Canning Tips

Home canning is not complicated. It is a simple procedure of applying heat to food in a closed jar in order to interrupt the natural decaying that would otherwise take place. It requires “processing” or “heat processing” foods according to up-to-date, tested home canning guidelines. Proper home canning includes:

Placing prepared food in Ball brand or Kerr brand home canning jars which are then sealed with Ball brand or Kerr brand two-piece vacuum caps;

Heating the filled jars to the designated temperature using the correct type of canner for the food being processed;

Processing the filled jars for the required time as stated by an up-to-date, tested recipe in order to destroy the spoilage microorganisms and inactive enzymes;

Cooling jars properly, allowing the lids to vent excess air from the jars to form a vacuum seal.

When followed exactly, the processing methods and times of up-to-date, tested home canning recipes adequately destroy normal levels of heat-resistant microorganisms. After processing and upon cooling, a vacuum is formed and the lid seals onto the jar. This ensures that home canned foods will be free of spoilage when the jars are stored properly and remain vacuum-sealed. This seal prevents other microorganisms from entering and recontaminating the food.

If you are located at an elevation higher than 1,000 feet above sea level, it is necessary to adjust the processing time when using the boiling-water method and the pounds of pressure when using the steam-pressure method. Make the appropriate adjustment for your elevation as indicated by the Altitude Charts.

BOILING-WATER CANNER

STEAM-PRESSURE CANNER

NOTE: The cooking time necessary for recipe preparation before the food is placed in the jars is not a part of the processing time. It does not alter the processing time required for safe home canned foods. To thoroughly destroy all microorganisms that may be in a specific food as it is ladled into the jars, always process the filled jars for the time specified in a tested recipe from a reliable source, such as the Ball Blue Book® Guide to Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydration.

Home Canning Essentials for All Foods

Use only the best, top quality ingredients. Preserve fruits and vegetables at their peak of ripeness.

Process ALL home canned foods.

High-Acid Foods in a Boiling-Water Canner

Low-Acid Foods in a Steam-Pressure Canner

Follow manufacturer’s directions for preparing home canning jars and two-piece vacuum caps. Complete instructions can be found on each Ball brand or Kerr brand package, or refer to Step-by-Step.

Fill hot jar with prepared recipe. Leave recommended headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a nonmetallic spatula between the jar and food; press gently on the food to release trapped air. Repeat around the circumference of the jar.

Wipe rim and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Center heated lid on jar. Screw band down evenly and firmly until a point of resistance is met – fingertip tight.

After processing, remove jars from canner; set jars upright on a towel to cool. Do NOT retighten bands or check for a seal while jars are hot.

After 24 hours, check lids for a seal. Sealed lids curve downward. Press the center of the lid to ensure it does not flex up or down. (Reprocess or refrigerate any unsealed jars.) Remove bands. Wipe jars and lids with a clean, damp cloth and dry. Wash bands in soapy water, dry and store.

Label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Step By Step

Low-acid foods, with pH values higher than 4.6, must be processed at temperatures of 240°F for a specified length of time to destroy harmful bacteria. Because boiling-water canners cannot reach this temperature, low-acid foods must be processed using a steam pressure canner. Low-acid foods include vegetables, soups, stews, ragouts, meats, poultry and seafood.

High-acid foods, on the other hand, require heat processing to 212°F reached by using a boiling-water canner for a specified period. Since the pH of these foods is 4.6 or lower, meaning the acidity is high, bacteria and other spoilers do not readily grow. High-acid foods include fruits, fruit juices, jams, jellies and other fruit spreads, tomatoes with added acid, pickles, relishes and chutneys, sauces, vinegars and condiments.