Electric pressure canner with digital control

A pressure canner, comprising:

• an external shell, the external shell further comprising:
• a sensor mount in a rotatable mechanical connection to the external shell;
• a sensor positioned within the sensor mount, a latch member rotatably attached to the sensor mount, the axis of rotation of the latch member oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the sensor mount;
• a heating element;
• a lid assembly, the lid assembly comprising a handle portion, the handle portion comprising a plurality of upper mount members forming a sensor channel in which is located a sensor bore adapted to receive the sensor when the lid assembly is affixed to a vessel body;
• and
• the lid assembly further comprising a pressure relief bore, a pressure relieve valve mounted to the pressure relief bore, and a relief aperture which defines a relief mounting surface which is adapted to cause the relief valve to release steam pressure when in a first position and regulate steam pressure when in a second position.

A method of canning foodstuffs comprising:

• affixing a lid assembly to a housing of a pressure canner by rotating the lid assembly relative to a housing of the pressure canner until a sensor probe attached to the housing aligns with a sensor bore formed in the lid assembly;
• rotating a sensor mount such that the sensor enters a sensor bore formed in the lid assembly, and rotating a latch member relative to the sensor mount such that the latch member engages with the lid assembly such that the sensor mount is held in position relative to the lid assembly;
• moving a pressure relief valve from a first position relative to a relief mounting surface to a second position relative to the relief mounting surface such that the pressure relief valve is in communication with an interior canning area such that a pressure in the interior canning area is regulated by the pressure relief valve;
• causing the pressure of the interior canning area to increase while monitoring a temperature level with the sensor probe;
• detecting when the temperature level reaches a desired temperature with the sensor probe;
• and
• after the desired temperature is detected, processing foodstuffs using the pressure and heat applied to the interior canning area for a predetermined amount of time.