What to use when you have a flat top stove?

[cookiehll]

???
We have one of the glass flat top stoves, what can I use to pressure can on?
I have heard that you can not can on a flat top stove.
Please help
Thank you
God Bless you all
Cookie

[bee_pipes]

We do. Pressure can and water bath. Cast iron is another you have to watch on glass top stoves. IO grew up with gas and prefer that. my wife prefers electric. When this stove gives up the ghost we're getting an electric range with the old style coil burners.

Regards,
Pat

[CatherineID]

You're right. It isn't safe to can on one of the glasstop stoves. What do you use? We have two alternatives. We have a regular stove, but face it, there are times when you want to can away from the main kitchen in the house. #1 - we have a plug-in electric coil 'hot plate'. I think they're about $10 at Walgreens or a hardware store. #2 - we have a propane camp stove which was really designed originally for buffet tables. Ours is fancy looking and streamlined, but a regular propane camp stove works, too. Unfortunately with a propane camp stove you're just more aware of how much canning is costing you in terms of fuel.

[crunchycon]

My mother has a glasstop stove also - she did some canning this fall on a gas grill (which has a coil) - just a bigger version of the propane camp stove mentioned earlier.

[Darcy]

I can on my glass top stove with a Presto 23-Qt canner. I've only been canning for a year, but so far, so good.

My stove manufacturer user guides states that I can can on my stove.

Hope that helps!

[anna]

If I had a glass top stove, I'd be looking to replace it asap. I can. I don't want a stove that won't accept that. ;D

[rainygardener]

I have the same issue. Last summer I did all the canning on my gas barbeque grill gas burner. I had to shelter the grill in a corner of the patio to keep them flame high, but it worked great and the house never got hot. Yeh! I even tryed out my new pressure cooker on it, worked great. I have'nt had any luck canning on the plug in type burners and I have 2, not enough energy I guess.

[Redneck_Veteran]

I water bath and pressure can on my glass-top stove without any problems so far. FYI, I only use flat bottom type (aluminum-bottomed) canners.

[medic]

Likewise I can on my flat top with boiling water and a pressure canner with no problems so far. Here's something to consider, most volunteer fire companies have some sort of large kitchen for banquets and such. Ask if you can rent or borrow the kitchen for your canning, they will probably have it set up like a commercial kitchen with a nice big multi burner gas range and plenty of counter space. The worst they can say is no or they might charge you a little. Maybe you could work a deal with them to use it for free. It never hurts to ask.

[danville]

My glass top works for canning. My parents glass top doesn't. Last summer I used a gas turkey fryer burner outside. Worked great. No heat in the house and the canner fit perfectly on the base. Also used it to water bath. Used a gas camp stove one time and warped a preassure canner bottom on it. Won't do that again.

[Laura]

I can on a glass top.......now you have me worried.

A) I hate my stove. It's a hunk of junk. Paid big bucks for the brand name and it's horrible. Hoping to get a gas stove one day.

B) I have canned 3-4 seasons on this stove......someone said it's "dangerous".
WHAT does dangerous mean? Like my food may be bad, or that the stove may blow up?

C) The idea of using my grill is awesome. NEVER thought of that. Can preserve twice as much at one time!!!

Laura

[NCLee]

Laura, check the manufacturer's instructions on canning. Some that I've read stated it would void the warranty. It's been a while, so some of the newer ones it may be OK.

My sister has one. She can't can on it. That was a BIG disappointment, among many since she got that stove. I'm sure her next one will be gas.

A small turkey fryer is great for canning. Just place it somewhere that's protected from the wind to help maintain a steady pressure. When heating up the canner, don't go full blast with the heat. Most of these burners are rated for far more BTU's than you'll find on a kitchen range. If the heat is too high, it can warp a canner, especially the aluminum ones.

Be careful when using grill side burners. Some of those are flimsy and could crumble when a fully loaded canner is used on them. At a minumum check all the bolts and fittings to make sure they are secure. To test it, set the canner on the burner and fill it about 3/4 full of water. If you see any flex or bending of the supports, I wouldn't use it for canning. Next, do a dry run. That is run the canner with a few jars filled with water (no lids) to see how well it does. Some of those burners have a BTU rating so low that it'll take forever to get up to pressure.

A combo of a side burner and a turkey fryer works well. Use the side burner for heating lids, kettles of hot water, etc.

Hope some of this helps.
Lee

Edit: You run the risk of breaking or otherwise damaging your cooktop. A pressure canner or waterbath canner bottom is much wider than the burner area. Plus the weight issue.

Edit 2: Don't use the grill, itself to can. You run the risk of damaging the handles, gaskets, etc. of your pressure canner, since the heat isn't confined to just the bottom of the pot. It may work with water bath, if the grates and such will support it. If there's any chance of the grate slipping, I wouldn't even try it.

[DM]

Also, if you use a grill or other outdoor gas burner, keep an extra bottle of propane handy, cause you just may run out in the middle of a canner load!

DM

[nhlivefreeordie]

I have had no problem at all with my glass top, we do both water bath and pressure canning with a Presto 23Qt, no issues at all.

[Mom_of_Four]

I have a glass topped stove too (hate the darned thing!) and can on it all the time - water bath and pressure canning too. I use the "bridge burner" which heats up the area between two burners, so it's a large enough area for my 23qt. Presto.

This stove is 15 years old, and when it dies I'll replace it with a gas stove with cast iron grates. The last house we lived in had one like that, and I loved it.

[MotherCharlotte]

I have a glass top stove, and I was all excited to start canning next spring (I was going to start with strawberry jam!). I was not aware that there was an issue with glass top stoves. I guess I'll have to dig up the manual for my stove and see what they say in there...

[nhlivefreeordie]

I have a glass top stove, and I was all excited to start canning next spring (I was going to start with strawberry jam!). I was not aware that there was an issue with glass top stoves. I guess I'll have to dig up the manual for my stove and see what they say in there...

In most cases you will be fine, unless it is an older glass top. Ours is a 2005 Kenmore and it works fine. The one we replaced I would have been cautious, it was one of the original Cornings, old, old old.

[MotherCharlotte]

Yes, thank you. I found my oven's manual last night and it had a whole section on canning tips, so I guess it's fine! I'm not sure how old the stove is exactly but it's probably no more than 10 years old, and it's also a pretty expensive one (hand-me-down from my extravagant uncle and aunt!).

[MT4me]

I know glass tops stink. I have had a hard time water-bathing on one. With pressure canning, no problems. It does not matter where the heat comes from as long as pressure is maintained. You could technically can on an open fire.;)

[NCLee]

Mother, glad to hear that you found the manual and that it's OK to can on your stove top. Waterbath, too, since those canners don't have a smooth bottom?

I'll tell my sister to double check on what she can do with her stove. It's only 4 or 5 years old. Maybe she really can use hers for canning, too.

Personally, I wish she'd sell the stove and buy a natural gas one. They use natural gas for heating. Last time we visited, I saw my BIL burn his hand because he didn't notice the little light that indicated a burner was still hot. (sigh)

Lee

[MotherCharlotte]

Mother, glad to hear that you found the manual and that it's OK to can on your stove top. Waterbath, too, since those canners don't have a smooth bottom?


My stove's manual said that I could use either kind of canner, but that flat bottomed is preferred. I have a large stock pot with a flat bottom, I wonder if I could use that?

[nhlivefreeordie]

My stove's manual said that I could use either kind of canner, but that flat bottomed is preferred. I have a large stock pot with a flat bottom, I wonder if I could use that?

I use both types on my glass top, but a flat bottomed stock pot with the insert to keep the jars of the bottom should work fine for water bathing.

[NCLee]

You can use any container that's tall enough to allow 1-2" of water over the jars plus enough room for the water to come to a full rolling boil without overflowing the pot.

If your rack doesn't fit, you can put a folded towel in the bottom on the canner. It'll be prefectly fine as long as you never let the water boil out of th pot. You can also make a support from jar rings. Place them in the bottom of the stock pot right side up, nestled as close together as you can get them. Then set your jars on the rings.

Lee

[Anon001]

However.... don't plan on using a stock pot for anything that needs pressure canned. There are only a few things that you can use a bath canner with.

Paul

[DM]

The biggest problem with canning on a glass top stove, is the weight of a loaded canner. It will "sometimes" break the top!

DM