Well if it is any comfort to you, you wouldn't be the first and you won't be the last so just rack it up to a vital lesson learned. ;)

I would agree with your husband's guess of trapped super hot air plus you used aluminum and the metals aren't comparable when it comes to heat transfer. I can't really say if the canner is shot. It's possible, but all you can do it do a trial run with just jars of water and using the rack - why did you think you couldn't use it? - and see how it does. The bottom is definitely weakened so handle it with care.

Good luck. ;)

Dave

Perhaps there was a layer of steam between the pan and the pot. Without circulating water to carry heat away from the bottom of pot, it got too hot. That's pretty much the same as your husband's explanation, isn't it?

Too bad. But those blue pots are not too expensive.

Jim

Thank you! i hope its not ruined and i will try it again and if not yea ill be buying a new one.

You need some circulation under the rack, but guess you know that now. Some people use an old pan, but drill holes in it. Sorry. You can always use a folded towel in the bottom, too, instead of a rack.

These types of steel based pots are prone to chipping and cracking, but have been used for at least a century. They made of a baked on enamal/porcelain coating. Once they get even a single slight chip or crack, and its location is down at water levels, they will soon rust a hole through and leak. Had two go that way very fast. One was a really old and dented one, so it was expected. As to a raised rack inside, the canners usually include the proper size already, unless it was lost. I also get concerned about the thickness of the almost flat plate in a pressure canner, but there its very heavy aluminium for the pot bottom. A layered towel can be placed at the inside bottom, or a layer of jar rings. Just someting open enough to let the water heat move around. If you have strong odor inside, and its black, I would say its toast now. Might be nice for a short term outdoor plant pot, but thats it. The link below has many options including what you just lost, which is fairly cheap for its size, but with that 'new experience' you just had, it may drive you to the next level and cost. If you are in a high calcium, hard water area, a tablespoon of vinegar in the boiling water will reduce the chances of any whitish color buildup. As to the jars and their contents, mark each lid with a notation, but if they sealed well, they should be just fine. Quite possibly the jars are also heat damaged too, due to the higher level of heat at the bottom.
Here, my electic stove would have its burner melt and 'sink' into the stove due to really RED HOT heat for a long length of time for a big pot right above, that isn't as energy efficient. They do make a heavy duty canning burner that is reinfocd well enough not to be squished in. It might be also be time to also consider the Presto pressure canner, and make use of that as a water bath also. The current prices for a decent PC is about $80 now. Not a bad deal for such a multifunctional device.

With physics in play, you have actually created a 'super heat steam' area, that was thin enough to support very damaging heat. If yours was viewed as a cross section, there would be nothing between the pot bottom and the plate/rack above it, but temps well beyond 800 degrees F!

thanks for the link! it did come with a rack but it only fits quarts and not pints

Hi bela - yeah the rack is quart oriented but the pints will sit in it too. Bit of a balancing act at first but it will work.

Did you get a chance yet to do the test run on it to see if everything is ok?

Dave

Bella: I use the wire rack for pints. They may not sit in it as well as the quarts, but it holds them above the bottom. I also have the blue water bather but have decided to use my PC to BWB my high acid foods. This means one less large item in my kitchen, which is on the small side. :)

Bella, there's usually a way you can balance those pints so they'll stand up straight. It's not as secure-feeling as for quarts, but it works. Practice where to put them on the counter to get a feel for it.

If your kettle is ruined, check on freecycle for one.

Here is a link that might be useful: find your freecycle group

My 'modified' rack now has little support at all, but at least its stainless and will not rust. I went to Home Depot and found a 2'x4' sheet of perforated aluminium. The perf holes were little 'trianges'. It took only scissors to cut a round piece the size of the inside diameter of the canner. Its then placed on TOP of the wires of the rack, that gave it a nice smooth flat bottom for quarts, pints and even down to 4-8 ounce jelly jars. Cost me about $8 for the whole sheet of the stuff, but sould last a lifetime if I needed more, I have more.

Hope this helps.. That shet metl stuf is usually hidden in a small cornr of the store, where they also sel threaded rods and some aluminium channeling material.

If I were in doubt about the canner I wouldn't use it. I have this nightmare image, if the bottom has been compromised by excessive heat, of breaking out during canning.

Hot water spewing over the range is something I just wouldn't risk. Though I don't like wasting money, in this case I'd thank my lucky stars those canners are cheap and get a new one.

Carol

Like I said, its probably toast.. not a good thing even after a single heat damaged. Imagine the horror if it were to start a leak. You try and lift it off, away from flooding the stove and the BOTTOM FALLS OUT!! Wooo boy, just the thought!

I agree, if there's any chance of the bottom falling out of that canner I'd dump it and get a new one. My old blue speckled enamel canner has been in use for 40+ years, I inherited it from Grandma but when it goes, I'll buy a bigger one.

The rack is sized for quarts but I put pints and even half pints into it, it just takes some practice. I got 12 half pints into that rack meant for 7 quarts this weekend, LOL.

Annie

I use a large stock pot, 20 qt, with a circular baking rack in the the bottom. It is the same rack I use in the Presto between layers of pints. You could also tape wide mouth jar rings into a circular shape and put that on the bottom.

It is far more important that the jars not sit on the bottom, steam forms under them causing them to bounce, than they not touch each other. The pressure canner simply has a circular plate, with holes, that 7 qts or 8 pints sit on. I never hear rattles from the pot.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Art of The Pig