| The Utah State University Extension office in Salt Lake County offers free testing for home food canners with dial-type pressure gauges. The testing takes place on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Extension office at the Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 South State Street, south building, room S1200.
According to Ann Woodbury, USU Extension master food preserver and family and consumer sciences assistant in Salt Lake County, it is recommended that those who use a dial pressure canner have it tested every year for accuracy. “Those preserving food can avoid growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulism, a deadly form of food poisoning, by following USDA guidelines and maintaining an accurate dial pressure,” she said.
According to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, inaccurate dial gauges on canners can lead to under processing or over processing of food, resulting in unsafe home canned food.
Those not able to have their gauge canners tested on Tuesdays can make an appointment for another time by calling the Extension office at 801-468-3179 or contacting Woodbury on the canning hotline at 801-468-3173. Canners should be labeled with the owner's name and telephone number.
Additional resource materials available at the Salt Lake County Extension office include: “Complete Guide to Home Canning,” Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA, $10 + tax; “Ball Blue Book of Preserving,” $6 + tax; and “So Easy to Preserve” DVD and book, University of Georgia, free to rent. |
