I had a weighted gauge Mirro for years. The rule of thumb is that it should jiggle at least three times a minute. I you're not comfortable with the shaking only twice a minute, you could reprocess with new lids or freeze.

Are you at 1000 ft. altitude or below? If so, I would think you're fine. If you're above 1000 ft., I'd reprocess using 15 lbs. (which makes a whole different noise....more steady).

We had a stove like that...avocado green it was...

I'm not an expert, but I don't think this should drop from view without further comments. I have used a 16? qt presto canner off and on for years. When it reaches pressure, it rocks steadily with a click-ed-y clack of multiple sounds per second. I didn't think of it as violent, but persistant. I have never had the op's experience and can imagine writing an identical post.

I wonder if the seal is damaged? Anyone else have any thoughts about the pressure or about recanning?

I can with a Mirro on an older electric stove, but it's the dial type heat setting with increments in between the high, med high settings etc. I do have to gradually turn down the heat and not reduce it all at once or I'll lose pressure.

I'm wondering if the stove is level. I have a Mirro 22 qt (1970's) that I use regularly and the weight will hang up and give me trouble if the canner isn't sitting perfectly level, sometimes an issue with my old floor, old stove. Buying a heavy duty canning element/burner to fit the range helped enormously, but I still keep a small carpenters level in my canning supplies and check before I turn on heat, putting pennies under the burner ring if necessary. Just a thought....

Thank you everyone for your input. I am going to check to see if the stove is level... any other comments would be much appreciated. I'm trying to can some tomato sauce today and basically, it makes a shushing noise (pretty loud) once every 20 seconds or so. Then it stops completely. I have it on HI at this point... so I really can't go any higher...

It sounds to me the problem is your stove controls.

A typical electric stove uses bi-metal or capillary thermostats to control temperature. However, the controls actually do not control the temperature. The heating elements are either full-on or off, there are no low heat settings. When the heating element is on they are full power on.

The thermostats controls the temperature by controlling how often the heating elements are to be on and off.

Your pressure cooker's erratic behavior is probably due to the thermostats' not functioning properly.

You may want to invest in an induction cook top, if your pressure cooker is magnetic in construction. Or buy a portable electric stove that has a better temperature control.

dcarch

Hmmm pushbuttons.. sounds like an old GE or Hotpoint stove.

Why are you letting it get up to steam first without the weight in place?

re the stove itself.
It could be just the controls of that one element. Try the pressure canner on one of the other elements, using only water and see how it works.. It may pressurize and work fine even on one of the smaller elements on hi..although it might take longer to get up to pressure.

pkguy, current food safety guidelines call for venting the canner with a steady stream of escaping steam for 10 minutes before putting the weight in place. It's not in the old canner manuals, but required now. "Venting: To be safe, USDA recommends that all pressure canners must be vented 10 minutes before they are pressurized."

Thank you - I will try another element and see - looks like I may have to look at a portable induction cook top. How can I tell if it is magnetic?

I have an old electric stove and it pulses and heats unevenly, even under the best of cooking conditions. That might explain some of your issues with the pressure canner. I got a one burner butane stove that I use on my countertop sometimes for canning. I got it at a restaurant supply store. Works like a charm but you have to buy the fairly pricey little gas canisters to use with it so wouldn't work if you do a LOT of pressure canning.

I posted on here once about various stove options and canning and also on the Harvest Forum. I don't have the option of getting gas at my house. I did a lot of reading and thinking on it and just decided to get a new electric coil stove, although a flat top probably would have done OK, many models are appropriate for canning. I decided the benefits of induction just weren't worth the price, for me. I will say this, if you get an electric coil stove, you still are probably going to have to replace the coils and connections from time to time, they corrode and impair the performance of the burners. I have done that on my stove twice so far, due to the heavy duty use I put it to. Don't know if the glass tops last longer or not.

If you Google fixing connection on an electrical stove burner or troubleshooting electric stove burner, etc. and you can find some great info. pages and videos. Here's an example
How Do I Troubleshoot Electric Stovetop Burners? Links to other ideas for problems.
You can usually find parts on the Web site of your stove's manufacturer (you need the model number). Or you can look online at some general parts stores. If you're lucky, you might have a parts store in your town.
Here's a Web site that was recommended to me on the Harvest Forum. I ordered my connectors from them, but found out later from my neighbor, a retired electrician, that I could get them locally.
www.RepairClinic.com

I have an old Mirro canner and it's aluminum.. won't work on an induction.. A magnet won't stick to aluminum.. Try a fridge magnet

As far as I know, there's no induction-ready pressure canners (yet). Maybe there's pressure cookers available, but that's different. I just bit the bullet and bought an All-American...I'm hoping an induction interface disk will work.

I have a single induction burner and found my oldest, cheapest s/s stockpot works great on it for waterbath....nice to be able to can on the back porch. I'd love to be able to run the pressure canner out there.