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Show Testing of Pressure Csnner Gauges Urged Before Canning By DELLA KENDALE War Food Preservation Ass't Any pressure canner gage which has not had its 1945 check-up for accuracy should be tested without delay, .advise home economists of the U. S Department of Agriculture. Agricul-ture. These busy days it may take some time to have a gage tested so smart home canners who want to be ready to can their first garden vegetables do their checking early. Checking the gage each year before canning season oftener if the canner is used a great deal, is a form of insurance, explain the home economists. Because a dial-type gage is a delicate instrument, in-strument, it may in time get out of adjustment. An inaccurate gage may cause underprocessing, with possible spoilage later; or overprocessing, with loss of food value and flavor. Ask the county home demonstration demon-stration agent, local dealer or utility company, or the manufacturer manufac-turer about checking. Try to get a gage checked locally. If it must be sent to the manufacturer, pack it as carefully as fragile glass. If the test shows the gage is "off," tie a tag on the gage stating how far off it is, and consult this tag every time food is processed in the canner. It is unnecessary to have a weight-type gage tested it will just need a good cleaning. Accidents in home canning increased in-creased materially last year. An important cause was improper use of the oetcock in releasing steam after the processing was finished. One woman used a cooker which had never had the safety valve off for cleaning. It vvas gummed up so that it could not release when it shduld have done. The pressure inside became so great it blew a hole in the side of the cooker. If the canner gage had been checked and cleaned this would not have occurred. |
