My Grandmama's Canner

When I went "home" for Christmas, my Grandmama gave me her old canner. She said she doesn't have the strength/desire to use it now that my Granddaddy is gone, and she knows I'm putting in a garden and plan to start canning again.

This thing is so cool! I was reading through the guide so I can set it up, clean it, and test it. That should give me time to order any replacement parts before I'm up to my eyeballs in rotting produce, waiting on a part to arrive.

Anyway.

The book that comes with it indicates it was made in 1944. There is a section about cleaning the cooker that says "This Cooker is manufactured from the best material we are permitted to use under the allocation restrictions, and with ordinary care will give many years of satisfactory service. However, there are various alloys in the metal upon which the physical properties of water and certain foods willl react causing the inside of the Cooker to darken." Then it goes on to tell how to deal with discoloration.

Wow, the allocation restrictions.

There is another section that talks about all the various containers that can be used to can produce, following modern scientific methods. It shows the two piece cap we're accustomed to seeing (rings and flats). Also:

Bail or Lighing Type Cap - cap with separate rubber ring, held in place by a steel wire clamp.

Three-piece cap - Metal screw band, glass lid, and separate rubber ring.

Mason cap - Made of zinc with a porcelain lining and separate rubber ring. Screws on with threads.

There is a section on tin cans, too, and the different sizes (number 2, 2 1/2, 3). Also it shows how to cut off the top of a tin can after one using "and still have a sufficient amount of tin to make another seal".

This is SO COOL!!

There are lots of high quality photographs, and the woman is wearing what looks like a white lab coat (you can only ever see her hands and wrists).

It discusses canning on a gas or kerosene stove, electric stove, and coal or wood stoves.

I won't use this manual for the recipes and canning times - they've been adjusted many times since 1944. But of course I'll use it for cleaning and maintenance information. The photos and verbal content are wonderful!