“I do the vaseline every time I use it but only do one surface, just the pot rim, not the lid, too”
That sounds like a great way to do it. I didn’t care much for the directions that it needed to be greased but not every time plus be on the lookout for a buildup. I believe in the manual it even says that needs to be greased but not seen. So how do I know when it is gone? When my lid sticks? I don’t really want to get to that point.
I will finally get to use my new canner after thanksgiving, to can turkey broth.
I put on a thin layer of vaseline every time I get the canner out to use it. Sometimes I’ll do two batches of canning but do not regrease the rim. I just do it once per use, even if there is more than one batch.
I always wash the canner out when I’m done with it. Hard as I try, there is always some leakage from the jars.
FWIW, when I fill the jars, I wipe the rim of the jars with white vinegar. I’ve heard that is supposed to help in the event that any meat fat gets slopped on the rim when you fill it. I also put the lids in hot water as usual for canning as it helps soften the rubber some and I think it makes for a better seal.
I do both turkey broth only, and turkey with chunks of meat in it for soup later in the winter. They do have different processing times. Also, the jars do not need to be hot although if you are going to put in boiling hot broth, you would want to warm them. I often do everything but then lids at room temperature and then load the canner up and seal it and then turn it on.
I never heat up the pot without the lid on it. I suspect, but don’t want to find out, that if you put a cold lid on a hot pot, since the metal expands that it would be more likely to get stuck on when it cools off since the pot and the lid would then be the same temperature. And there’s no way I would know of of heating the pot and not the lid if the lid is stuck on.
I don’t add the veggies to the soup as I don’t like how overcooked canned veggies come out. That’s why I just do the meat and broth. I suppose in a SHTF survival scenario, I would add them when I canned the soup because if they are on hand, it’s a way of saving them.
And make sure the liquid is NOT less than 1” from the top of the jar. Any higher and nit will leak out.