Canning Season: Is Your Stove Ready for Preserving?

Late summer in Ontario means peaches, tomatoes and cucumbers at every market stand from St. Jacobs to Guelph. If you are putting up jars this year, your stove is about to work harder than it does the rest of the year.

A full water bath canner holds a lot of water and has to stay at a rolling boil for long stretches. That is a heavy load on a burner, and it is exactly when weak elements and cracked glass tops show up.

Before cleaning or inspecting anything, turn the stove off and let it cool completely. For electric ranges, unplug it or switch off the breaker before removing elements or drip pans. If you smell gas, do not touch any switches. Leave the house and call your gas utility.

1. Test Every Burner Before Canning Day

Do not find out halfway through a batch. A week ahead, bring a large pot of water to a boil on each burner you plan to use.

If one burner is noticeably slower than it used to be, or will not hold a steady boil, the element or its control switch may be failing.

2. Check Coil Elements and Drip Pans

On coil stoves, look for elements with blistered spots, bubbles or cracks. They can fail under a long boil. Each element should sit flat and plug firmly into its receptacle. A loose connection can arc and burn the receptacle, and that repair needs a technician.

Replace drip pans that are badly rusted. Do not line them with foil, since it can trap heat and damage the element or the stove top.

3. Know Your Glass Top Before You Can

Glass top stove canning works on many models, but not all. Check your owner's manual first. Some manufacturers advise against canning on a smooth top, and others list a maximum pot size or weight.

Use a canner with a flat, smooth bottom. A ridged or warped bottom does not make full contact, so the water struggles to boil and the burner's heat limiter may keep cycling off. Many manufacturers also say the canner should not extend more than about 2.5 cm (1 inch) past the edge of the burner.

Never slide a full canner across the glass. Lift it. Dragging heavy pots is one of the most common causes of scratches and cracks we see. If the glass is already cracked or chipped, stop using that stove until it is repaired.

4. Gas Stoves: Watch the Flame

A healthy gas flame is mostly blue and steady. A lazy yellow or orange flame usually means the burner ports are dirty or the cap is not seated properly.

With the stove off and cool, lift off the grates and caps and clean the ports with a soft brush. If a burner clicks nonstop or will not light, call a technician rather than adjusting anything on the gas side.

5. Keep the Controls Dry

Long canning sessions fill the kitchen with steam, and boilovers can run down onto knobs and control panels. Wipe up spills once it is safe, since moisture behind the controls causes trouble over time.

6. Do Not Forget the Oven

Preserving season usually comes with pies and roasted tomatoes too. If your oven is slow to preheat or bakes unevenly, check it with an oven thermometer. A large gap between the setting and the reading often points to a failing temperature sensor or bake element.

One important note: canning jars in the oven is not a safe preserving method. Stick with a proper water bath or pressure canner on the cooktop.

Get Your Range Checked Before Harvest

If a burner is weak, the glass top is chipped or the oven will not hold temperature, sort it out before your produce is ready. Al's Appliance offers stove repair in Kitchener and stove repair in Guelph, plus oven repair in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, all done in your home.

If your range has reached the end of the road, we have new, used and scratch and dent stoves, with delivery available.

Call 519-824-8828 or book at alsappliance.ca. Happy canning.