning.com:

The reason Presto says to not use this type of heat source is because people are stupid.

People think that because these burners can be cranked up so high that they sound like a jet engine, that’s what needs to be done.

Turn the flame to a med low heat to bring it up to pressure. Once there, turn the flame down just high enough to maintain constant pressure, no need to apply more flame than necessary.

I use that exact set up. I definitely use the diffuser plates because even on just low I had a presto canner bottom start to round, not a bulge perse but it did change the shape a little. I started using custom diffuser plates I had made because I couldn't find any commercial ones. Since then I have had zero issues. We can probably 300 jars a year, 100+ is meat in the pressure canner. Feel free to pm if you have particular questions you don't want to ask publicly.

I was curious about that. What are you using for a diffuser plate? Will just a flat piece of steel work or do you need holes in it to allow some of the heat through?

It's kind of like your pickup, just because there is another inch of throttle pedal, it doesn't mean you should mash it to the floor. Adjust your burner to provide just enough heat to maintain pressure, you will not destroy your kettle, you will not cook your gaskets, you will not calcify the vents. Maybe your Camp Chef is different, but mine is infinitely controllable, gravy? gently cooked eggs? no problemo.

we have been canning with 2 prestos on fish cookers for years with no problems.

Same. Not 2 just have 1, but been using a presto on a turkey/fish fryer for years. And yes despite the pearl clutching by some, I crank it up then regulate it from there. If somebody else doesn't feel comfortable with that I understand, but it can be done completely safe, just have to have enough sense to be able to read what is happening and back it off when appropriate. Reaching an initial sign of approaching desired heat and pressure is the same no matter what source it's coming from.

The warnings against using fryers is because they have the ability to blow a pressure canner sky high left turned up too high and unattended. I use a fryer specifically because I can get to that 55 mph cruising speed a lot quicker. I check my gaskets and vent before each use. Never a hint of any issues before or after each canning session.

Same BS for idiots and Laywers.

I have always used the stove in the house. We just moved a couple of months ago and I can see that my double stacker American is not going to fit on the stove with the low microwave. So I will need to be looking into options.

The ones I had made I had them put holes in them

Propane doesn't get hot enough unless you burn a lot of it- - - -fish cooker, turkey fryer, etc. The oldtime Coleman gasoline stoves will get a pressure canner up to temp much faster than Propane, but you have to use a little common sense. Back when the kids were at home we did a lot of canning- - - -buy a bushel of green beans and can several dozen quarts, etc. My wife used the kitchen range on Propane, and I'd run the other canner on a 3 burner Coleman gasoline stove. My canner would outwork hers almost 2 to 1 because it came up to pressure faster. A steel plate over the stove burners evened out the heat.

I have made several diffusers or trivets as my wife calls them. Cut them from 3/16” mild steel plate to fit the burner or pot being used. No holes. Use them on a propane stove in the kitchen or on the Camp Chef burner. We have a one gallon stainless steel percolator and use the plate under it when the coffee starts to perk. Don’t know why it wouldn’t work with your canner.