Can I Pressure Can on a Glass Top Stove?

Can you pressure can on a glass top stove? The answer is ... Yes, but. However, with these easy tips, you can become a home pressure canning pro on your glass top stove!

Two questions I had before I Started to Pressure Can on a Glass Top Stove

Having two major hurdles to get me started pressure canning has had me snuggling in the safety net if my dehydrator.

1. Am I going to kill my family with bad food?
2. Can I can on my new glass stove?

We've had a major case of food poisoning in our family a couple of times. So I've always been so afraid of canning, and giving it to my family a third time. It's been the major hurdle for me.

And after getting a new glass top stove last year in our kitchen remodel (because I never thought I'd ever can, so I didn't think harder on which one to get), I just always knew I'd never be able to because glass top stoves were known to crack.

But, after having one of my two major questions on canning answered this week has me raring to tackle the second!

Can you Pressure Can on a Glass Top Stove?

Glass top stoves are fine to pressure can on if you follow these important rules:

▪︎ Talk to the manufacturer directly

Make sure you are talking to someone who understands the question. You want to be sure you explain that you're pressure canning vs. water bath canning, and even give them the model that you are considering using. That will help clue them as to what you mean.

The information will also be in your manual for your stove. If you don't have one, you can search online for a downloadable version. My Frigidaire Gallery manual has the information on page 20 for those of you who also have one.

The problem with older models of glass top stoves is that they were not built to withstand the kind of heat that a pressure canner can uses over the surface area that it does.

Modern glass top stoves have been improved to have a greater ability to handle the heat across the surface than before.

►Information on the Presto Canner and induction stoves

• Can small amounts and light loads

While you may have a good size canner in the 23-quart Presto, or the smaller 16-quart Presto, it's best not to load it to capacity with a double stack of full quarts for best results.

As an aside, the All-American 21-quart pressure canner weighs 20 pounds vs. the Presto 23-quart pressure canner which weighs 12 pounds.

▪︎ Use a flat, solid bottom canner fit for your burner

Make sure that it overlaps your canning burner by no more than 1". The excess heat from a larger base may crack your glass top.

• Start with hot tap water to fill the canner

This will help your unit come to boiling faster than starting with cold water, and not create a heat variance issue.

For those of you concerned about using hot tap water and the possible contaminants from your pipes - this is not water you are ingesting. It doesn't go back into your cans in any way, and you need to wash your cans after processing, anyway.

▪︎ Be cautious when filling

It's helpful to fill your canner on your stovetop carefully as opposed to filling it elsewhere and then setting it down. It will be heavy, and you may not have complete control and may set it down too hard.

• Use highest heat setting to bring canner to a boil

Once a boil is reached, reduce heat to keep the pressure where you need it. Don't continue to boil at high temps over the whole time of processing. This is bad for your stovetop as well as the canning process.

• Don't drag your canner across the surface

Dragging your pressure canner across the surface of your stovetop may create scratches, which eventually will affect how your stovetop works, plus just make it unsightly.

• Cool canner on a different burner

If you're physically able to lift and move your canner, consider moving it to a cool burner to cool off, which helps displace the heat from your canning session.

It's not necessary, but can help. But definitely, don't do it if physically moving the canner is a problem for you. You don't want to drop it and crack your glass top!

Can I Water Bath Can on a Glass Top Stove?

The answer is yes, but ...

Instead of using a traditional enameled water bath canner (which can melt on a glass top surface) or regular water bath canner that has the ridged bottom, you need to use a pot with a solid bottom surface.

So any stockpot that fits the parameters of your burner, and has a solid bottom (think regular stock pots) will work.

What do you need to use to convert a Stock Pot into a Canner for a Glass Top Stove?

You can use a canning rack such as the one that comes in a regular water bath canner or pressure canner. Or you can use some extra canning jar rings to line the bottom, or a pull out rack that many water bath canners use.

What you don't want is to have your jars directly on the bottom of your stockpot when you begin the water bath canning process. This can cause them to shatter, so make sure you keep them off the bottom!

The racks also need to fit the circumference of your pot, and not cause your jars to be leaning during the canning process.

What is an alternative cooking option?

If you decide that you don't want to risk your glass top stove, there are a couple of options for you.

First some tips from the NCHFP and from the Penn State Extension service.

• Cadco Electric Burner
• Propane burner

"LP gas burners in excess of 12,000 BTUs cannot be adjusted to a low enough setting to maintain the recommended pressure which can result in damage to the bottom of the canner." Penn State Extension

Get Started Canning Today!

I hope that these tips can help you gain the confidence to start your canning journey! If you have any questions about canning, leave them in the comments below!

My Canning Resources:

• Presto 23-quart Pressure Canner
• USDA Canning on a Glass Top Stove article
• USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (or available here as a free pdf)
• Suttons Daze Canning Channel
• The Kneady Homesteader Canning Channel
• Simply Canning  -- Free Canning Workshop
• Moore2Life Using Your Presto Canner

Unboxing My Presto 23-Quart Pressure Canner

Thanks for watching, and consider subscribing to my channel for more of my canning journey!