Autoclave structure and working principle. How does an autoclave work? The principle of operation of the system in the food industry

Almost every inhabitant of our country has relatives in the village or in their own private house with a garden. Everyone is very fond of receiving and consuming natural canned foods, such as compotes, cucumbers and much more. Now it is very difficult to find natural canned food in stores. And advanced gardeners and gardeners are happy to use the autoclave to process the crop.

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Around the 60s of the last century, this invention firmly took its place in agriculture. At that time, homemade could be found in almost any home. It greatly speeds up the preservation process while maintaining beneficial features products.

In general, it is a device for sterilizing something. They use the principle of its work both in medicine and for the manufacture of distilled water (it is poured into car batteries), adding a distiller to the design.

Advantages of an autoclave over other canning methods

Many people are familiar with the traditional canning process, it takes a lot of time and effort and requires constant monitoring. This method does not allow you to leave the kitchen all day. But literally all the processes of our life are subject to automation, because everyone has more and more things to do, but there are still 24 hours in a day. In addition, it will not work to make, for example, pate in ordinary home conditions, because the technology for its preparation requires a certain temperature treatment, which cannot be achieved without special equipment.

Many bacteria and microorganisms tolerate 100 degree treatment very easily, and the boiling point does not rise higher. From this it is easy to conclude that after standard preservation they remain in the product and may cause Negative consequences. For example, a mold fungus that forms mycotoxins is not destroyed if not sufficiently processed and can even cause poisoning. But useful substances do not withstand many hours of “bath” and die.

Yes, and it’s not very safe - boiling pots, hot jars and lids, which are also subject to mandatory sterilization with boiling water. It was not for nothing that our grandmothers did not let us little ones into the kitchen when they were making jam.

The advantages of the autoclave are obvious here.

1. First, it is absolutely safe. No need to grab and rearrange hot jars, pour boiling brine. All jars are delivered chilled.
2. Secondly, due to the rapid heating to 120 degrees (100 with normal boiling), the pressure that provides such a temperature and rapid cooling, absolutely all bacteria die, but the beneficial substances do not have time to evaporate. As a result, the canned product does not lose anything except pathogenic bacteria, and remains just as tasty and healthy. And all sterilization processes take place without the participation of hands, and there is a danger of getting burned.
3. Thirdly, the time spent is minimized, and moving away from it for a few minutes will not be difficult and will not pose any danger, since many models are equipped with built-in temperature controllers and a system emergency shutdown when overheated. So, instead of a whole day in the kitchen, the same result will be achieved in 4 hours. This is an important factor in the eternal lack of time in the modern world.

Instructions for use

So, everything is clear with the advantages, but how does the sterilization process take place? How to use it?

Of course, detailed instructions instructions for use and maintenance will be enclosed with the purchased machine. By the way, in many cases, when buying, they give a book with recipes for canned foods.

There is a certain simple algorithm suitable for any chosen model.

First you need to prepare the banks. We place the product chosen for preservation in them according to the recipe and roll it up in the same way as at the end of the usual preservation. There is no need to sterilize them. We place a special grate on the bottom. Then, we put the jars in the unit in rows to the very top and fill it all with water so that the jars are immersed in it by 2 cm.

We tightly close the cover, fix it with special bolts. Using a pump (for example, an automobile one), we create a pressure of 1 atmosphere of air in the unit. What is it for? There is pressure in rolled cans. If during processing there is a pressure difference inside and outside the can, it will simply burst.

Now you can start heating. Depending on the selected model, heating may occur different ways: using a fire, stove, plugging into a socket (electric). You need to heat the device to 110 degrees, while the pressure in the device will increase. Such temperature regime must be maintained for 20-70 minutes, depending on the recipe (there is a lot of literature indicating the exact time for each product). It is during this period of time that sterilization occurs. The main thing is to ensure that the water temperature does not exceed 120 degrees.

having withstood right time stop heating. In order for the canned food to cool down, leave the apparatus at a temperature of 30 degrees. Of course, you can speed up the process with cold water, but the pressure in this will increase.

After cooling, you need to remove the banks. To do this, you must first bleed the air through a special safety valve. Then drain the water with a hose. Now you can safely get ready-made canned food.

Kinds

There are several types of autoclaves, but they are all equally suitable for sterilization. They differ in the material from which they are made. It can be made from food grade stainless steel or aluminium. There is also a difference in the way of loading - it can be horizontal and vertical.

According to the method of heating - electric, gas and for open fire (electric furnace or fire). Usually in household heating modes (one or two) are provided.

Powered by electricity. Equipped with built-in heaters. Automatic pressure regulator and emergency system shutdowns are an undeniable advantage. There are devices of various volumes, most often from 20 to 30 liters. Also, modern household appliances are equipped with a liquid crystal display, which displays all the information about the process - temperature, pressure, remaining cooking time.

Vertical is a convenient way to load and save space. With all the variety of design proposals, in our country the most appreciated is the vertical one. Rotating, horizontal and others have too complex structure and short lived in use.

Back in the 17th century, the vertical autoclave was used in the food and medical industries. But of course they were much bigger size than the current household. Only vertical version allows you to sterilize products in absolutely any container (glass bottles, plastic packaging, cans).

By the way, an ordinary household double boiler works on the same principle as a vertical one. In addition, it is easier to connect a distiller to it.

The distiller is connected to the autoclave through a special connector. Distillation - the distillation of a liquid occurs as follows: the liquid is heated in a special tank, evaporates during boiling. It is these vapors that enter the distiller. This is how distilled water is obtained. The distiller is used, in particular, for the preparation of alcoholic beverages.

The water that has passed through the distiller is already purified from all non-volatile impurities. Such water is used in medicine (in the manufacture of medicines), in the automotive industry (poured into rechargeable batteries, and for the car cooling system, distilled water will be much better).

Such water is stored strictly in tightly closed containers. Thus, the distiller is widely used not only in industrial scale but also in everyday life.

Do-it-yourself autoclave for home canning from a gas cylinder

In a crisis situation in the country, very a good option save on buying canned food, but getting them also costs a lot of money. There is a third solution - do it yourself. It is perfect for those who are used to working with their hands and making beautiful things. Since the principle of operation is clear, we will not delve into theory and immediately move on to practice.

Since the unit must have thick walls, an already used gas cylinder is quite suitable for the main body. It is made of special steel that can withstand high pressure (not less than 0.3 MPa). How many cans will fit in the product depends on its diameter, for example, 4 liter cans will safely enter a container with a diameter of 30 cm.

Canister autoclave

Consider how to make an autoclave for canning at home from such material. Let's get started.

1. First, be sure to thoroughly clean the cylinder from gas residues and blow it well with air. This is done in order to avoid danger while working with the cutter.
2. On the cylinder must be cut off upper part- this will be the lid. Then weld steel flanges (rings) to it and the cylinder itself near the cut, the thickness of which must be at least 10 mm, with a preliminary drilled holes for bolts - they will serve to tightly fasten the lid to the container. There should be 8 holes, suitable for M10 bolts. For a snug fit between the flanges is installed rubber gasket.
3. Further, a sleeve is mounted in the cover for attaching a thermometer, a pressure gauge, a safety valve and a valve (ball valve) are attached. The valve is needed in order to test the homemade autoclave for strength and tightness at the end.
4. The thermometer must have an upper limit of 150 degrees, the pressure gauge - up to 0.4 MPa. The safety valve can be taken from a water heater or made by hand.
5. Sometimes people make by welding sheets of steel. But this is very dangerous. There is not the slightest guarantee that such an apparatus will not burst under pressure, since metal sheets are not checked for stability, but weak spots often have.

So, when the autoclave from the cylinder is ready, it's time to test the product for strength. To do this, we change the settings for the operation of the safety valve from 0.25 MPa (standard) to 0.39 MPa.

Now we fill the tank with water, and pump air into it using a pump, bringing the pressure inside to 0.375 MPa, and keep it that way for at least 5 minutes.

Such tests should be carried out at least once a year.

Now, having successfully passed the test, it is completely ready for operation. Autoclave for home canning suitable for heating open fire, but the electric one is a little more difficult to make.

It is very convenient not only for canning, but also for sterilization. It is very often used in medical institutions, in the food industry.

Due to the pressure created inside the container, the boiling point of water increases from 100 degrees to 120, which, in turn, contributes to the death of bacteria. So, sterilization is much more effective than conventional boiling.

When sterilizing, it is important to remember that each product has its own cooking time and temperature, which are indicated in the reference materials. The maximum deviation from the recommended temperature during sterilization can be 2 degrees.

It is also important to remember that when heated, any liquid expands and be sure to leave free space for this. If you fill the jars to the top, they will simply explode during processing.

During sterilization, only the boiling time is taken into account. Heating and cooling times are not taken into account.

Who among us does not dream of tasting a real homemade preserve? While the fast food war is going on, the entire prudent population is gradually switching to natural food. This is especially true for canned goods. The modern food industry is more chemical than food. Adding preservatives, dyes, flavors - how to discern and feel the taste of a real product behind all this?

What is the way out of this situation? home preservation. But old-fashioned methods are quite difficult and take a lot of time. Although, back in the 60s of the last century, the entire progressive peasantry of the USSR put into service a miracle invention - a home-made autoclave.

A bit of history and how it works

The idea was borrowed from the then food industry. The principle of operation is simple - with increasing pressure, the boiling point of water shifts from 100 ° C to 125 ° C. At the same time, all useful substances remain in the bank, and do not evaporate with moisture. Another important point is improved sterilization. Harmful bacteria are completely killed.

The device works as follows - closed, rolled-up cans with natural products are loaded into the container, the lid is tightly closed and pressure is applied to 1.8 atm. Yes, the autoclave is pre-installed on a gas or electric stove. By increasing the temperature to 120 ° C, we constantly maintain it. The time depends on the products that are inside. The autoclave cools down, the jars are removed and that's it - home preservation is ready.

Now, knowing the principle of operation of a home autoclave, it is worth highlighting its advantages:

• Only natural products and no "chemistry" during conservation.
• The process is much faster than with traditional boiling-rolling.
• And the most important factor is that all products turn out to be very tasty. Or as they like to say now cooking-made.

Believe me, after the first spoonful of canned fish home cooking doubts will disappear by themselves.

The autoclave is simple - a steel container that is hermetically sealed. A special fitting is installed for air injection, pressure and temperature indicators are displayed on the instruments. The lid must have an additional seal. So why not make it yourself? At least from the same gas cylinder! But no, - such an installation will have a lot of disadvantages - the heating rate will be minimal, the tightness is not so hot, and the whole device is comparable in weight to ... gas bottle. Who wears - he knows.

And now consider the real factory-made quality of home autoclaves.

Material

The choice is great - from black steel, with a wall thickness of 4 mm and ending with stainless steel. The latter, by the way, is very resistant to high temperatures.

Design

A professional autoclave is not remade, but designed and manufactured. Everything is provided in it: convenient loading of cans, optimal shape, control devices and safety valves emergency pressure relief. Some models are supplemented with their own heating elements in order to fully control the entire process. There is even a remote control.

Add-ons

As a nice bonus, you can get a recipe book and lots of tips from professionals in their field.

Well, how did you feel the desire to eat real, “homemade”?

To make canned food tasty, choose only fresh and high-quality products. wash glass jars, fill them with recipe products and seal tightly with metal lids. Autoclave jars do not need to be pre-sterilized.

Loading jars into the autoclave

Put closed banks on the grate at the bottom of the autoclave. You can install jars in the autoclave in several layers. The next row of jars can be placed directly on the lids of the previous row.

If the autoclave is equipped with special clamping cassettes, the jars are installed in them according to the instructions that come with the device.

Attention! Important! Only jars of the same type with the same lids should be placed in one layer!

Then pour into the autoclave cold water so that the free space to the top edge of the device is approximately 3-4 cm.

Preservation in an autoclave

Close the lid of the machine, make sure there is sealing ring. Close the lid. To ensure that the cover does not warp to the side, and it lies flat, tighten the nuts crosswise.

If the autoclave is supplied without cassettes that compensate for the pressure difference in the jars and the apparatus, pump air into the tank with a pump through the "nipple" until the pressure gauge shows 1 atm with an automobile or any other pump. The creation of pressure in the autoclave up to 1 atm is necessary to maintain the integrity of the cans, since when heated, a difference in pressure is formed in the autoclave itself and inside the cans, and to check the tightness of the connection between the lid and the body.

If the autoclave is supplied with special pressure cassettes, pre-pumping is not necessary.

Turn on the heat. As it heats up, the pressure in the device will increase, which we need - 0.4 MPa, it corresponds to 120 ° C. When the autoclave is heated to the desired temperature, the jars must be kept in this mode for the recommended time for canned products. For example, for meat, it is about an hour, canned vegetables in an autoclave will be ready after 20 minutes of sterilization at the same temperature, pickled mushrooms must be cooked for 40-50 minutes at a temperature of at least 110 degrees.

Completion of sterilization

After the required time has elapsed, gradually reduce the pressure, gradually reducing the heat until the heat source is completely turned off. Allow the unit to cool down to a temperature of no more than 30°C, then slowly release the pressure with the nipple. Do not allow sudden heating and cooling, a sharp release and increase in pressure - the cans may open.

Before opening the lid, check the pressure relief valve to make sure that the pressure in the autoclave and outside is equal. If nothing happened, you can safely open the lid.

Canned food is ready!

Open the lid and remove the jars. One bookmark and bringing canned food to cooking takes 3-3.5 hours. As a rule, experienced people do this in the afternoon and turn off the autoclave in the evening and then leave it to cool in this position until the morning.

As the sun rises, you can take out ready-made jars, which will then be a wonderful delicacy to your table!

After you have studied the instructions for using the autoclave, you can start cooking dishes, including: fish and meat stews, vegetable preparations, homemade pickles, jams and marmalades.

Sterilization modes

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands do not know boredom!

Content

During the hot season economic people start to make seaming for the winter. Manual process very laborious - you need to prepare the food that you are going to preserve, sterilize jars, lids. Sweat pours in a stream, strength is running out, and as a result, only a few jars are obtained. Another thing is a gas or electric autoclave for home canning - its use allows you to speed up the process and increase the yield of the product without a significant increase in temperature in the kitchen. You will need a minimum of physical effort.

What is an autoclave

The device is a hermetically sealed structure designed for heating under pressure above atmospheric pressure. Under these conditions, the boiling point shifts towards an increase in temperature, the products cook faster. Home autoclave for canning has the following advantages:

• does delicious preparations keeping all useful substances, natural color, integral form;
• kills pathogenic bacteria, destroys spores;
• contains a large number of cans;
• significantly reduces the cooking time of meat, pickles, beans, corn, peas, vegetable preparations, juices, mushrooms.

Device

Autoclave is a sealed container, which consists of a loading chamber, a lid with locking mechanisms for sealing, a fitting for attaching a pump. Control and measuring devices are installed on the body - a pressure gauge (shows the pressure of gas and liquids in a confined space), a thermometer, an emergency discharge valve. Popular models of home preservation appliances are made of stainless steel.

Standard dimensions of the machine: 22 liters (can hold 14 cans of 0.5 l), 46 liters (22 cans of 0.5 l), 125 l (48 cans of 0.5 l). Another one important characteristic- heating source. Some models are heated on a gas stove, gasoline burner, others are only suitable for electric stoves. Self-contained autoclaves designed for home canning are powered by the mains - they have built-in heating elements.

Principle of operation

Buying a device is an expensive pleasure, but how much benefit from it with a minimum of human effort! How does an autoclave work? modern manufacturer? The scheme is simple. With standard indicators, water evaporates at 100 ° C, the temperature cannot rise above. In order for the situation to change, conditions are created in a sealed container high blood pressure. This causes the boiling point to shift.

When the pressure in the autoclave is increased, the liquid begins to boil at 120-125°C. What does it mean? That at an elevated temperature the cooking process is in full swing, but the water does not boil away, which means that all the vitamins, useful elements remain unchanged. Appearance products in the autoclave does not lose its integrity, it becomes appetizing, and seaming acquires a wonderful taste.

How to use an autoclave at home

The technology for preparing seams in the device is simple. wash household autoclave, then pack the products in jars, roll up with canning lids. Place the jars in the canning machine. Further actions will differ depending on the type of device:

• Pressurized autoclave. Banks fill up cold water by 2-3 cm, then pump air up to a pressure level of 1 atm. Warm up the device to a temperature of 100-120 ° C and hold this indicator for 60-70 minutes (depending on the recipe). After cooking, let the machine cool down, then bleed the air using the safety valve.
• Autoclave without pressurization. Home canning in such a device is even easier. Load the rolled cans into special cassettes that protect against tearing off the lids. Fill the autoclave with water without adding 2 cm to the upper edge of the tank. Close the lid of the device, place the device on the stove and monitor the temperature-pressure ratio. When home canning is ready, turn off the heat and wait for the autoclave to cool to room temperature.

Temperature-pressure ratio

For each autoclave, a different ratio of these indicators can be found in the operating instructions for more details. The numbers depend on the volume of the device, the intensity of heating, design features. You will learn specific values ​​empirically as you work. A small electric autoclave, powered by the mains, after 5 hours of operation shows on the thermometer 120 ° C at a pressure of 4.7 atm. Appliances heated on the stove reach operating parameters faster. Most home preservation is prepared at a temperature not exceeding 120 ° C and 4.5 atm.

How to choose an autoclave

Today it is not difficult to buy a device in Moscow or St. Petersburg, in hardware stores there are always several models to choose from, which you can touch, ask the seller in detail about the characteristics and guarantees. If you want to buy a home canning machine relatively cheaply, look for great deals in online stores. They often arrange good promotions and make discounts up to 20%.

There are two body materials - black metal and stainless steel. Plus the first - cheapness. However, the material has several disadvantages: it is not resistant to corrosion, short-lived (it lasts about 5 years), requires careful care. Stainless steel lasts up to 50 years, is not afraid of corrosion, but is expensive. The capacity of the autoclave is selected depending on the needs. The most popular ratio of the diameter and height of the device is accommodating 24 cans of 0.5 liters.

Gas

This type of home canning machine is heated on a gas stove. If the hostess decided to choose it, then when ordering, she must estimate the weight of the device - it can be very difficult to raise the autoclave with cans and water to a height. Optimal weight apparatus - 8 kg. The bottom must be flat and have a thickness of at least 3 mm. It is better to buy goods from trusted manufacturers who have been creating autoclaves for many years.

Electric

Such a device is more convenient for housewives, since it can be placed at a low height near the outlet. Another plus of an electric autoclave is its offline operation. The thermostat maintains the desired performance within the allotted time. The power of the devices is different. Small appliances with a volume of 22 liters consume 2 kW, medium autoclaves for 46 liters - 3.2 kW. The mains voltage must be 200 V.

autoclave price for home canning

When calculating the cost of the device, do not forget to add postage. The product is oversized, so car companies may charge extra money for a large weight. It is good if the manufacturer not only sells, but also free shipping autoclaves. average cost appliances.

The most common way to make preparations for the future is, of course, canning, which allows you to prepare for the winter and cook various goodies. However, this process usually takes a lot of time and does not always guarantee a high-quality result of the work done and the safety of products for a long time. In addition, often there are practically no vitamins left in canned vegetables, the presence of which is especially important in winter.

The ideal solution to this problem is to use a machine such as a home canning autoclave to allow proper sterilization. With it, you can make any homemade preparations: fruit, berry, vegetable, meat and fish.

General characteristics

An autoclave for home canning is a metal hermetically sealed vessel, on the lid of which a pressure gauge is fixed to control pressure, a thermometer, and a fitting designed for air injection.

Characterized enough simple principle work. Providing rapid heating, the loaded apparatus operates at constant temperatures (about 120 degrees) and pressure (about 4.5 atm.) for the time necessary for sterilization, after which cooling occurs.

Home autoclaves: types

Autoclaves produced today differ in heating method and volume. Therefore, when buying a device, you should take into account these characteristics. According to the method of heating, the devices are divided into gas and electric ones with a pointer thermometer or an electronic control unit. The last type is a fully automated autoclave, the price of which is slightly higher. As for capacity, models are produced for volumes from 20 to 46 liters.

The choice of apparatus depends primarily on the conditions under which canning will be carried out and how many jars of a certain volume the autoclave should hold per load. The price of the device is also largely determined by these parameters. So, for example, estimated cost gas autoclaves, depending on the capacity, range from 13 to 25 thousand rubles, electric - from 18 to 32 thousand rubles, equipped with an ECU - from 30 to 40 thousand rubles.

Autoclave: operating instructions

Cooking canned food in an autoclave involves several steps. First, rolled cans with prepared products are loaded into the body. The filled containers are loaded in rows (can to can). A gasket is placed on the bottom of the autoclave. This could be, for example, rubber mat or cloth bag.

Banks are filled with water so that it covers their lids by at least 20 mm. With less water, it is impossible to set a general sterilization mode for all jars. A rubber gasket and an autoclave lid are installed on top, bolts are tightened.

An automobile pump through an air valve in the body of the apparatus creates a pressure equal to 1 atm., which is necessary to prevent the lids from breaking off the loaded containers. With the help of soapy water, as well as “by ear”, the tightness of the connection is checked.

Heat

The autoclave is installed on the heating source. It could be gas stove or burner. Heating lasts up to a certain temperature value necessary for the sterilization of a particular product. At the same time, the pressure shown on the pressure gauge also increases. Its limit value depends on the temperature. So, at 110 degrees, the pressure is from 2.5 to 3.5 atm., At 120 ° C - from 4 to 4.5 atm. It is not recommended to adjust its values ​​yourself, since its optimal level is set by itself.

Sterilization

From the moment the desired temperature is reached, the heating intensity decreases and the sterilization mode begins, in which the jars are kept for the required time (depending on the product), after which the heating source is turned off.

Next, the stage of cooling in a natural way begins to a temperature value not higher than 30 degrees. In this case, the pressure value will be slightly higher than the initial one. To reduce it, air is gently released through the valve. Then the lid bolts are unscrewed, the autoclave is opened, and the cans are removed. The condition of the lids is checked, as well as the strength of the seaming.

After draining the water from the device (using a hose), it is necessary to wipe its surface dry and leave it in open form for drying.

Working with electric autoclaves

The electric autoclave for home canning allows you to special trouble behind a short time prepare and sterilize canned food from any food products. The temperature and pressure inside the autoclave are created using a block of tubular electric heaters. For the preparation of canned food in such a device, rolled cans are installed in a special cassette designed for fastening containers in the apparatus, and are fixed with clamping nuts.

Plug the device into a socket. The end of the drain hose is put on the drain tap and secured with a clamp. The second end is lowered into a container with cold water and is also fixed. Water is poured into the body of the autoclave in such an amount that its level is 1 centimeter above the cover of the cassette when placed inside. Next, the apparatus is closed (without the use of clamps) and the heating is turned on. After the water warms up to 60 degrees, the cover is removed again. A cassette with cans is lowered inside the machine. The lid is put in place and pressed against the body with the help of clips. Heating of water continues until the required for sterilization is reached. specific product temperature and then maintained at the desired level until the end of the process, after which cooling begins.

After the end of sterilization, the switch is turned off, the plug is removed from the socket, through drain hose water descends and cans are taken out.

When working with an automated autoclave, after placing the cans in the body and closing the lid, the necessary settings are selected on the electronic control unit (depending on the product and recipe) and the “Start” button is pressed. After that, the device works according to the program set in the ECU.

Average temperatures and sterilization times

The sterilization modes of autoclaves vary and depend on the configuration of the apparatus, their heat transfer characteristics, heating methods, and so on. Optimal Modes autoclaves are selected experimentally in the process of working with the apparatus. The average values ​​of temperature and time of sterilization of the main products are:

• canned meat from lamb, pork and beef - 118-120 ° C in 45 minutes;
• canned rabbit and poultry - 115 ° C for 30 minutes;
• canned fish - 112-115 ° C for 20-30 minutes;
• canned mushrooms - 110 ° C for 30-40 minutes;
• canned fruits - 115-120 ° C in 30 minutes;
• vegetable - 100-120 ° C in 15-20 minutes.

Home autoclaves provide the ability to change the duration of sterilization. It can be increased or decreased depending on taste preferences. However, it should be remembered that the less canned food is in the autoclave, the shorter its shelf life.

The advantages of preparing blanks in household autoclaves

The autoclave for home canning, used in the production of spins at home, has a number of advantages, the main ones are:

• saves a lot of time;
• a significant part of useful substances is retained in the products;
• during the heat treatment, bacteria and pathogens are destroyed;
• increases the shelf life of products.