Problem
I have a glass flat-top stove. Canning on it is a no-no apparently because of the weight and the time factor.
However I have a nice gas grill. It uses the "infared" heating method (basically indirect heating). The ambient temp with the lid down can get up to 800 F.
Question
Has anyone ever used a grill to do their canning? Anyone ever calculated the cost effectiveness of using a gas stove vs electric stove vs grill?
For what it is worth!! We use a 2 burner propane stove, from Harbor Freight for all of our canning as we can outdoors to prevent heat build-up in the house. In fact we use 2 of these units because if you have to blanch, or boil items to get them ready to can it is just easier to have more burners!! We also have 2 23qt Presto canners to make the job go easier. We have 2 20# tanks that we fill in the Spring and they usually do all of the canning without refilling each year. During our season we can at least 4 days a week, sometimes more.
Hope this helps.
Use the pressure canner. Alternative methods are risky because they often do not heat evenly, and the USDA doesn't recommend it, nor does this site [which not only tells you why not, but sites authoritative sources for the info so you know the site manager isn't just biased].
I'd also think it wouldn't be very energy efficient. A gas or electric stove heating a canner is much more efficient, and designed to heat pans and the like, whereas the people who made your grill would probably scream 'infidel!' if you used it for other than the purpose for which it was designed.
Realistically, you need a burner to can with. I don't think radiant heat is going to be efficient enough to get a canner up to temp without burning a helluva lot of fuel to do it. You might pick up an inexpensive propane cooktop. I bought a nice one, mostly for broiling steaks without smoking up the house (my old house doesn't have a stove vent) in the winter time. I think I paid about $50 for it because of all the features, but you could get a simple 2 burner unit for probably half that.
I have considered doing this as canning on an electric stove is very difficult as the temperatures are so hard to keep at the steady rate needed . Doing the canning on a propane stove , outside , sounds so much better than all the heat that builds up in the kitchen is tough during the summer. Thanks for the ideas.
I have an All American 921. I use the burner from a propane turkey deep fryer and my 921 fits in the perfectly. I did have to set up a screen around it to keep the breeze from messing with the heat. I get 3 pressure canning sessions from a #20 tank.
I need to hook my BBQ and deep fryer directly to the house tank, it would be cheeper.
I picked up a turkey fryer for free with the intent on using the burner for outdoor canning. I don't know if the fuel control will be sensitive enough to maintain the correct preasure. I'll find out one of these days.
Just my 2 cents...I have what is probably the same kind of flat-topped electric stove in the house and the manual has a whole list of types of things, metals, etc. that you're not supposed to use on it because it could leave discoloration, marks, etc. At first I bought new pans and decided to comply with the stupid list (that was back when I was busy spending time and money buying "Gourmet" magazine (just heard it went out of business due to $$ troubles) and busy simmering shallots in wine sauce.
Well, now life needs to be more practical. This same stove has spent the last year fired up with a Presto 23 q. pressure canner on one burner and the big water bath canner on the other, and a big cast iron skillet of something for dinner simmering on the back and I must say, it seems no worse for wear and doesn't even have any of those dreaded "marks" or "discoloration" on it.
DISCLAIMER.....Warning, try this at your own risk!!!! if you follow this advice and your stove ends up permanantly looking like a zebra, sorry!
I have a regular electric stove in the barn, and I can on that, too, but the flat top seems to hold a steady temp a little better, but they both take some babysitting while canning to make sure the temps don't fluctuate.
Althought the propane cooktop/burner sounds like a good idea. I've been eye the "turkey fryer" burner and thinking about trying it. Last month's Backwoods Home Mag. had an article about hosting a canning party and they were using one of those outside. I'd at least like to try it!
We have a presto 23 qt pressure canner and a glass flat top stove, works like a charm, no problems yet. Just be easy when you set the canner on the stove.
My parents have been using their presto canner on a glass top stove for over 10 years now. The only thing my dad said was that the glass top takes a little longer to heat up. Now, he wouldn't use one of those huge canners(that will can 14 qts) on it, but his 23 qt presto works fine!
I also have an electric glass top stove. All things considered, I decided to use a 2-burner propane stove set up in the garage.
...in the event of explosion (I'm new), I can hose out the garage
...I can leave the canner set up for 2-3 days - I'm a weekend canner
...did a trial run with plain water to make sure I knew what was what
<<You might want to make a trial run with your grill.>>
...cost effective? For me, yes - from not using electricity for the stove + the fan to cool the kitchen + the lights to see by...to the cost of take-out 'cause I've got *schtuff* all over the kitchen
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