# First time canning question



## masterspark (Sep 2, 2012)

x


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

masterspark said:


> OK so I canned my first batch in the pressure canner and all seems to have gone well. When cleaning my canner I found that there was a black section that formed in the bottom of the canner. Wherever the sitting water was is now black. The aluminum rack which was also submerged is stilll bright and shiny.
> Is my brand new shiny pot going to be discolored forever?:dunno:


Likely.

I got all of my canners used and they all look like that. Some are much worse than others though.

Why worry about it though? You bought it to use it.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

Yeah, mine is new since Christmas, used it 5 times and it has discolaration in the bottom, not black but not shiney....think of what it goes through....all that heat for a long time....it would have to have some impact on the metal.


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## Enchant18 (Feb 21, 2012)

Yes, mine too. Bought it a week ago and have used it 7 times. Noticed the discoloration after the first batch.


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## farmers (Jul 28, 2012)

Probably caused by hard water. One of my canners is aluminium, I put some vinegar in it. I have 3 stainless pressure canners that I just love.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

farmers said:


> Probably caused by hard water. One of my canners is aluminium, I put some vinegar in it. I have 3 stainless pressure canners that I just love.


Where do you get stainless pressure canners?


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## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> Where do you get stainless pressure canners?


It really doesn't matter about the stainless or aluminum unless you are cooking in them directly. I do not use aluminum pots at all for cooking. Most of the old folks having brain problems were raised up eating out of aluminum and magnesium cookware. Notice that a few years ago all the antacid companies switched to "calcium". If you do search for a stainless cooker, be sure to shop around. Sometimes I have found prices a hundred and fifty dollars difference. The aluminum is fine for canning because there is no direct contact with the food, as it is in jars. I have a nice stainless pressure cooker that I picked up at a flea market for just a few bucks. I was shopping around for a stainless cooker when I came across the one I purchased. There are several sources online and also you can get parts for most all of them. I am kinda partial to the All American ? It doesn't use a gasket and has a wedge type lid seal, metal to metal. I have seen many very old ones made this way. Has lid clamps around the perimeter of the pot. Industrial looking device, built to last.


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## PackerBacker (Dec 13, 2012)

VUnder said:


> It really doesn't matter about the stainless or aluminum unless you are cooking in them directly. I do not use aluminum pots at all for cooking. Most of the old folks having brain problems were raised up eating out of aluminum and magnesium cookware.


Cooking in aluminum doesn't bother me a bit seeing there is no positive correlation between the aluminum and the brain thing.

I am just curious about the SS seeing how most new ones are all aluminum.



> Myth 4: Drinking out of aluminum cans or cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to Alzheimer's disease.
> Reality: During the 1960s and 1970s, aluminum emerged as a possible suspect in Alzheimer's. This suspicion led to concern about exposure to aluminum through everyday sources such as pots and pans, beverage cans, antacids and antiperspirants. Since then, studies have failed to confirm any role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer's. Experts today focus on other areas of research, and few believe that everyday sources of aluminum pose any threat.


http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp


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## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

PackerBacker said:


> Cooking in aluminum doesn't bother me a bit seeing there is no positive correlation between the aluminum and the brain thing.
> 
> I am just curious about the SS seeing how most new ones are all aluminum.
> 
> http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp


Stainless is harder to manufacture with. Really durable, though. The aluminum thing is too risky. Just like teflon, now it is in everybody's blood, but they don't really know what it will do, so it is being phased out because it is ending up in the bloodstream. Cast iron or stainless for me. I wish I hadn't played with all that mercury as a child, or chewed on lead sinkers while I was fishing, but I am more careful now. From my point of view, the only difference between my grandparents and their grandparents was aluminum. Basically, they were all southerners that lived the same lifestyle for the most part. I will err on the side of caution. Not meaning to argue, but I do like to discuss.


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