I am currently in the process of possibly purchasing a pressure cooker. My question is even if I choose to pressure cook can I still refrigerate instead of storing somewhere else? Thanks.

Do you mean if you pressure can something, can you put the sealed jar(s) in the refrigerator? It's not necessary, but you certainly could.

Secondly, I'm not sure if you're aware that a pressure canner is not the same as a pressure cooker. There are many pressure cookers unsuitable for canning. What brand/model were you planning to buy?

Carol

All of the recommended pressure canners are made of aluminum. Fact as far as I know all brands, recommended or not, are aluminum. Presto and All American are the two most commonly recommended brands on this forum and Presto is the one used in all the USDA lab testing. The advantage to the Preston 23 quart is that it can also be used as a BWB as well as a pressure canner.

if I choose to pressure cook can I still refrigerate instead of storing somewhere else? Thanks.

As Carol said, this part of your post isn't clear. Cooking and canning are two different things and "cooking" plays a minor role in canning. So if you pressure "cook" something then it would have to be stored in the fridge not somewhere else and would only be good to eat for a short time. However if you pressure "can" a food using approved instructions then it is stored on the shelf and is good to eat for months or even years.

But before you invest in a pressure canner, what sorts of foods do you wish to can? Many things do not require pressure canning.and need only boiling water bath canning.

Dave

No need to spend the $ on a 23qt pressure canner unless you want to pressure can meats and veggies as well as BWB pickles. In fact, I bought one for myself for my birthday, had to buy the weight set separately, now am kicking myself b/c for the same $ I could have bought the 16qt PC that comes WITH the weight set as well as a taller stockpot to replace my 12qt one, and they would have taken up less room than the 2 things I have now.

Have you seen the NCHFP website? It is a great source for safe, scientifically tested methods and recipes. I think they even have a video course!

And the Joy of Pickling is awesome!

No but it would be a waste of time and energy.

Same goes for pressure canner if I purchased one? Thanks.

Again, unless you are doing lots of jars of the same thing at the same time then it is a waste of time and energy to can it and then store it in the fridge.

So basically you can do the same with BWB?

No. They are two very different things. Some foods can be safely BWB processed, some require pressure canning. Some foods can ONLY be BWB processed and CANNOT be pressure canned. Some foods CANNOT be canned using either method.

Also the same storing methods as a pressure canner? I am finding some recommend the pressure canner. I could be wrong but am pretty sure I could save a good bit using a BWB?

I'm afraid there is a lot of mis-understanding of the basics reflected in your posts, things that need to be corrected before you undertake any canning.

If pickles is what you want to make and you want to keep them in the fridge then you don't need to do any canning. You don't need a BWB canner and you definitely don't need a pressure canner.

Not only don't you need to do any BWB canning unless making many jars at the same time, so many that they won't fit in the fridge, but most certainly would not want to put pickles in a pressure canner. They would just turn to mushy soup.

So let's back off and begin with first learning the basics of canning, the 2 different types, and which foods require which type of canning. The best place to learn the basics is NCHFP (linked below).

Read how jelly, jams, pickles, pickled vegetables, and tomatoes are canned in a boiling water bath (which is just any deep pot with a lid for the top and a rack of some kind in the bottom). Most vegetables (that are not pickled) and meats require a pressure canner.

Then you need to buy a copy of the Ball Book of Canning (appox. $6 at Walmart or any store that sells canning jars and such).

How to BWB can - http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html

Using a Pressure Canner - http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/using_press_canners.html

Hope this helps.

Dave

Read that Blue Book thoroughly before you invest in anything.

It is true that there are many many resources online directed to canning, but the truly reliable ones are few. If you stick with the NCHFP site Dave recommended and the Ball Blue Book it will be less overwhelming and you have an assurance of reliability and safety.

It won't be available again until after the first of the year but the NCHFP offers a free self-paced online food preservation course that can be extremely helpful.

I second the recommendation of Linda Ziedrich's book on pickling. It's a great starting point and her book will provide a wealth of information on the various preserving options, including refrigerated pickles.

You might also want to do a search on this forum as there have been numerous threads discussing the pros and cons of Presto, Mirro and All-American canners.

Carol

I agree that becoming better informed before you begin is important! Failures are at the very least frustrating and expensive. At worst, they could be dangerous!

I'm still confused as to why you'd want to can pickles to store in the fridge. You mentioned taste, but refrigeration doesn't affect the taste. Recipe is going to have the greatest influence. After that, the choice to can them or just refrigerate will affect texture (crispness).

I enjoy my pickles cold, but they are stored on the shelf after canning, then refrigerated a day or so prior to opening (just so they are cold) and then kept refrigerated until the jar is gone.

Deanna

Yes she is. It is the only method ever used for canning pickles.

As I said above, you cannot pressure can pickles. The pressure and high heat would destroy them.

Dave

A pressure canner would turn pickles to mush.

Carol

I have done pickles without processing and just refrigerated (extra fridge in the garage), but I prefer to be able to store them on the shelf until needed.
No real difference, but we eat quite a few pickles throughout the year and I don't want to waste my fridge space. I experimented with it one year. The ONLY advantage I found was that I could make a large batch of brine, keep in the fridge and then heat as needed to make just a pint or two of pickles at a time. Since I wasn't wasn't processing, I didn't need to bring a canner up to a boil for a couple of jars.

I much prefer to buy cukes and make all of my pickles at once now. It's hard to grow enough to have a canner load all at once and not have waaaayyyyy too many in the course of the season. I've got great sources for fresh cukes and it's just simpler for me to purchase. I use my limited garden space for other things.

Deanna

It takes too much garden space and I end up limited in the kinds of pickles I can do because unless I plant way too many plants, I get cucumbers in dribs and drabs.

Carol