skip to Main Content
Join us on our homestead adventures!

Preparing

  1. Gather Your Supplies:
    • Large, deep pot with lid or boiling water bath canner
    • Rack for inside of pot
    • Canning jars
    • Canning jar lids and rings
    • Jar lifter
    • Funnel
    • Towel
    • A delicious high-acid canning recipe!
  2. Heat jars and lids* in hot water (not boiling) until ready to fill (*If using Ball or Kerr lids, they recently announced that you do NOT have to heat the lids prior to canning)
  3. Prepare your pot. Put rack inside pot or waterbath canner, fill with water (about half-way, but you want to make sure jars will be fully submerged in water with about 2″ over top of jars) and heat to a simmer with lid on until ready to fill. Do not bring to a boil.
  4. Make your recipe.

Gettin’ Down to Business

  1. Remove hot jars from water and empty out water.
  2. Using funnel, carefully fill jars with your recipe, leaving the recommended headspace (amount of space between top of food and jar lid).
  3. Remove air bubbles by sliding a bubble remover (or similar stick-like thing) around insides of jar.
  4. After jars are filled, wipe around top of jar with a clean, damp towel to make sure they are clean.
  5. Put lids and rings on jars ONLY finger-tight, meaning you don’t want them so tight you can’t unscrew using only your fingers.
  6. Using jar lifter, place jars into your large pot or water bath canner.
  7. Put lid back on pot and bring to a full rolling boil.
  8. Process jars for the time indicated in your water bath recipe and increase time based on your elevation (see table below) Processing starts when water reaches full rolling boil.
  9. Turn off heat and remove lid.
  10. Let jars sit in pot/canner for 5 minutes.
  11. Remove jars, using a jar lifter, and place on a towel on your countertop.
  12. Let the pinging begin!!! (the sounds the jars make as they seal. It’s glorious.)
  13. Let jars sit for 12-24 hours.
  14. Remove rings and check seals. Lids should not flex when pushed up and down and you should be able to lift jars by the lid only 1-2″ without it budging.
  15. Give yourself a pat on the back!

Elevation

As elevation increases, water starts to boil at lower temperatures. So at a higher altitude, your water may come to a boil, but will not reach the needed temperature to stop botulism in high-acid foods (212Β° Fahrenheit). Therefore, your processing time must be increased. Find your elevation

Water Bath Processing Adjustments

Altitude (in feet)Increase Processing Time
1,001 - 3,0005 minutes
3,001 - 6,00010 minutes
6,001 - 8,00015 minutes
8,001 - 10,00020 minutes
Back To Top