Preparing
- 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!
- 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)
- 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.
- Make your recipe.
Gettin’ Down to Business
- Remove hot jars from water and empty out water.
- Using funnel, carefully fill jars with your recipe, leaving the recommended headspace (amount of space between top of food and jar lid).
- Remove air bubbles by sliding a bubble remover (or similar stick-like thing) around insides of jar.
- After jars are filled, wipe around top of jar with a clean, damp towel to make sure they are clean.
- 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.
- Using jar lifter, place jars into your large pot or water bath canner.
- Put lid back on pot and bring to a full rolling boil.
- 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.
- Turn off heat and remove lid.
- Let jars sit in pot/canner for 5 minutes.
- Remove jars, using a jar lifter, and place on a towel on your countertop.
- Let the pinging begin!!! (the sounds the jars make as they seal. It’s glorious.)
- Let jars sit for 12-24 hours.
- 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.
- 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 - 3,000 | 5 minutes |
3,001 - 6,000 | 10 minutes |
6,001 - 8,000 | 15 minutes |
8,001 - 10,000 | 20 minutes |