# Pressure canning on a woodstove



## HardCider (Dec 13, 2013)

Can you do it? And how were your results


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I haven't tried yet, but the biggest problem I anticipate is keeping temperature constant for the entire period, however people bake bread using wood stoves so it's certainly possible with enough practice.

As a matter of fact, now that I think of it, baking loaves of plain bread seems like a great way to practice wood stove temp control. Burning a loaf of bread is no big deal compared to failure to safely and reliably can food and end up getting horribly sick. (you could practice with jars filled with water though if you really want to practice on just the canner)


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Yes, but it certainly isn't "set it and forget it". Water bath is easier of course, with a pressure canner there is lots of moving it around. Trying to set the fire exactly right is not going to work, better to use the varied temp of the top. A thermometer or two is a huge advantage, I really like a infrared one.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> Yes, but it certainly isn't "set it and forget it". Water bath is easier of course, with a pressure canner there is lots of moving it around. Trying to set the fire exactly right is not going to work, better to use the varied temp of the top. A thermometer or two is a huge advantage, I really like a infrared one.


Agree 100%. I always waterbath on the wood stove but only pressure can on it when I have to. To keep it constant I have to move it around the hot plate and it only just fits under my warmer shelf so can be a real pain. The worst possible thing that can happen is when someone decides to be nice and stoke the fire if I'm not in the room for a few minutes :gaah:

I much preferred a previous wood stove for canning, it had a firebox running the whole length of the cook top and you could rake the fire around inside it to control the temperature. I'll be putting something similar in the new kitchen.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I'm sure it can be done but will require constant attention, as mentioned. If you have gotten to the point you can cook a chicken or turkey in the oven, you stand a much better chance.

Heat the stove to a constant, get your bed of coals going. Fire it up on the left, over the firebox, then sliiiide it to the right a little or to 'that spot'. You will need to babysit it for many times before you can walk away 'for a second'. Forward an inch or two, to the right a little, back and to the left.... 1/2" stick in the box, open the damper for a second to light it, close it down. Maybe a larger stick on the fire, leave the door open a crack, move the pot to the right... It actually sounds like a fun challenge!


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## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

Think something like a Rocket Stove might work better??? Does sound like a lot of work to keep the flame just right...


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Cooking on a wood stove is a skill like any other. Start off with cooking meat in the oven then move to bread or even cake. Controlling the top is different than controlling the oven so practice with cooking on top with something that takes a bit of time. 

You might want to have a trivet handy or some other way to raise your cooker half an inch or an inch above the cook top. In the latter part of the cook I find my pressure cooker requires very little heat to maintain pressure. Whatever you use make sure it provides stability. You can't just turn this stove off, you will need a place to set your hot pressure cooker to let it cool down.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Pressure canning with wood fire????*

I grow up cooking with wood fire stoves and ovens, baking bread in a wood fire oven is as old as time, the bread is never over the charcoals, the oven is heated to 500* or more then the loafs go in. I baked all the time in my BBQ the same principal, charcoals to one side loaf pan to the other in propane is more about controlling the heat like in your oven. But pressure canning is another matter; you have to control pressure and heat in order to get proper results or else, water bath canners are much easier for wood fire heat source. Water bath canning has been used for generations as a way to preserved non-meat consumables and high acids produce, meats/fish normally were salted and dry for the long stay. Our forefathers/mothers knew how to survive and I can tell you for experience and watching my elders that the wheel has already been invented and not to mess with their wisdom, you want to pressure canned, get a good study heat source period and besides in a shtf event the less complicated our needs are the better we will be and if my only source of heat was wood I definitely would wasted pressure canning.


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