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Are you thinking about learning how to do Homecanning? Has someone "told" you how to do it?
If so PLEASE read the following.
Please before you start canning read about it and learn about it from a veteran canner. One book I highly recommend that gives you many canning basics is the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. I recommend that you purchase a current copy and not one from 1920 as safety guidelines have changed. The book is not that expensive like 5 or 6 dollars. I refer to it as my "canning bible". I have been canning for years and have taught people how to can and still now and then I refer back to my "bible". In addition to the guidelines the book is full of great recipes!
Strawberry jam I canned this summer
All to often I run into someone that says,
"hey I just canned my first batch of grape jelly ever" my response "oh
yeah how did it turn out" They usually respond by telling me the step
by step process of how they made the jelly and then poured it into the
jars, put the lids on and then put it in their pantry. I ask them well
" how long did you process it?" I'm usually met with a blank stare.
Process? What do you mean by process? YIKES!!
Then they ask me if I want to try their jelly. Ummmmm does that come with a free trip to the ER and a stomach pump for the upcoming botulism?
My favorite so far was when my mother in law canned grape juice. She didn't process and wound up with fermented grapes floating on top of sugar water. How she managed that I'll never know.
grape juice the I canned last fall
(yes I left the grapes in, I think it makes a better tasting juice. I just separate the juice from the grapes)
Please please please before you do any homecanning find out about
processing. How long and what type of processing is needing for what
you are canning. Processing is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT steps in
homecanning.
There are 2 very safe methods to process homecanned foods.
1. The boiling water bath method.
Boiling water canner
2. The Pressure canner method.
weighted dial gauge pressure canner
High acidic foods can be safely processed in a boiling water bath. High acid foods are things like Tomatoes, Peaches, pears, applesauce, jams, jellies, etc...
Always start with clean hot jars. Jars can be regular or wide mouth. I like the wide mouth jars for applesauce.
different canning jars Note the word "kerr" these labeled jars are best for canning
Place your prepared fruit(peeled, pitted/seeded and sliced up) in your hot canning jars, add your syrup(Recipes for the syrup can be found in the Ball Blue Book of canning, I'm sure you may be able to find good recipes online too, always use a tried and tested recipe). Wipe off the mouth of the jar with a CLEAN wash cloth. Put on your warm lid(use home canning lids) and band. The lids and bands do come in regular and wide mouth sizes as well. Always use NEW lids. I've seen people try to reuse an old lid. You want to ensure a proper seal. Then finger tighten a band around it. Place your filled jar in a water bath canner(can be found online and in some retail stores). Most water bath canners will hold 7 quart jars. Make sure your water covers the lids of the jars by at least 2 inches. I always start warming my water prior to putting in the jars.
Cover the canner with it's lid and beginning timing when the water comes to a full boil. You want the water to boil during the entire processing time. You'll need to check your recipe for proper processing time. This can be found in most canning cook books and there are charts that can be found online. The processing time will need to be adjusted according to your elevation. At higher elevations processing times are longer than those at lower elevations. Do not always go by what the recipe says.
canning lids, bands and a jar lifter
The Pressure canner method is used for processing Low-acid foods. Low acid foods are things like vegetables, Corn, greenbeans, etc... I have processed stewed tomatoes in a pressure canner and they came out just fine. My local 4H extension office recommends pressure canning tomatoes because it preserves the flavor better. Please do not confuse a pressure canner with a pressure cooker. They are completely different! Pressure canners are nice to have but can be a little expensive.They are necessity though if you plan on canning vegetables. Canning vegetables is quite easy also. You follow the same rules as processing fruit. Clean the vegetables. Beans will need to be snapped to fit in the jars. Corn cut off the ears. Of course you won't make a syrup with vegetables. You generally just add water to the jar once it is full and a little salt if desired.
With a pressure canner, there are 2 types, a gauge and a weighted gauge. You'll need to determine what type you have. ALWAYS,ALWAYS follow the manufacturer guidelines with a pressure canner. Follow your recipe or guide book to get to the proper pressure and processing time. Again this depends on your elevation.Once your processing is done in a pressure canner never never never try to take the lid off before the pressure is all released. My mother did this once and the canner exploded. Luckily she wasn't hurt. Her canner was ruined.
Also in addition, when using a pressure canner make sure you are using Canning jars. They will have the word Ball or Kerr or other canning company logo on them. Plain jars(like a glass spaghetti jar or mayo jar) are fine for a boiling water bath but not for a pressure canner. You need a better grade glass jar for pressure canning.
Peaches I canned this year
The recipe will usually tell you how much head space to leave in your jars. If not, I follow the rule of the thumb of at least 3/4 inch. If you over fill your jars then during the processing time the liquid can boil out and leave you with a nice mess and a lid that is bent and won't seal. Trust me on this one...When I can Grape juice I always leave and inch of headspace.
Once you remove your jars from the boiling water bath or pressure canner place them on a towel or rack to cool. Make sure the cooling area is free of drafts. You don't want your jars to break. While they are cooling you may start to hear a popping sound. This is normal, it is your lids sealing. You can check to see if your lid has sealed by pressing down on the middle of it. If it pops back up it has not sealed yet. If it doesn't then you're good to go. On occasion you may find that you have a lid that refuses to seal. That's okay. You have 24 hours to reprocess it. If I have one that doesn't seal within 10 hours I usually reprocess it. To reprocess the jar remove the old lid. Wipe down the rim of the jar again with a clean damp cloth, put on a new lid, put the band back on and process it according to your recipe directions.
Again make adjustments for your elevation. If it still won't seal just put it in the fridge and use the product right away. Once in awhile you may find a stubborn one.Store your creations in your pantry or in a basement storage room if you have one. I keep mine stored in a storage room. You'll want a place that stays cool and dry.
So here are some general rules.
1. Use produce that is ripe, but not too ripe, and in good shape
2. can with clean clothes on ( I do cover my clothes with a clean apron, canning can be a bit messy)
3.Wash your hands
4. Prepare your produce on a clean surface. Avoid cross contamination
5. Follow your recipe
6. Use a tried and tested recipe, there are numerous canning cookbooks out there and some really good websites with great canning recipes.
7. Use clean hot jars. I run my canning jars through the dishwasher on the sanitization cycle. It's keeps them clean and hot. I take the jars out as I need them.
8. Always use new lids and clean warm bands(remember bands can be reused)
9. Follow the recipe guidelines for proper processing method and time. This is very important to insure that you destroy all bacteria. Processing is when the bacterias are destroyed.
10. It is also recommended that you get your Pressure canner tested on a yearly basis. Your local 4-H extension office can do this for you.
11. Make sure that when you can either with a boiling water canner or pressure canner that your canner has a rack in it to put your jars on. You don't want your jars touching the metal bottom of the canner. The water needs to be able to easily flow around the jars. Not too mention the glass jars can break due to touching that high direct heat of the bottom of the pan.
12. Have fun! I love homecanning. There is a great satisfaction that comes from looking at my kitchen counter and seeing dozens of bottles of homecanned peaches, pears, grapejuice, strawberry jam, etc...My family loves it. The best part is I know that what I have canned is healthy and free of preservatives and additives. The nutrition value is so high!(provided you canned properly and followed the directions)
Okay so I decided to go ahead and add and altitude chart.
Boiling Water method
Altitude in Feet Increase processing time
1,001 to 3,000 5 minutes
3,001 to 6,000 10 minutes
6,001 to 8,000 15 minutes
8,001 to 10,000 20 minutes
Pressure Canner Method
Altitude in Feet Weighted Gauge Dial Gauge
0 to 1000 10 11
1,001 to 2,000 15 11
2,001 to 4,000 15 12
4,001 to 6,000 15 13
6,001 to 8,000 15 14
8,001 to 10,000 15 15
Remember the pressure canner method is for low-acid foods. IMPORTANT: When using a pressure canner stay right by it. If the canner builds too much pressure the results can be very very very very bad! When I use my pressure canner I watch the gauge like a hawk. If it gets too high I adjust the temperature on my stove to keep it at the desired pressure. I don't leave it until it is done processing and the heat on the stove is turned off.
OH yeah one more little tidbit....Canning is great on gas ranges and coiled electric ranges. HOWEVER if you have a stove that is one of those flat surface kind that doesn't have the metal coils from what other home canners have told me you can't use a pressure canner on those. The heat doesn't hold or disperse evenly to hold the pressure. Using the boiling water method will work fine on those stoves though.
If so PLEASE read the following.
Please before you start canning read about it and learn about it from a veteran canner. One book I highly recommend that gives you many canning basics is the Ball Blue Book of Preserving. I recommend that you purchase a current copy and not one from 1920 as safety guidelines have changed. The book is not that expensive like 5 or 6 dollars. I refer to it as my "canning bible". I have been canning for years and have taught people how to can and still now and then I refer back to my "bible". In addition to the guidelines the book is full of great recipes!
Strawberry jam I canned this summer
Then they ask me if I want to try their jelly. Ummmmm does that come with a free trip to the ER and a stomach pump for the upcoming botulism?
My favorite so far was when my mother in law canned grape juice. She didn't process and wound up with fermented grapes floating on top of sugar water. How she managed that I'll never know.
grape juice the I canned last fall
(yes I left the grapes in, I think it makes a better tasting juice. I just separate the juice from the grapes)
There are 2 very safe methods to process homecanned foods.
1. The boiling water bath method.
Boiling water canner
2. The Pressure canner method.
weighted dial gauge pressure canner
High acidic foods can be safely processed in a boiling water bath. High acid foods are things like Tomatoes, Peaches, pears, applesauce, jams, jellies, etc...
Always start with clean hot jars. Jars can be regular or wide mouth. I like the wide mouth jars for applesauce.
different canning jars Note the word "kerr" these labeled jars are best for canning
Place your prepared fruit(peeled, pitted/seeded and sliced up) in your hot canning jars, add your syrup(Recipes for the syrup can be found in the Ball Blue Book of canning, I'm sure you may be able to find good recipes online too, always use a tried and tested recipe). Wipe off the mouth of the jar with a CLEAN wash cloth. Put on your warm lid(use home canning lids) and band. The lids and bands do come in regular and wide mouth sizes as well. Always use NEW lids. I've seen people try to reuse an old lid. You want to ensure a proper seal. Then finger tighten a band around it. Place your filled jar in a water bath canner(can be found online and in some retail stores). Most water bath canners will hold 7 quart jars. Make sure your water covers the lids of the jars by at least 2 inches. I always start warming my water prior to putting in the jars.
Cover the canner with it's lid and beginning timing when the water comes to a full boil. You want the water to boil during the entire processing time. You'll need to check your recipe for proper processing time. This can be found in most canning cook books and there are charts that can be found online. The processing time will need to be adjusted according to your elevation. At higher elevations processing times are longer than those at lower elevations. Do not always go by what the recipe says.
canning lids, bands and a jar lifter
The Pressure canner method is used for processing Low-acid foods. Low acid foods are things like vegetables, Corn, greenbeans, etc... I have processed stewed tomatoes in a pressure canner and they came out just fine. My local 4H extension office recommends pressure canning tomatoes because it preserves the flavor better. Please do not confuse a pressure canner with a pressure cooker. They are completely different! Pressure canners are nice to have but can be a little expensive.They are necessity though if you plan on canning vegetables. Canning vegetables is quite easy also. You follow the same rules as processing fruit. Clean the vegetables. Beans will need to be snapped to fit in the jars. Corn cut off the ears. Of course you won't make a syrup with vegetables. You generally just add water to the jar once it is full and a little salt if desired.
With a pressure canner, there are 2 types, a gauge and a weighted gauge. You'll need to determine what type you have. ALWAYS,ALWAYS follow the manufacturer guidelines with a pressure canner. Follow your recipe or guide book to get to the proper pressure and processing time. Again this depends on your elevation.Once your processing is done in a pressure canner never never never try to take the lid off before the pressure is all released. My mother did this once and the canner exploded. Luckily she wasn't hurt. Her canner was ruined.
Also in addition, when using a pressure canner make sure you are using Canning jars. They will have the word Ball or Kerr or other canning company logo on them. Plain jars(like a glass spaghetti jar or mayo jar) are fine for a boiling water bath but not for a pressure canner. You need a better grade glass jar for pressure canning.
Peaches I canned this year
The recipe will usually tell you how much head space to leave in your jars. If not, I follow the rule of the thumb of at least 3/4 inch. If you over fill your jars then during the processing time the liquid can boil out and leave you with a nice mess and a lid that is bent and won't seal. Trust me on this one...When I can Grape juice I always leave and inch of headspace.
Once you remove your jars from the boiling water bath or pressure canner place them on a towel or rack to cool. Make sure the cooling area is free of drafts. You don't want your jars to break. While they are cooling you may start to hear a popping sound. This is normal, it is your lids sealing. You can check to see if your lid has sealed by pressing down on the middle of it. If it pops back up it has not sealed yet. If it doesn't then you're good to go. On occasion you may find that you have a lid that refuses to seal. That's okay. You have 24 hours to reprocess it. If I have one that doesn't seal within 10 hours I usually reprocess it. To reprocess the jar remove the old lid. Wipe down the rim of the jar again with a clean damp cloth, put on a new lid, put the band back on and process it according to your recipe directions.
Again make adjustments for your elevation. If it still won't seal just put it in the fridge and use the product right away. Once in awhile you may find a stubborn one.Store your creations in your pantry or in a basement storage room if you have one. I keep mine stored in a storage room. You'll want a place that stays cool and dry.
So here are some general rules.
1. Use produce that is ripe, but not too ripe, and in good shape
2. can with clean clothes on ( I do cover my clothes with a clean apron, canning can be a bit messy)
3.Wash your hands
4. Prepare your produce on a clean surface. Avoid cross contamination
5. Follow your recipe
6. Use a tried and tested recipe, there are numerous canning cookbooks out there and some really good websites with great canning recipes.
7. Use clean hot jars. I run my canning jars through the dishwasher on the sanitization cycle. It's keeps them clean and hot. I take the jars out as I need them.
8. Always use new lids and clean warm bands(remember bands can be reused)
9. Follow the recipe guidelines for proper processing method and time. This is very important to insure that you destroy all bacteria. Processing is when the bacterias are destroyed.
10. It is also recommended that you get your Pressure canner tested on a yearly basis. Your local 4-H extension office can do this for you.
11. Make sure that when you can either with a boiling water canner or pressure canner that your canner has a rack in it to put your jars on. You don't want your jars touching the metal bottom of the canner. The water needs to be able to easily flow around the jars. Not too mention the glass jars can break due to touching that high direct heat of the bottom of the pan.
12. Have fun! I love homecanning. There is a great satisfaction that comes from looking at my kitchen counter and seeing dozens of bottles of homecanned peaches, pears, grapejuice, strawberry jam, etc...My family loves it. The best part is I know that what I have canned is healthy and free of preservatives and additives. The nutrition value is so high!(provided you canned properly and followed the directions)
Okay so I decided to go ahead and add and altitude chart.
Boiling Water method
Altitude in Feet Increase processing time
1,001 to 3,000 5 minutes
3,001 to 6,000 10 minutes
6,001 to 8,000 15 minutes
8,001 to 10,000 20 minutes
Pressure Canner Method
Altitude in Feet Weighted Gauge Dial Gauge
0 to 1000 10 11
1,001 to 2,000 15 11
2,001 to 4,000 15 12
4,001 to 6,000 15 13
6,001 to 8,000 15 14
8,001 to 10,000 15 15
Remember the pressure canner method is for low-acid foods. IMPORTANT: When using a pressure canner stay right by it. If the canner builds too much pressure the results can be very very very very bad! When I use my pressure canner I watch the gauge like a hawk. If it gets too high I adjust the temperature on my stove to keep it at the desired pressure. I don't leave it until it is done processing and the heat on the stove is turned off.
OH yeah one more little tidbit....Canning is great on gas ranges and coiled electric ranges. HOWEVER if you have a stove that is one of those flat surface kind that doesn't have the metal coils from what other home canners have told me you can't use a pressure canner on those. The heat doesn't hold or disperse evenly to hold the pressure. Using the boiling water method will work fine on those stoves though.
Guide created: 10/14/06 (updated 09/01/08)
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