Canning on a flat-top electric stove - tried it - with pics!

[curly_kate]

When we moved, I lost my nice gas range, and now am working with an electric stove with the solid surface (not sure what those are called). No burners, just a straight-across glass top. Anyway, I've already noticed when cooking that things take longer. So I'm thinking ahead to summer canning, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips that I should remember when canning (both water-bath and pressure cooking). We have an outdoor gas burner that goes with a turkey-fryer, and I'm wondering if that would be a better option than the stove. Any tips?

 

[journey11]

Hi Kate, I had the same problem (and mostly I didn't want to scratch my new ceramic cooktop!) The turkey fryers are a good option. I ended up buying a Coleman propane camp stove and it worked great for my canning...plus I love working it outside and not heating up my kitchen in the summer. Only thing I would recommend with a gas set up, is to buy an adapter and use a 20 gal. propane tank. It's cheaper that way, and you don't have to watch so closely to make sure that the fire didn't go out during your processing time. I've gotten by on the little cans, but I'll usually go through 3 or 4.

 

[pebbles]

Hi Kate:
I have a glass cooktop also. I did a lot of research and decided against using the cooktop. Some reports that the glass can break, takes WAY TO LONG to complete the process, some reports that it is doable... One big problem I had was-You are to take your element size (my biggest burner was 7") and the bottom of your pot should be 2" bigger than your element/buner size. Trying to find a pot that small was hard and then the pot was so small it was not worth the effort. I use the base of the turkey fryer-it is the perfect size for the common water bath canner...your house doesn't get hot and my DH gets to help

I would like to learn how to pressure can, do not want to use the turkey fryer base for that, it seems it would use a lot of propane. I have heard there are electric pressure canners out there but haven't been able to find one.

 

[wsmoak]

Definitely do it outside! We have a Camp Chef 2-burner stove that hooks up to a regular propane bottle like you'd use with a grill.

-Wendy

 

[Ridgerunner]

Check with the manufacturer before you can on it. Some say it's OK but some say don't do it.

 

[lesa]

I unfortunately bought one too! Before I got into canning...Well, I have used the water bath canner on it- and it did not crack. But truly, you cannot beat that turkey fryer for canning. Number one, it keeps your stove safe. Number two- it keeps the heat out of your kitchen!
I use mine for pressure canning, as well. I do not notice it using an unusual amount of propane...
Happy Canning!

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I'm in agreement with the others here. We have a fairly new glass top range and we don't like it at all. Maybe it's a little easier to clean (just a little) but it certainly is not made for cooking anything. We both wish we had never even thought of buying the dumb thing. But I guess it was "cool" to have one at that time. If any of you enjoy cooking I would suggest staying away from the glass top stove tops.

We use a turkey fryer on the back porch for all of our pressure and water bath canning. Works perfect. We do a lot of canning and we usually go through 2 twenty pound propane tanks each year just for canning.

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks so much for all of the advice! I'm so glad we snagged the turkey fryer when my FIL was getting rid of it!!

 

[pebbles]

Thanks so must for letting us know that you pressure can with a turkey fryer and how much propane you use. I'm gett'n me a pressure cooker.

THANKS!!!!

 

[Collector]

We have a ceramic top range also! not planning on doing any canning on it either. The turkey fryer will better for canning, keep the heat outside!