Converting a Dial to a Weighted Gauge Canner 

I absolutely love my jiggler! It gives me peace of mind. I used to be paranoid about watching the dial. I would sit on a kitchen stool and watch it like a hawk lol

YOU NEED 10 MILLION VIEWS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND DEMONSTRATION THAT YOU ARE PROVIDING. GREAT VIDEO

I purchased my weighted gauge last June, when I was already well into canning season. Well, what can I say? It changed my world! I am so happy that you explained this so thoroughly, because others need to hear it and understand it. Without having to be a ‘policeman’ with my canner, I can accomplish much more. Thanks so much, and please keep posting.

Omg….Pam…I asked you to explain that jiggler last year. I have since figured it out and boy!! It is a game changer. My gage is exact and the jiggler starts right at 11. I can wash dishes, clean up my mess while canning and listening to the sound. Yep…I used pull up a chair and sit smack in front of my canner for whatever time was needed. I’m a free women today! I love my jiggler. Great video!!

I have to give credit to Lisa at Sutton's Daze for showing how to switch to the jiggler on my Presto canner two years ago. Prior to that I was so frustrated watching the dial on my canner constantly. This made canning an absolute pleasure for me!

Being that you can outside and probably don't leave your door open, a baby monitor would be a great idea. The video/sound ones are so incredibly affordable these days.

My extension no longer calibrates. The weighted gauge restored my confidence in pressure canning. Glad you finally got a round tuit! Retirement is awesome!

Yup, the three-part weight is a game changer!

I cannot thank you enough for this video. I've had a canner for years, but as an immigrant I was not used to this preserving way of life (my home country has 5 harvest seasons). So when I tried canning I was so insecure and discouraged because of how long I had to sit and watch that gage go up and down and try making it stay put at the right pressure. The result: I just gave up on the dream of having a beautiful shelf full of homemade goodies. But this giggling gage, oh my, it's very well familiar to me as back home we cook a lot with giggling pressure cookers...I'm so much used to hearing that wonderful giggling sound that transports me to my infancy. So thank you very much, this new gage will be liberating to me. Let the canning experience begin again!!!

Thank you so much for this video! I’ve been waiting for years for someone to tell me what a “good” jiggle was!! I’ve been canning with just a bit of “too much jiggle”

Professor Pam, you are my “go too” source for everything when it comes to food preparation, food storage and preserving, bread baking and self reliance and everything else you teach us. I totally trust all the information you provide because of the research you do and then teach to us. Thank you for teaching us the “whys” behind everything. thank you both! I look forward to every video you guys do. Keep up the good work ❤

When the first shutdowns happened in the pandemic, all the ag extension offices were shut down and I could not get mine calibrated. So this is exactly what I used. Excellent content, BTW.

Yay! A round Tuitt! I have not seen one of those in years. Time to bring it back, lol. Soooo... when I first got my 16-quart Presto, I felt "cheated" because it did not have a dial gauge. Then I got my 23-quart and realized that there's nowhere within several hundred miles of me to get the gauge tested anyway, haha. There are only a couple of Extension offices in this region that (reluctantly) offer the option. Using a jiggler for ALL my pressure canning is a game-changer. Thanks for sharing your insights. Happy New Year! 😄

I so need to get one of these. I've had a neighbor knock on my door wanting to talk while I'm pressure canning. Just being able to LISTEN instead of watching that gage would have made me not seem so rude. I kept apologizing for getting up and leaving. They couldn't have had worse timing.

I have the exact canner, have been using "The Jiggler" for quite awhile and completly ignore the dial gauge. Getting or finding a venue to calibrate the dial gauge is a thing of the past..... Congrats on making your canning days so less stressful....

Egads!😉My beloved Ms. Science hasn’t had her dial calibrated in 10 years😮- well as you have taught us- when you know science…. In all seriousness, thank you for sharing this with us! Game changer! I do not have to park it in front of my canner for 90 minutes anymore!!!! Congrats on your retirement!!!

Thank you for this video. Now I feel comfortable about the jiggle and more confident using my canner.

I love my weighted jiggle--makes canning so easy! I can hear it from the living room, and it's never let me down! 10 psi is correct for my elevation

Very good indeed..How very Scottish of you =referring to weather as DREECH.. Loved it!! You would fit in well in this part of the world using words like dreech...Kindness your way Lochness Scottish Highlands..

Check with your State University Extension offices...I believe Missouri still does it.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU for this video. In my new adventure into canning I purchased a Presto canner which came with a 15lbs weight. I found it practically impossible to maintain the pressure on a water trial up to 11psi needed. Thinking there was something wrong with the dial, I found out that nowhere in Canada can it be calibrated; only in the US. However I found our video which made 100% sense, and I purchased the 3-tier weight. I tried it, found that the dial is up to par and OH Wonder! the water test worked like a charm 🙂 Now on to the real thing 🙂

Thank you so much for being who you are! I love how straight to the point your videos are, keeping things simple and short yet crammed with so much info. Its like having a pleasant visit right in your kitchen every time. 🌹

Pam, this is absolutely hands down the best explanation of how the jiggler works. Thanks

Thank you, thank you! I had to drive miles out of my city last year just to drop off my dial to get calibrated. I was dreading and planning another trip when I saw your video. Praise the Lord! I am ordering my new Presto weight from Amazon. You are my canning teacher, and I love you!

I cannot make small enough adjustments with my electric stove for my gauge. The jiggler is my only way to go! Love it and probably would not can if I didn't have it.... Thanks for sharing this ..🥰👍

My grandpa had a round tuitt that he carried with his pocket change. You gave me a good chuckle. 😄

I love my weighted gauge! It makes pressure canning much less stressful for me.

You are always right on my wavelength! How did you know I needed this video?!? Gotta get the just right jiggle!

I've had my canner since 1973. It's a harvest gold presto 16 qt with new gasket. I never had the gauge checked, never knew I needed too🙄 Watching you I was horrified to learn I needed to have it checked... So I contacted my extension office at the college and they check them. She was shocked when she checked it and it was BANG ON😁. It always ran 2 lbs over and it was 2 lbs over exactly when she checked it. My first canning book was a Victory Garden canning book and I used it for YEARS! I never had a seal go bad, never had anything go bad in the jars. My guardian Angel must have been busy indeed.

Thank you for this excellent explanation of Jigglers and their jiggle! I don't know of anyone who has explained this fully. I love your scientific mind and the way you teach.

We bought our Presto pressure canner about two years ago and the weight came with it. We love it! Thank you for doing this video. I understand more now about listening and watching for the jiggle. There is nowhere I know here in Australia that you can have the dial calibrated,

😂 a round Tuit. Oh my word! This is the second time I have watched this video, and I only realised it now.

This was the first thing I did when I got a new canner a couple of years ago. I much prefer a weighted gauge canner, but I do like the added benefit of being able to see the actual pressure on the dial as well. Dials can fail but the weighted gauge can't fail. You should be able to have your dial gauge canners tested and calibrated at your county extension office.

Glad you talked about this. I couldn’t think of any good reason why you wouldn’t want to do this and bought one of these a couple of years ago. Glad to have my thoughts confirmed!

Been using a weighted gauge now for about 20 years. Wouldn't have it any other way!! So nice to be able to go about my day and listen rather than watch!! : )

The gadget lady has a new gadget:-)

I use the dial gauge as a second opinion on the operating pressure and when the pressure is zero to open the canner. Thank you for the demonstration, very helpful. The big question is why doesn't Presto include the multi-pressure weighted gauge with the canner. We are forced to spend 17 dollars extra.

Cool gadget. Laughed at the ROUND "tuit". A great detail and experiment to demonstrate. You're wonderful. Thank you.

Back in the day, I would set up a canning info booth, giving away USDA food preservation booklets, and testing canner gauges. I found the older gauges to be more likely to be accurate than the new ones. This was in the 1990s. I sent several people each year down to the town's hardware store to buy replacement gauges. After testing the new ones and finding them faulty, I decided to test all the ones the store had in stock. Well, many of them were way off and had to be sent back to be replaced. So, I have recommended weighted gauges to many, many people over the years. So much simpler and such an easy fix.

Thank you so very much 🎉! My first canner only had a weighted gauge, and I could keep preparing things for the next batch as I listened. When I moved out of state I got rid of all of my old canning gear and now have one with a dial gauge and I hate it!!! I thought I would have to buy another canner! I will be ordering my new weighted gauge today! Thank you again for all the content that you share!

Perfect. It took me forever to figure out a what an actual jiggle was to make sure I was getting proper pressure. I have a Presto jiggler pressure canner and I also have a waterbath canner. Since I was not confident about my pressure canner, I would low boil all my canned food for 10 min after opening the jar. We have not gotten sick but, I would rather skip that step. Thank you for showing exactly how much I should be jiggling.

Thank you for these micro minute as I have the same problem as we in Canada do not have someone to calibrate my canner ❤

I’ve always wonder about this. Thank you! Now can you show us the best ways to keep our canners clean.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have gotten exhausted from attempting to keep my canner on pressure. Ordering one of these weighted gauges NOW😁

I converted my American 915 to a weighted jiggler after contacting the manufacturer and verifying that this was safe. I did not want to deal with having the dial tested. I bought the fitting from an online retailer and the weight from Ebay. It works great. The pressure on the dial reads around 13 when I have the weight on 10, and tuned in per guidelines. Really easier for me. Glad you put this out there, Rosered!

Rose, thank you so much. I have not used my canner for a year now. I had been very confused about the weight and the dial. I have the all American canner. I was keeping true in the dial each time I used it making sure it was at 10 or a bit higher. I am at a 10 psi. I am hopeful that I will be able to can this year. Again I am grateful for all you do for me. God bless.

that's great! thank you! I was wondering about this! As mom's presto is .... hahahaha a round to it! her presto is a weight only no gage.

You sure are brave! Switching weights on hot canner :)

A ROUND TUITT! Lol, you crack me up. Thank you SO much for this video.

Thank you! I sat in my kitchen today watching my gauge for 90 minutes while I canned the bbq pulled pork. I bought a new weighted jiggler last year but didn’t know how to use it until now! Looking forward to my next run!!

Hi. A few years back I decided to look for a second pressure canner and a friend gave me a extra one she had. It was vintage. Magic Chef I think it’s called. I ordered a new gauge, jiggled and gasket and I love it. It’s smaller than my all American so perfect for small batches. I love the rhythm of the jiggle…hahahah ❄️🇨🇦❄️

I purchased one of the multi weight pressure regulators last Nov. and found that unlike the 15 PSI pressure regulator weight supplied by Presto for my 1781 canner, the aperture on bottom wasn't wide enough to fit on the steam vent pipe on the canner even though the catalog number of the pressure regulator weight system was the one recommended by Presto. Since the 15 PSI regulator like the one you show worked on my canner, I took calipers and measured the dimensions of the 15 PSI aperature on bottom. I then took a Dremel tool and made the multi-weight pressure regulator the same dimensions as the 15 PSI pressure regulator weight that came with my 23 qt. canner. Success!

It's good to see what is meant by a jiggle, it's always been ambiguous. One thing that might be said 'is that if the weight leaks from the beginning , it could have a damaged vent or the weight may have something in it. Love your presentations. 🏆

Thank you. I’ve been canning at a higher pressure than I need because I couldn’t get mine tested. This is a game changer.

I've been wanting to get into pressure canning for a while and have been looking at lots of videos on RU-vid. I found your video, and I immediately got excited. I completely forgot how often I checked on your videos when I learned dehydrating back in the day.

I learned to pressure can with a weighted, not a dialed pressure canner, at the local extension office. Because I was a prepper, I didn’t want a dialed canner that could possibly fail on me. The women who taught the class had used a non dialed, weighted canner her whole life. I lovingly referred to her as the canning Nazi, because she was tough on her student, because she wanted us to be safe, safe, safe. I love my weighted canner and it’s the only one I will use.

I find ALL of your videos to be extremely helpful! I'm so glad and grateful that you share your knowledge, expertise, and experience with all of us here. 😊💕

OOO! You're getting a new fridge!!!

Thank you for the great information. I appreciate the details...very thorough. I just placed an order for a weighted gauge. This will be a game changer. No more babysitting my canner! Woohoo! Thank you

Pam it's the little things in life that make you smile the most. Great demonstration. Thanks. Happy New Year

Thank you my ex has the old canner. I bought a new presto 23 qt gaged canner. This helps a lot. I now known my ex method is wrong.

Thanks again for taking more of the mystery out of canning.

I did this a couple of months ago for my Presto canner for the same reason you did. I also have an All American and got used to just listening.

Oh I've been waiting for someone to give me some facts on the jiggler. I bought one years ago and never used it. I didn't understand the science behind it. Thanks for explaining it. Not so scary after all.

I don't know exactly what you accomplished ! I always just watched the dial on the caner until it got close to the pressure I wanted then I started to look and see if my jigger was moving if it was I knew every thing was going just right !The pressure dial was just used for a safety check ! The weighted jiggler is always the one we trusted , it works bye the amount of pressure it takes to lift the weight !Every time you do your caning you should check and make sure there are no blockages in your lids safety devises !I've been doing this for over 65 years with not a single problem !

I have been using the Jiggler this past year. Such freedom to be about the kitchen and not have to babysit the canner so closely. I have come to know the sound it makes. When you take a close look it is doing a hula!

When it comes to canning with a Presto, it changed my world. It has made it so I could at least leave the kitchen without worrying since I can still hear it from other rooms. I don't leave the house with the canner going but I can do other things with the canner going. Thanks for the teaching.

I switched to the weighted gauge on my Presto. I am so glad I did. I like it so much better.

Good information! I have the weighted canner and happy I purchased it... .. We do the hula dance..!! Really easy to use!...

THANK YOU!! I have a Presto and all American canner. I’m scared to use them and I learn best from watching. This video answered all my questions and eased my concerns. I bought an electric presto pressure canner for $500. It only fits 5 quart jars, so in canning season I can only can 5 quarts every 3-4 hours. You have saved me triple the time I would have spent in the kitchen this canning season.

Thank you do much for the demonstration. All this made such perfect sense. Will be changing mine to a “jiggler”.

We are super lucky & have a branch of the University of TN agricultural extension agency less than 10 minutes from our house. We took both our canners in last week. One we have used for a year, one with 1 use under its belt. They had just gotten their master gage tested & reset, so we were the first folks to test with it! Our older one was 2 pounds off at 10 pounds & 3 pounds off at 15. Our new one was spot on at 10 & 1 pound off at 15. So, they apparently get out of whack rather easy. That surprised me! We don’t need a 10, as we require at least 11 for pressure canning. So, we can just use the deadweight, and definitely have! She gave us a great little guide on how to adjust (it’s easy to figure out, but nice to have it in writing) what we see on our gage versus what it really is. But, it’s nice to have the weight as a backup, since I know they are definitely not accurate . She gave us some great advice, including that if you can a lot, you may want to get it checked every 6 months or so. It’s free, and very accessible for us, so we will probably do so. If you’re lucky enough to have an extension agency close to you, utilize them! Not just for Canner checks, but all the other things they do. Great classes on gardening, raising livestock, composting, and cooking. They’re a really cool resource & lots of what they do is free for us!

All I can say is, thank you, thank you, thank you! I love your videos. Keep up the good work 👏

I LOVE your sense of humor!

This has always confused me, and I’m so grateful you did this video! It cleared the mystery up!

I have an All American Canner. It came with a weighted gauge and a dial. I believe you can send the dial into your ag county extension office to be calibrated. There is usually a small fee.

What WONDERFUL information! I can now calibrate my own gauge. THANK you!

Oh my word--this is just what I needed! I just got my 16qt Presto canner, and we are at 52' above sea level (10psi) so I am ordering the new weight. Thank you so much for this video! ❤

I have a Jiggler weight for my Presto canner inside the package there was a list of canners that the Jiggler weight was appropriate for. Fortunately my canner was on the list. If your canner is not on the list there is a way out Presto makes replacement vent pipes and there is an appropriate one to use with that Jiggler weight if you can figure it out. The reason you don't want a hard jiggle is because you can lose water from your canner too fast and run it dry. When I used to be able to find somebody, County agent to test the pressure gauge it would eventually get to be a pound and a half low after years. The fellow said just be sure to remember to adjust for the real pressure difference. Apparently my gauge was not adjustable or he just chose to ignore that it could be adjusted. At 1 and 1/2 pounds difference either way he said replace the gauge. I still have a new spare gauge, I don't need it anymore. I was afraid that I could do a seasons canning at to low a pressure. The adjustable Jiggler fixes that problem. My spell checker insists that when I write Jiggler what I really mean is jugular and it's real hard to get the spell checker to leave what I write alone.

I am so glad you did this! I did not know how to do it and would stand there for 90 minutes watching my pressure! Thank you again Pam & Jim for all you do! Happy New Year!!❤️

Thanks for demonstrating the appropriate level of jiggle should be. Now, I understand. I was given a little wooden "Round Tuitt" when I was a junior in high school and the universities were handing them out to us prospective students. Can't remember what it was we were being encouraged to get around to now, but thanks for the blast from the past. ~ Lisa

Purchasing one of these was really a game changer for me. Prior to having one, I was pretty much stuck to my kitchen so I could keep an eye on the gauge. Now I can go about my business around the house and be able to hear what's going on with my canner. Great video!

We are at sea level in Florida. I made sure to buy the adjustable gauge when I bought my Presto 23 quart pressure canner. It has been great for this newbie! Having both the dial and gauge has eased my fears. Now I feel like a pro!

Great video. I have had my weighted gadget a few years and appreciate the conformation of the correct jiggle.

Thank you so very much for this information. My aunt goes to auctions often and I asked her to keep an eye out for a pressure canner, welp she found an oldie but a goodie and gifted it to me❤️ It’s a Presto Cooker - Canner 21-B, I’ve ordered a new seal and air valve for it. It has a gauge that also shows the temperature at each number which I thought was way cool. I haven’t had the gauge checked and now with this information I won’t have to. Thank you again and I absolutely love this channel and have passed it on to family members.

The dial on one of my Presto canners failed last year. Needle wouldn’t move above 5 lbs. I was all set for a day of canning with all my meat & veggies prepared? I ordered a new dial from Presto and from Amazon, the same jiggler you got. My dial was only a couple years old! Luckily I had a second Presto canner with the dial that was working properly. Otherwise, my food would have all spoiled as it took two weeks for the new dial to be delivered. Since then, Each time I can food, I’ve been using both the new dial and the jiggler so I could learn how the jiggler acts and sounds. It is a game changer! Not only can I putter around in my kitchen while my canner is on, but I don’t have to worry that my dial has failed and I don’t realize it. I am no longer confident in the dials. Happy New Year and Happy Retirement! Thanks for your videos, love them all!

I have been using the weight on my Presto for about a year and absolutely love it! Frees you up to do other things, as long as you remember to listen to the jiggle! :) Thanks for reinforcing and explaining so thoroughly!

LOLOLOLOL great sense of humor! So glad you finally got round tuitt. Like that nifty gadget. As always great information! Happy Healthy New Year

I recently converted to a jiggler and can keep my canner in the sweet spot so much easier than with the traditional weight. I love it! Thanks for this micro moment.

Our local County Extension office will test canner pressure gauges if needed. They require the complete lid as originally assembled. They do mention that weighted gauges do not require testing.

Great video! I moved to Chile and when I got my canner down here I knew that calibrating it would be impossible. No one pressure cans here so I bought the weighted gauge. It gives me the confidence to know that I'm in the "kill zone" and my food is safe. Happy New Year and blessings to you and Jim!

Very cool! I remember posting about this in one of your videos last year, that i had spoken to a Presto tech person that recommended it to me. Im so glad you did this video. It will help lots of people.

I phoned Presto because l lost my brand new gauge(think it went in garbage with box) she said in Canada we should have the jiggler because of the calibration. Learned it that way and this year purchased a gauge and love using both.

Hi Pam! I’m also retired and enjoying it immensely! I just wanted to say that when you retired, you got a great BIG round “Tuitt”!! Have fun, girlfriend! 🎉and Happy New Year!

I just love you and your channel. Im 30 and am self teaching myself to can and preserve and crochet and knit. Its nice to be able to rely on someone who answers the million questions i have. Thanks. Big love from texas.

Thank you for this! I switched to 3 piece weighted jiggler on my 25 yr old Presto dial gauge canner. It’s never been calibrated. Now I’m for sure everything is processed at the correct pressure. Presto company has a video here on RU-vid that shows the perfect rate of rocking/jiggle for the weight. My weight would actually spin and I found that meant the heat was too high. After watching the Presto video, I’ve dialed in the correct rocking motion and heat setting. I use a glass top stove to can on and it’s all so much easier with the weight than the dial.

I have an All American weighted pressure canner an love the fact that I can leave the kitchen and get things done! But the instructions for mine say that I need a few jiggles each minute - not a constant jiggle. And I watch the gauge as well. If I let it jiggle constantly it gets too much pressure

Thank you for finally somebody explaining that if you have the weight and it correlates to the dial then it’s calibrated just fine.

It sounds perfect!! I prayed about this and also received my new weighted gauge. The plan was beginning today I would start pressure canning full speed ahead and the questions I had are being covered in this video! Thank you! 🎉

Love my jiggler!!❤️😁😊 Great Video!!