Presto 21-B Pressure Canner Manual

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Operating instructions for Presto’s 21-B canner.

While this manual originally came with a 21-B, it can be used for the 16 quart model as well. It includes recipes and canning times. As this is a vintage manual, please take into account that the currently-recommended canning times may have changed. The University of Georgia’s Center for Home Food Preservation is a great resource with USDA recommendations.

Models known to be compatible with this manual: 21-B, 16A, and 21A.

Click the link to see the manual in Adobe’s PDF format:
21-B Pressure Canner Manual

Presto 21-B Pressure Canner All Cleaned Up

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Sometimes thrift-store finds clean up nicely!

I recently acquired a grungy Presto 21-B canner; it needed a bit of work. Of course, the gasket and over-pressure plug were old and dry and stiff. The gauge wasn’t sitting on zero and it needed a good old-fashioned cleaning.

When I removed the gauge, it stripped some of the threads out if it’s hole. I had to pick up an appropriately sized tap and die set (1/8 NPT) to clean up the threads so I could put in a new gauge. This resulted in the gauge turning ‘round more and facing toward the “back” of the canner. I used a Sharpie pen to draw alignment marks on the back side so I could still see the gauge.

Refurbished Presto 21-B Canner

Hopefully you can see there is less grunge on top of the lid than there used to be.
Refurbished Presto 21-B Canner Gauge and Lid

Presto 21-B Canner

I used a bit of Bar Keeper’s Friend and a scrubbing pad on the rust stains on the inside bottom of the canner. A nylon brush and a bit of Dawn dishwashing liquid around the edges of the lid and the top of the canner, took care of most of the grunge.
Presto 21-B Canner Cleaned Up

See my 21-B canner page for the parts list for this canner and other similar models. I’ve also posted a scan of the 21-B manual.

Canned Tomato Water Problem???

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I was working in the basement, attempting to organize the canned-food shelves when I found several jars of tomato water (clear tomato juice left from steam-juicing tomatoes) had a layer of what looks like vinegar “mother.”

Update: After consulting my friends online, we’ve decided that it is just normal settling and that there is nothing to worry about.

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tomato-water-2

 

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This jar, and several others, are clear …
tomato-water-3

Presto 21-B Canner Refurbishment

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I found myself in a thrift store today and a vintage canner followed me home.

Presto 21-B Canner LabelThe Presto 21-B is an older model Presto pressure canner that is based on the old National design, before the National company became Presto. It is a 21 quart-by-volume canner as the model number suggests. It will hold a pretty standard 7 quart jars, but is tall enough to do two layers of pint jars (16 wide-mouth pints or 18 regular-mouth pints). You also download a copy of the 21-B Canner Manual.

The canner is in good physical shape, but cosmetically and operationally, it has several problems.

It’s dirty
It’s missing its weight (or “jiggler”)
The gauge is in dire need of replacement
The rubber seal and over-pressure plug are both dried out and shrinking
(Did I mention the grunge?)

I’m putting a complete list of parts I might use at the end of this post.

The canner from the “back.” It has the normal aluminum pitting and wear you see on cast aluminum of this vintage, but you can also begin to see the dirt issues. Not all of it is dust!
Presto 21-B Canner Lid

See how the needle on the gauge isn’t resting on zero? This is an indication that the gauge has been damaged at some point in its life. Judging from past experience with another of these Presto 21-Bs, I feel confident in saying that this is the canner’s second gauge, at least. The original on my other 21-B is angled backward and has the Presto name on it. This gauge will be replaced with [easyazon-link asin=”B000GD55LA” locale=”us”]Presto part number 85771[/easyazon-link]. This is the Presto gauge that has fine machine-screw type threads on it. (They have at least one other model that has a nut on the bottom and coarser threads.)
Bad Canner Gauge

The vent tube on which the missing weight sits. This is the [easyazon_link identifier=”B015ZNB9Y2″ locale=”US” tag=”cwj-20″]model 1058 vent tube[/easyazon_link]. I’ll be replacing the missing weight with Presto’s three-piece weight-set, [easyazon-link asin=”B000HMBVQ8″ locale=”us”]Part Number 50332[/easyazon-link]. See the grunge? The grunge must go away. I can handle a bit of grunge on my canner if it’s my grunge. This is someone else’s grunge! (Note the chamfered / beveled / angled top on this pipe? This is the correct 1058 vent pipe. Some sellers have sent me a straight-cut pipe that DOES NOT work with the 3 piece weight set.)
Presto Canner Vent Tube 1058

A close-up of the over-pressure plug and air vent. [easyazon-link asin=”B000OREUEQ” locale=”us”]Part Number 9911[/easyazon-link], this over-pressure plug can also be bought in a set with the seal. You can easily see the grunge and nastiness in this picture, but you can’t really tell that the plug is dried-out and has shrunk.
Presto Over-Pressure Plug and Air Vent 9911

Here is a close-up of the bottom of the over-pressure plug. The plug is dry and stiff and should fill up that hole a bit more than it does.
Over-pressure Plug Model 9911

The under-side of the canner lid. The round bit with the slot cut through it is the bottom of the vent tube. Notice the grunge right beside it? There is grunge INSIDE it as well! A definite hazard, the vent tube has to be cleaned out before use! Also notice how the black rubber seal is bulging out of its groove. The seal is noticeably stiff and dry and has shrunk with age. The grunge has to be removed from next to the seal, also, so that the lid properly seats onto the canner pot itself. [easyazon-link asin=”B00NE665T2″ locale=”us”]Presto Part number 9907[/easyazon-link] will give you both this seal, as well as the over-pressure plug.
Canner Seal in Need of Replacement

More grunge around the rim of the canner that has to be removed. Notice the rust staining on the bottom of the canner. This comes from using that wire basket. The wire will rust. I’ll be replacing the basket with two 11 1/4” aluminum canner racks ([easyazon-link asin=”B000LNY6T2″ locale=”us”]Presto part number 85707[/easyazon-link], or [easyazon-link asin=”B00196L2E2″ locale=”us”]All-American part number 151[/easyazon-link].) The rust staining should go away with a bit of scrubbing with [easyazon-link keywords=”Bar Keeper’s Friend” locale=”us”]Bar Keeper’s Friend[/easyazon-link].
Dirty Pressure Canner

Grungy handles on both sides! That the handles are two colors also leads me to the conclusion that this canner has had some replacement parts in its lifetime. I’ll be removing the handles for cleaning, and if necessary, I’ll replace the screws with stainless versions from the local hardware store; I expect to find rusty screws! The handles for the lid are [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM5UVU” locale=”us”]Presto Part Number 85444[/easyazon-link], and for the canner bottom, [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM7XAG” locale=”us”]Part Number 85443[/easyazon-link].
Canner Handles

This close-up of the front of the canner shows the open-closed positioning and has some interesting numbers. This canner has the numbers: 21 25 and 71, my other 21-B has the numbers: 21 26 and 67. I have seen references online to parts fitting Presto canners “made in 1971 or before,” so I’m going to assume the last two numbers are a year code. I believe it’s safe to assume the 21 refers to the model number and size of the canner. Anyone want to venture a guess as to the middle numbers?

Update: I’ve consulted the Canning2 Yahoo Group and it’s been suggested that the middle number could be a week of manufacture. I finally remembered that I had a 16 quart canner bottom sitting in the basement and have checked it. It has numbers of 16 51 and 67. I’m going to assume this means it was made just before Christmas 1967.Canner Lid Showing the Open-Closed Positioning

See my Presto dating page for more information.

The canner cleaned up well.

Gauge [easyazon-link asin=”B000GD55LA” locale=”us”]Part Number 85771[/easyazon-link]
Vent Pipe [easyazon_link identifier=”B015ZNB9Y2″ locale=”US” tag=”cwj-20″]Part Number 1058[/easyazon_link]
Over-pressure Plug [easyazon-link asin=”B000OREUEQ” locale=”us”]Part Number 9911[/easyazon-link]
Gasket (with over-pressure plug) [easyazon-link asin=”B00NE665T2″ locale=”us”]Part Number 9907[/easyazon-link]
Canner Rack [easyazon-link asin=”B000LNY6T2″ locale=”us”]Part Number 85707[/easyazon-link]
Lid Handles [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM5UVU” locale=”us”]Part Number 85444[/easyazon-link]
Bottom Handles [easyazon-link asin=”B000HM7XAG” locale=”us”]Part Number 85443[/easyazon-link]
Three-piece Weight Set [easyazon-link asin=”B000HMBVQ8″ locale=”us”]Part Number 50332[/easyazon-link]

Bosch Universal Potato Peeling Bowl

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Bosch has made some interesting attachments for the [easyazon-link keywords=”Bosch Universal Mixer” locale=”us”]Universal mixer[/easyazon-link] over the years. In a previous post, I put up some scans of the food mill / strainer. Today we have some pictures of the potato peeling bowl. Not just for potatoes, the bowl will peel other hard vegetables.

You add water and vegetables to the bowl, turn on the mixer and let it run. The disc in the bottom of the bowl turns ‘round and ‘round. The abrasives on the disc and bowl sides scrub off the peels into the water.

It’s not perfect, of course. It can’t dig out an eye for you, but it does a pretty good job.

You can find the manual here: Potato Peeling Bowl Manual.

The bowl, peeling disc and lid:
bosch-universal-potato-peeling-bowl-1

The black around that center post is a seal to keep the water in the bowl:
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The assembled potato peeling bowl:
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bosch-universal-potato-peeling-bowl-7

It says: “Germany Importe D’Allemagne” … Google Translate tells me that’s “Imports from Germany” and the language is French … why French text on the bottom of an attachment for a German mixer? Does that mean my bowl came to the US from France?
bosch-universal-potato-peeling-bowl-8