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Master Preservers

Have questions about home food preservation?

Our Home Food Preservation Consultation Experts will answer them for you!

If you have a pressure canner with a gauge, the Master Food Preservers at CCE Dutchess County can test it to see if it is still accurate.

Dial Gauges should be checked annually and CCE Dutchess County Master Preservers will check yours for FREE.

Just bring in the lid and gauge for testing - you may bring the entire pressure canner for inspection as well.

Direct your questions to jmc646@cornell.edu Subject: "Food Preservation" and you will receive a follow up email. To schedule lid and gauge testing, email with the subject: "Canner Inspection Request".

Additional Pressure Canner Gauge Testing Resources:

For National Presto canners with the “dial type” gauge, call their customer service number at 1-800-877-0441 (M – F, 9 am – 5:15 pm Eastern Time).  They will answer questions about free gauge testing and/or replacement.
      Ship the gauge to:
    Consumer Service Department
      National Presto Industries, Inc.
      3925 North Hastings Way
      Eau Clair, WI 54703

For parts and other info regarding National Presto, visit www.gopresto.com

Mirro pressure canners do not have dial-type gauges, but a weighted gauge that does not need to be tested. If you are looking for parts or have questions about your Mirro pressure canner, call 1-800-527-7727 and press 3 for Mirro products (M – F, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm Eastern Time). For more information on Mirro canners, visit www.mirro.com, scroll down to Pressure Cookers and Canners or Pressure Cooker Parts. Their website will show you what is available, but they do not sell from their site. Common parts may be available at local Ace & True Value Hardware stores.

Parts for Presto, Mirro and many other different brands are available at: www.pressurecooker-outlet.com www.pressurecooker-outlet.com

Last updated May 10, 2023

Food Safety & Storage

FoodKeeper App

The USDA's FoodKeeper application provides storage advice for more than 400 food and beverage items, including various types of baby food, dairy products and eggs, meat, poultry, produce, seafood, and more.

What Do Can Codes Mean?

Cans must exhibit a packing code to enable tracking of the product in interstate commerce. This enables manufacturers to rotate their stock as well as to locate their products in the event of a recall. These codes, which appear as a series of letters and/or numbers, might refer to the date or time of manufacture. They aren't meant for the consumer to interpret as "use-by" dates. There is no book which tells how to translate the codes into dates.

In general, high-acid canned foods such as tomatoes, grapefruit and pineapple can be stored on the shelf 12 to 18 months; low-acid canned foods such as meat, poultry, fish and most vegetables will keep 2 to 5 years -- if the can remains in good condition and has been stored in a cool, clean, dry place.

Dates on Egg Cartons

If the egg carton has an expiration date printed on it, such as "EXP May 1," be sure that the date has not passed when the eggs are purchased. That is the last day the store may sell the eggs as fresh.

On eggs which have a Federal grademark, such as Grade AA, the date cannot be more than 30 days from the date the eggs were packed into the carton.

As long as you purchase a carton of eggs before the date expires, you should be able to use all the eggs safely in three to five weeks after the date you purchase them.