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N.C. Cooperative Extension, Davie County Center, has pressure canner gauge testing available during April for pressure canners with dial gauges.

Only pressure canner lids are needed for testing, not the pot. Pressure canners made by National, Maid of Honor and Presto can be checked.

It’s important to ensure a gauge’s accuracy each year.  Gauges that read higher than the actual pressure under process foods making them unsafe, while gauges that read low, over process foods, possibly affecting quality. Pressure canners with weighted gauges (jiggler types) are not tested, as they are supposed to maintain accuracy.

Foods with low acidity, such as green beans and other vegetables, must be processed in a pressure canner following a tested recipe to ensure food safety and avoid the risk of botulism poisoning.  Meat, seafood and poultry should also be processed in a pressure canner.  Foods with high acidity, such as pickles and many fruits, are safe to process in a boiling water canner following a tested recipe.

Contact the Extension Center at 336.753.6100 to have your dial gauge checked or for recipes and additional information on home food preservation.  The Extension Center is at 180 S. Main St. in downtown Mocksville, beside the courthouse.  Visit davie.ces.ncsu.edu.