Good advice from Carol above. Don't try to rush any step of the process. Without a gauge you can't really tell when the pressure has bottomed out and it takes only a very small change in the pressure to cause the siphoning. So be sure to give it plenty of time to cool down before even peeking carefully under the weight - any hiss, leave it on longer and wait. And another trick is once you have done all that and the lid is off, look to see if the liquid in the jars is still bubbling. If so let them sit as is till it stops. Then carefully remove the jars. So it should still be safe even though some siphoned out (I assumed it would be since they all sealed properly). That assumption is usually true but not always. There is more to the process than just getting a good seal. Jars that lose too much of their liquid during processing are not long-term storage safe even if they have what appears to be a good seal. They should be used first and ASAP. Their vacuum and seal is weaker just because of the increased air space inside the jar and the food that boiled onto the rim of the jar during the siphoning and any food above the liquid will discolor shortly. Siphoning of the liquid out of the jars isn't something that is "okay". Sure it happens but it is something that we all work hard to prevent as much as possible as it can create problems in storage. So if you think it happened during the processing because you could smell it, then you likely still have some heat control to learn. ;) It just takes time and practice and doing trial runs with jars of colored water as Ken suggested above is the best way to learn. Once you finish a practice run and open the canner to see water that is as clear as it was when it went in, give yourself a great big pat on the back. ;) Dave

Please remember that botulism is destroyed when pressure canning at 240 degrees maintained for 15 minutes. That is the temperature at 10 pounds of pressure. (10 pounds of pressure also kills other bacteria) If you have a new pressure canner, or are using your old one the first time each year, just put water in it, (2 inches) and check your guage if your canner has a guage. Put the burner on HIGH...leave the petcock open and when it shooting out steam at full blast, let it continue shooting out at full blast for 5 minutes, then close it. The guage should start rising immediately (withing 30 seconds). If it does notyou have a problem. Turn off the burner, and let it cool. If the pressure rises, begin to turn down the heat and bring it to 10 pounds and hold it there. Make a note of where it maintains the 10 pounds of pressure. Now you are good to go. You can start canning safely. Why maintain the pressure at 10 pounds instead of adusting the heat back and forth as it varies from 10 to 15 pounds? The pressure variations will withdraw moisture from the jars. The moisture is essential! For safety's sake, only use a pressure canner when it has your undivided attention. That means you don't answer the phone, watch TV, or yap with me about canning on the computer. Have fun, but don't tempt fate.

Ok, so let's set the record straight here; yes, the instructions in the new Mirro 22 qt pressure canner do explicitly tell you to put the weight on before heating the canner for the first use/dry run. And yes, it also says in the "canning" section, that the canner should be heated until it steams, left for ten minutes and then the rocker should be placed. Ok, we got that. I think we can all agree that Bodhimama did read her instructions so let's stop beating that dead horse. For the record, as well, the instructions available online at Mirro-T-Fal are NOT the same as the ones that came with mine. Mine look like an "updated" version of the older online instructions which applied to a larger breadth of models. Now, that being said, the instructions were poorly updated and the language is very unclear. Important elements, such as what laura.botright said, ("Mine isn't hissing OR jiggling. It either just sits there until it builds up so much that it lifts up and lots of steam escapes for a few seconds, or it just sits...") are simply left unaddressed. I think there are several versions of the instructions none of which are really complete. Bodhimama, your instructions sound different from mine because mine address the pin issue that concerned you back in 2008. In my instruction manual, it says that that pin is the pressure indicator. It locks the handle AND indicates to you that the canner is under pressure. You likely know this now because you posted this in 2008... Sooooooo, hopefully somebody can answer my question now, after having figured this stuff out. My questions is similar to Laura's. My instructions tell me to wait until the rocker rocks. My rocker doesn't rock. It stands stalk still until steam explodes out of it and it spins dramatically shooting steam everywhere- then back to dead stillness. Is this what they mean by "rocking?" When I turn down the heat, what do I look for to know it is maintaining the right amount of pressure? Should I be keeping it on high until it spins 4-5 times a minute, like this guy in the comment section on this YouTube video says? It doesn't seem to matter how long I leave it on high heat, it only seems to do this about 1 time per minute. The instructions say : "When the operating valve begins to rock strongly, lower the temperature such that the operating valve continues to rock lightly." No can do, instructions, it's either spinning like crazy or totally still. Nobody's rocking around here. Here is a link that might be useful: Mirro rocker spin

G'morning! They float when processed in Water Bath... there is just not as much head space (top + bottom) so it was not as noticeable. I never had any problems in the past using W/B process, but unfortunately now that many varieties of tomato's have lost their acidity through modern genetic tweaking and hybridizing it is now necessary to add acid to tomatoes, including heirloom varieties when canning them :-( The level of temperature needed to kill botulism bacteria for low-acid foods can only be reached by using a pressure canner. So, I bought a new pressure canner, and now I am going through the growing pains of learning how to use it. I am just above sea level, so I only used 10 psi to process. It is quite the learning curve - it was SO much easier 10 years ago! I've always wanted to try canning Salmon though so now that I've invested in the proper equipment, that will be my next project :-) I did notice the interior of the canner was shiny ... I added a tbsp of vinegar to the water as suggested in the manual but I guess it was the lemon juice? Since I was having so much trouble getting the pressure up (took WAY 2 long on my stove), I've now invested in an outdoor cooking burner so when I get a chance I will try another batch of tomatoes and see if that improves the final outcome. I will also try using citric acid instead of lemon juice because I have a feeling I am not going to like the flavor in a few months once that lemon juice settles in :-( I was trying to avoid doing a hot pack - it is just one more step that makes it a longer process :-( I am almost at the point that I want to freeze them in the future ... seems like a LOT less trouble! I will persist tho - because I have invested 2 much time and $ 2 give up now :-) Thx again for all of your help and suggestions - I really appreciate it! :-) Have a gr8 day!