You’ve likely heard of home canning, but did you know there are 4 different methods for home canning? With the recent pandemic, home canning has seen a surge of interest. Canning groups on social media have had their membership numbers explode overnight, and I was inspired to write this post in response to the number of friends who know I’m a canner and have messaged me for advice. I love it! There’s nothing I love more than inspiring people to learn something new!
I have so much information to share about home canning that I had to split it into 2 different posts! In this part 1 of home canning basics, I’ll cover Water Bath Canning & Steam Canning.
Water Bath Canning
Water bath canning is the most popular type of canning. It’s cost effective and has easy to follow steps that are perfect for all canning experience levels; especially beginners.
This is the type of home canning I grew up doing. My mom canned jams, jellies, fruit butters, and fresh peaches every year and we were always expected to help if we wanted to eat any of it, but I didn’t mind because I always thought canning was fun. When I was in high school, I took Home Ec class. One of the very first things Ms. Kennedy taught us was how to water bath can peaches. We then used them later that year in a recipe. I don’t remember what recipe we used them in, probably a pie, but I do still have my binder with all my recipes from that class. I’ve added to it over the years and some of our family favorites, like Egg Foo Young, are from those original Home Ec recipes.
Water bath canning is the process of boiling food filled jars, submerged in water for a designated amount of time. This process is great for high acid foods such as any kind of fruit, fruit butter, jams, jellies, pie fillings, pickles, tomatoes, and tomato products like salsa and marinara. You should not process low acid foods, such as vegetables or meats, using the water bath method because you run a high risk of botulism which can be deadly. If you’re unsure about which process to use, Ball/Kerr has a great website full of recipes, videos, and products that serves as a wonderful resource for canners of all experience levels.
Water Bath Canning Pots
Until recently, I owned 3 water bath canning pots. My mom bought both of us new home canning sets from Ball about 20 years ago. These sets included a canning pot (black with white speckles metal pot & lid) and all the tools needed for canning including a Canning Rack, Funnel, Jar Lifter, Magnetic Lid Lifter, and a De-bubbler. I used this pot regularly all these years. Then about 10 years ago, my mom gave me her set and ordered herself the newer set which included a stainless-steel pot with a glass lid. These pots are more expensive, but last longer and can double as a stock pot when not used for canning. She used it a few times to make jams and jellies, and then a few years ago she decided her canning days were over and gifted it to me. Having 3 canning pots came in handy when our family would do our annual Fall tomato canning. Almost every Fall, my husband, our boys, and I would put up about 160 lbs. of Roma Tomatoes that we picked during Labor Day weekend at a local farm event. We love having our own canned tomatoes throughout the year when we’re cooking.
Sharing the Love
Now, as I said, I OWNED 3 water bath canning pots until recently. You see, my friend Becca, and I began a barter system thanks to COVID-19 shortages, and it’s worked out great! I wrote briefly about it in my Victory Garden post last week. Becca has been wanting to start canning and had an abundance of citrus and avocados in her yard, so I traded her a big bag of her backyard harvest for one of my extra canning pots and a few tools! It was a win/win for both of us! We’ve also traded other items like four and rice. It’s been great for both of us who have family members in the high-risk category. We’ve been able to avoid going to the store, and we use porch pick up for our delivery system. I love inspiring people to be creative and learn to do things they never thought they could, so it was so exciting to see the picture of fresh Strawberry Jam she sent me! It totally made my day!
Tools
You don’t have to use a special pot for water bath canning but having the right tools for any job will make the task easier.
Canning Rack
If you choose to use a different pot for canning, make sure it’s deep enough to cover your jars with at least 2 – 3 inches of water. You’ll also need a Canning Rack on the bottom of the pot to keep the jars from sitting directly on the bottom. This allows the water to flow completely around all sides of the jars, and If your glass jars are touching the bottom of the pot, you’re more likely to have cracked jars which will ruin your batch.
Canning pot racks also hook over the top rim of the pot when lifted out of the water. While this isn’t a necessary feature, it definitely aids in filling and un-filling the rack by keeping the jars suspended above the hot water.
Funnels
I’m not going to go into details about jars and lids in this post. I’ll save that for another time, but I will touch briefly on the mouth sizes of jars because this relates to the Funnel tool. There are two different sizes of jar mouths – regular and wide mouth. Regular mouth jars are best suited for pourable sauces and syrups. Wide mouth jars work best for whole fruits and vegetables like peaches & tomatoes, and spreadable foods like jellies and fruit butters. In actuality it comes down to personal preference. Likewise, canning Funnels come in 2 different sizes, regular and wide mouth. I do have both size funnels (several of each actually), but if you have a regular moth Funnel to start with, it will work with both size jars.
De-Bubbler
The De-bubbler was my favorite tool to use as a kid. This tool looks like a long, smooth, flexible, plastic knife. Once your jars are filled with your yummy food, you can slide the De-bubbler down the sides of the jar to release any trapped air pockets. Unseen air pockets can cause problems with your food preservation. During the canning process, these trapped pockets of air will work they way up to the top of your jar and can trigger siphoning as well as creating a breeding ground for the dreaded B word (botulism). I love the instant gratification I get from seeing those little bubbles rise up the sides of the jars.
Jar Lifter
There are a few different lifting tools that come in handy for canning. The most important one is a Jar Lifter. This tool looks like a giant set of tongs and they are shaped to grab the neck of the jars easily. Older Jar Lifters had wooden handles and metal grabbers. While they worked effectively, the newer vinyl coated grabbers help ensure your wet jars don’t slip. If you don’t have a jar lifter, you can use potholders. I recommend silicone ones because the hot water will soak into cloth ones burning your hands.
Magnetic Lid Lifter
Magnetic Lid Lifters are another handy canning tool. These slim stick like tools have a magnet at one end. If you boil your lids (seals) berfore placing them on your filled jars, they will be hot and can sometimes stick together in the water. You can stick the magnet end of the lifter into the boiling water to help fish out a sterile lid and place it on top of your filed jar. Be sure to wipe the rim of each filled jar with a damp, clean cloth to make sure there’s nothing resting there you can’t see that may inhibit your lid from sealing properly.
Other Tools
The only other tools I would recommend for home canning is a good set of tongs, and silicone pot holders. Tongs come in handy for a lot of different reasons, but I mostly use them to help me get the Canning Rack out of the boiling water. Sometimes during the canning process the rack handles will fall down into the water. These metal handles obviously are very hot. Having a good set of tongs and a pair of silicone pot holders handy will help save your hands from the boiling water and steam.
Jar Wrench
There are a lot of other useful tools available in the canning world. My mom loves using a Jar Wrench when closing her rings. These vinyl coated jar grabbers are great for holding on to hot, filled jars if need some help holding on to them.
Water Bath Canning Directions
Water Bath canning is a relatively simple process to follow
- Fill your pot about ½ way with water, cover with lid, and bring to a boil.
- Place your filled jars in your rack with their lids (flat seals) on and the ring finger tightened. Be sure not to over tighten your rings or it can cause your glass jars to break during processing.
- Lower your rack of jars into the water and make sure there’s approximately 2 -3 inches of water above the lids of your jar, cover your pot with the lid, and bring the water back up to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling, start your timer. Process times vary depending on size of jar and food inside. Check your recipe or freshpreserving.com for processing times.
Elevation & Weight
If you live at a higher elevation, be sure to adjust your processing time as necessary to ensure your jars are sealed and the food is properly preserved. Visit the Ball/Kerr website for Adjusting for High Altitueds for tips on how to adjust your processing time for your elevation.
Important: Be sure to sterilize all your jars and lids (seals) before using any of the canning methods. If you have a dishwasher, run your jars through a cycle with the heat dry option before using them. This will sterilize your jars and keep them hot until you’re ready to use them. (Hot liquids or food must be put into hot jars or they will crack. Never put hot jars into cold water for processing. Always use the rule of hot in hot and cold in cold).
The “Pop”
Hang around canners for any length of time and you’ll hear them talking about the “pop”. Ahh yes! The POP! It’s music to a canner’s ears. When the processed jars are lifted out of the water, some of them will immediately pop. This is the sound of the lid pressurizing and ensures the seal is indeed locked down. As your jars cool, you’ll continue to hear that glorious popping sound as each lid seals.
Cooling Off
When removing your processed jars from your canner, be sure to keep them level. Don’t tip them even if there’s a puddle of water on top. Tipping them can cause the liquid inside to slide under the lid if it hasn’t pressurized yet and will keep your lid from sealing. Trust me! I know this one from experience.
Your jars will be VERY HOT so using a jar lifter is your best bet. Also, be careful of the steam both when opening the canner lid and when removing your processed jars from the pot.
I like to use a large, thick towel (like a beach towel) spread out on my counter or table to set the hot, processed jars on. You’ll need to let them cool completely before handling them for labeling. Just remember, the steam created under a hot, wet jar, will ruin a wood table so be mindful of where you’re setting up your cooling station.
Sealed & Labeled
Once your jars are completely cooled, you can check the seal by pressing in the center of the lid with one finger. If the lid makes a clicking sound, it isn’t properly sealed. You have the choice to either re-process it with a new lid, or transferring it into your refrigerator for use.
Label each jar with what’s inside and the date you processed it. It’s important because many foods look similar once processed and you wouldn’t want to accidentally pour salsa over top your spaghetti noodles by mistake! Marking the date is important too so you know how long your jar has been on the shelf.
A note about lids – I was always taught to never re-use lids (seals). Once the seal has been used, I was taught they won’t properly seal again. Recently, I have heard from modern canners that you can re-use the lids for canning a few times. They aren’t very expensive so I always choose to use new lids for each batch. You can, however, re-use the rings forever. You can also use the lids with the rings to close jars that you are currently using in the refrigerator.
Shelf Life
Generally, food you’ve self-canned will have a shelf life of 1 year, jams and jellies which have higher sugar content can last about 2 years, if you don’t eat them all first! Pickles also typically have a 1-year self-life, although my husband once came across a jar of homemade Bread & Butter pickles that my mom had made about 10 years earlier! He said they were the BEST pickles he’d ever eaten. I don’t recommend you follow his example!
Storing any home canned items in a cool, dark location (like the bottom of a pantry or a basement) will give you the best results.
EXTRA TIP: For any of the canning methods using water, you can add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to the water to help prevent water stains on your jars or lids, especially if you have hard water.
Canning Resources
I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where everyone canned. My mom, and her friends were always canning one thing or another. When my dad retired, he got into the canning escapades too.
I realize not everyone has someone they can ask about home canning. I’ve recommended the best online resource with the Ball/Kerr canning site Freshpreserving.com but there are also thousands of books on the subject. Ask any canner though and their number one recommendation will always more than likely be the Ball Blue Book (aka the “Canner’s Bible”).
Just a few of my treasured canning books.
Search the internet for home canning and whole world of resources will be at your fingertips! From blogs and videos, to social media groups and supply exchange groups, home canning resources are available in many forms.
Steam Canning
I don’t own a steam canner but my friend Sharla does. Sharla and I have been canning buddies for several years. We met at church years ago and we both love growing and picking our own produce as well as canning. One year, the two of us rode out to Pearblossom, about 90 miles one way, in her husbands’ truck that we’d hijacked for the day just to pick peaches, plums, pears, and nectarines to make fruit butters, jams, and jellies. We had a blast that day and later that week as we processed all our treasures in our canners.
Steam Canning Pot
I actually had never seen a steam canner before she brought her’s over that day. At first glance, a steam canner looks like an upside-down pot. The base (or pot) is only a few inches deep, while the top (lid) looks like a regular pot. The purpose of this design is to reduce the amount of water you use, thereby reducing the processing time needed to seal the lids. We tried it with one batch, and it seemed to work well.
Tools
Steam canning uses the same tools as Water Bath canning.
Steam Canning Directions
The steps are pretty much the same for steam canners and water bath canners, with the exception of covering the jars with water since the water sits underneath the jars. Processing times for steam canners are slightly different than those for water bath canning. Be sure to follow your recipe or check the processing time at freshpreseving.com
Steam canners seem to be somewhat controversial. Not many people use them, and there’s some debate amongst canning groups and the FDA as to whether or not they actually seal properly. Steam canners are considered equivalent to water bath canners in that you cannot process low acid foods such as vegetables or meats in them.
Cooling & Labeling
Cooling and labeling is handled the same way with all methods of canning.
Subscribe to my blog or check back in a few days to find out about 2 more canning methods!