Now, don’t worry about this long list of instructions. I am covering EVERYTHING you need to know about the water bath method of canning. (aka the “boiling-water method”) This is the method used for canning high acid foods such as: jam, jelly, most fruits, pickles and tomatoes that have been acidified. It is NOT difficult or complicated. Trust me!
A water bath canner or even a tall stockpot can be used for this method.
EQUIPMENT: You do not have to buy a water bath “canner” to do this. You can use any tall, heavy-bottomed stockpot with some sort of rack in the bottom. The purpose of the rack is to keep the jars from coming in direct contact with the hot bottom (which may cause breakage). I have a round cake rack that fits perfectly in a large stockpot. You can use something similar or buy an inexpensive “canner” wherever canning supplies are sold. It will come with it’s own rack.
Handy Hint: If you don’t have a rack that fits perfectly in the bottom of your stockpot, place extra jar bands (the round rings with the hole in the center) on the bottom of the pot. They work very well in a pinch. Just set your jars on top.
Water Bath Steps:
1. Clean the jars with hot soapy water (or run them through the dishwasher) and check the top rim or chips. (Discard any chipped or cracked jars.) Fill the canner halfway with clean water. This is approximately the level needed for a load of pint jars. If you are doing larger jars, add a bit more water.
2. If your recipe calls out a processing time of 10 minutes or longer, you do NOT have to sterilize your jars. (They will be sterilized during processing). If your recipe has a processing time of less than 10 minutes, you must boil the jars in the canner for 10 minutes prior to filling with food. Keep them in the hot water until ready to use.
3. Whether you sterilize or not, the jars need to be hot before filling. (Adding hot preserves to a cold jar is a great way to break a jar.) So, if you didn’t sterilize the jars, place them in the water bath canner and let them heat up as you make your preserves. Also heat the jar lids 5 minutes by placing them in hot, not boiling, water.
4. Start making your canning recipe while the water is preheating. When the food is ready, remove each warmed or sterilized jar and transfer to a wood board or kitchen towel on the counter (a hot jar placed directly on a cold countertop could break). Shake out any excess water.
5. Fill the jars leaving the headspace specified in the recipe. (“Headspace” is just a fancy term for the amount of space between the food and the top of the jar.) Too much space and the jar may not seal correctly and too little may cause food to push out during boiling. For pickles and whole fruit preserves, you should remove air pockets by running a plastic knife around the inside of the jar. Then add more liquid if necessary to ensure a proper headspace.
A 'jar lifter' is a handy tool to have for canning.
6. Wipe jar rims with damp paper towel to remove drips of food before placing on the flat lid. Next, tighten the screw band to just “finger tight”. Do not over tighten!
7. Load jars into the canner. I like to use a cool tool called a “jar lifter”. It makes it easy to grab and carry the jar in and out of the water. Always keep jars upright since tilting could cause food to spill into the sealing area of the lid.
8. After you load the jars, check to be sure that the water level is at least 1 inch above the top of the jars. (2 inches if you are processing for over 30 minutes.) If not, add more boiling water.
9. Turn heat to high, cover canner with lid, and heat until the water boils vigorously. Once boiling, set timer for the total minutes required.
ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS:
The higher the elevation, the longer you need to process. Recipes are written for under 1,000 feet. If you are over 1000ft, adjust as follows for high altitude:
1001-3000 ft: increase processing time by 5 minutes
3001-6000 ft: increase processing time by 10 minutes
6001-8000 ft: increase processing time by 15 minutes
8001-10,000 ft: increase processing time by 20 minutes
10. Keep canner covered and maintain a boil throughout the process. If water stops boiling at any time during the process, bring back to a vigorous boil and begin timing over, from the beginning. Add more boiling water, if needed, to keep the water level above the jars.
11. When jars have been boiled for the recommended time, turn heat off and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars. (This is a new USDA recommendation. There is a higher success rate for seals if you do this.)
12. Use jar lifter to remove jars and place them on a wood board or a towel, leaving at least 1-inch space between all, to cool at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours (If you hear a “pop”, congrats! The jar just sealed!).
13. Check seals after 12 to 24 hours by pushing down the center of lid, it should concave slightly and make no noise. If any jars fail to seal, put them in the refrigerator and eat within a few weeks. All sealed jars can be stored on the pantry shelf for up to one year.
14. Examine each jar before opening. If any seal has come undone or you notice any signs of spoilage, do not eat contents.
Theresa Loe
Theresa Loe is the Associate Producer of Growing A Greener World. She is trained as a Master Food Preserver and is an expert in urban homesteading, home preservation and educational gardens/gardening with children.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It’s sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I’d love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!
Sean – thanks for the invitation! Just submitted it to Punk Domestics. It’s a perfect fit
Hi Sean,
I am very familiar with your website. I know it well!
Thanks Tink for submitting for us.
~Theresa
Thanks Teresa for a terrific article. I have always dried or freeze my bounties. But now I’m living in a small apartment and don’t have room for a big freezer. I’m also thinking that freezing my not be the smartest of options because it uses a lot of energy to keep them running. I’ve been leaning more and more towards canning because it makes more cents/sense.
My mother and women relatives always got together at our house and canned during the summer and fall harvests. We had lots of great tasting home canned fruits, jams, jellies, and vegetables through the winter. Though I’ve missed some of this summers bounty for canning, your article has inspired me to start canning after the weekend. Thanks for getting me moving on this!
You are correct Evelyn. Freezing is a simple way to preserve, but it does take more energy to store. Also, many people worry about the possibility of a power outage and loosing all that wonderful food. So canning might be the answer for some that have those worries.
I am so glad that you are taking the plunge! Keep us posted on how it goes. And don’t feel that you have missed out. I preserve things all through fall and winter. There are many possibilities. So stay tuned for more!
~Theresa
I love all this info on canning! It is so helpful at this time of year. I love to can and do it all the time but I never knew about not having to sterilize jars with certain processing times. What a time saver that tip is! Thanks so much. -Karen
So glad you found this information helpful Karen!
Yep – it is true. If you process the jars in the water bath for 10 minutes or longer, you do NOT have to sterilize. Isn’t that sweet??
I will try to keep more time saving tips coming your way.
~Theresa
While you may not need to sterilize jars for every canning job, I long ago decided that rinsing/washing canning jars and loading them into the canning pot as I set it on the stove to heat significantly reduces the amount of handling–and the amount of energy consumption–for every canning job. You need to heat the jars and the water in the canning pot anyway, so why not heat them together?
I fill the pot so the water covers the jars as they stand (full of water also) upright in the rack. When the water boils, I usually wait ten minutes before starting to fill jars with produce. Then, for the first three or four jars, I lift a jar from the pot, emptying the jar into the canner. When I return a produced-filled, covered jar to the pot, the water level rises. I empty boiling water from later jars into the sink or into my greywater collection bucket. If I left all the water in the canning pot and filled all the jars with produce, the pot would overflow.
Hi Daniel -
Nice to see you stop by!
Well, it looks like you and I are in complete agreement here. I too believe in heating the jars and water together as I called out in step 3 above. I have seen people heat the jars in a separate pot, but what a waste of energy!
You bring up a good point about the water level. For most half-pint and pint jars (the most commonly used sizes) your water level would not significantly change. But if you are using large quart sized jars, you would definitely want to pour the water from inside a few of the jars into something else. After cooling, we use the water in the garden.
Hi Theresa,
Can I can corn and green beans using the water bath method? IF yes, how?
Thanks
Mary
P.S. Just finished canning 16 quarts and 13 pints of tomatoes with a friend to shar between the two of us. We would like to can corn and green beans but we are seeing that we might have to invest in a pressure canner.
Hi Mary,
It sounds like you and your friend have been busy! Good for you!
You can only can corn and green beans in a water bath IF AND ONLY IF you do them as pickles using vinegar. Otherwise, they MUST be pressure canned. It has to do with the pH level.
Corn and green beans by themselves are low acid foods. That means that when canned without vinegar (an acid) they have to be processed at a very high temperature to kill all bad bacteria and botulism spores. This can only be done “under pressure” in a pressure canner.
However, if you use a pickle recipe that uses vinegar, you are essentially creating a “high acid” food that can be water bath canned. Botulism spores cannot grow in a high acid environment. So, you don’t need the extra heat or the extra equipment (pressure canner).
So the choice is up to you. Do you want to invest in a new pressure canner and process the corn and green beans as regular vegetables? Or do you want to make something like pickled green beans or a corn relish using vinegar and the water bath method?
A third option is to freeze the corn and green beans. No special equipment necessary! You just blanch the veggies first to kill enzymes and freeze in air tight freezer bags. It might be the ticket for you.
Good luck and happy canning!
I’ve been using a water bath canner and have learned something new today. In the past I removed the jars after the canning timing was over, did not wait the 5 minutes you and USDA recommend. Learn something new every day!
Me too Donna. I used to just pull them out when time was up. But the 5 minute wait is new. It has been found that by waiting those 5 minutes, you greatly increase your chance for a successful seal of the jar. So, it just ups your odds of a perfectly canned jar.
Glad you learned something new!
Thanks for this easy to follow guide.
Here’s my question: If I want to can spaghetti sauce containing meat (sauce which has been cooked), do I need to can under pressure, or is the water bath method OK?
Whenever you can meat, you must use a pressure canner. Also, any time you have a tomato sauce with many other ingredients (onions, bell peppers, etc.) you must use a pressure canner because you will not know if the tomato sauce is still in the “safe” pH zone. So in your situation, you have both (meat and other ingredients besides tomatoes) so there is no doubt — use a pressure canner.
I know that is probably not the answer you were hoping to hear. But remember, if you don’t want to pressure can, just freeze your sauce! It will last up to a year that way too and is very easy to do!
You give excellent instructions for water bath canning, but no specific processing times for canning quarts or pints of veggies or fruit. What guidelines can you suggest?
Hi Fran,
I don’t give specific processing times because each recipe is completely different and you have to follow the processing time for that particular food and jar size. The processing time for a jam is different from a pickle or tomato sauce. But then all food within a category have different processing times as well because the contents vary in acidity and density.
It is important that you always try to follow a newer recipe that uses USDA recommendations. (All of the recipes I post here follow those guidelines.) You can also view the USDA guidelines directly and try some of the recipes they have listed there.
http://uwacadweb.uwyo.edu/cesnutrition/Food_Preserve/usda_home_canning.htm
I hope that helps. The USDA guidelines are long, but cover everything you need to follow to be safe when canning.
Great article. I’ve been doing exactly as you say for years with great success, except for one detail: I only fill the water to cover the jars up to 3/4 so the water doesn’t cover the lids. I’Ve never had a problem. Have you ever tried this? The contents boil rapidly anyway. If possible, could you post an answer and email it to me aswell. Love the site and will be visiting more often.
Hi Crystal,
Thanks for stopping by!
The reason for covering the jars in water (having the jars sit below the water line by at least one inch) is two fold:
1) Covering the jars is the best way to assure that the tops of the jars and the upper half of the jar’s contents reach the proper temperature to kill any lingering bacteria. If they are not completely covered, the bottom of the jars will reach the proper temperature, but the tops may not.
2) It also super heats the air inside the jar and gives a better vacuum seal. More air is pulled from the jar during cooling and the vacuum is stronger. (Making the seal last longer)
Now, I realize that the method has worked for you in the past and sealed properly – and that is great. But it really is best to cover the jars in the water. That few degrees of difference can help prevent molds and bacteria that can cause spoilage and off flavors.
At least now you know the reason behind the method. I hope that helps.
Me again. I forgot to ask something else! I often switch off the canner (I have an electric one), check that the lids are sealed after about 5 minutes and then leave them in the water to cool down. Is this bad?
Hi again Crystal.
No it is not bad. If they are already sealed at the time that you leave them, I think it would be okay to let them cool in the water. But if they are not sealed, I would pull them out after the 5 minute wait and let them cool on a wood board or towel. The reason I recommend this is that I would worry that leaving them in the water would prevent a strong vacuum seal from forming. (The air inside the jar must escape). But if they are sealed already (already pulled their vacuum), then I think leaving them to cool in the water is fine.
Good question!
-Theresa
Thank you Theresa!! It’s clear that you know what you’re talking about so I thhink I’ll give it a try your way next time – everything you say make sense. Thank you for giving me such a detailed answer – I know how time consuming it is so double thanks! Keep up the good work. From a new fan, Crystal
Thanks so much Crystal!!
No problem! – I am happy to help. You asked excellent questions. Ask me anything, any time!
~Theresa
My pressure canner has malfunctioned and I have canned green beans in a water bath canner. After research I find that this is not recommended. Can I still put them in the pressure canner and if so, for how long? I am working on this project tonight.
Hi Shirley,
I just happened to catch your comment right as it came in. In order to answer your question, I need to get a few answers first.
1) Did you use vinegar when you water bath canned these green beans or just water?
2) How long ago did you water bath can them…today? Or has it been longer? Days?
3) If not today, did you refrigerate the jars after processing or have they been sitting at room temperature?
Answer that and I can tell you what to do next.
~Theresa
Hi I’m not the same person but did the same thing. I canned them yesterday with no vinegar, Thayer sealed but then put them in the fridge this morning. How long should they last there?
Thanks
Charles
Hi Charles,
So if I am understanding correctly, you canned green beans in a waterbath with no vinegar (just water in the jar) and even though they sealed, you put them in the refrigerator? Good move. They should be treated as fresh cooked green beans and eaten within a few days. Then discarded. They are unsafe to store on the shelf as they were not canned properly. They are in the perfect situation to grow the botulism toxin and would be DANGEROUS to leave on the shelf.
Sorry to be the bringer of bad news! But it is good you checked.
Next time you want to use the waterbath, use a vinegar recipe and make them as a quick pickle (which brings the pH into the safe zone for shelf storage) OR use a pressure canner (which processes above 240 degrees – the only way to kill the botulism spore as well as other bacteria).
Hello!
My girlfriend and I canned 100 lbs of tomatoes yesterday, which produced about 35 quarts and we’re so excited. Most of them are whole in their own juice and the others are a sauce recipe from the Ball Book. I have two questions…there were a few lids that were put on the cans that came directly out of the box and weren’t sterilized in boiling water. Also, I realized today that when processing the water wasn’t always at a constant boil. All jars processed for 45 minutes though and all seem to have sealed properly (none making a popping noise when lids are pushed down). Do I need to worry that they aren’t properly sterilized or processed?
Thanks for your time.
Jill
Hi Jill,
Wow! Sounds like you ladies got a lot done yesterday! What fun.
I think you are fine with the lids and I need you to clarify on the boiling. Here is the deal:
1) You boiled the heck out of that jar lid while processing, so you did NOT need to pre-sterilize it. In fact, any time you process in canning for longer than 10 minutes, you don’t even need to sterilize the jars! So you are fine there.
2) When you say that “the water was not at a constant boil”, do you mean that sometimes it died down in intensity? Or do you mean that you were adjusting the heat and it was not even simmering? Give me more details on what you mean.
Here is what you need to know: When canning, you need to process the jars at the boil for the time given in the recipe. You need to maintain that boil for the entire time. If the water stops boiling at any time during the process, bring it back up to a vigorous boil and begin the timing of the process over, from the beginning. I know…I know…that is a total pain. But that is how bacteria and molds inside the jar are killed off so that the tomatoes will last. They need to be brought to that internal temperature and maintained there for the time given in the recipe.
If you think your boil completely stopped for awhile during the process or if you are unsure – Don’t throw out your work! Just reprocess the jars. Now, they are currently not hot and if you drop them back into a boiling water bath as is, they can break. Your safest mode of action, would be to open all the jars, pour the contents into a pan (just to reheat), rinse the jars and refill with your hot tomatoes. Use NEW lids and process again for the full time at a full boil.
Sorry about that! I’m hoping that your boil just died down a bit in vigor, but did not stop completely. But only you know for sure. Good luck!
Theresa
I have a recipe for fuit ketchup that has veggies in it.( Celery, Onions , red and green peppers ) since ketchup has vinegar in it, is it safe to use the water bath mehod or should it be the pressure canner method ?
What a great resource! Thanks for the thorough walk-through.
I’ve linked back to your article on my radical homemaking blog, http://patchworkradicals.weebly.com – feel free to check it out if you like.
Take care!
I was reading the posts on your site for the low sugar strawberry jam. THere were questions about using butter in the recipe. I have a favorite hot fudge recipe that uses sugar, corn syrup, cocoa , vanilla and butter. Is that safe to can? waterbath or pressure? I appreciate your help because I like to give this fudge sauce for Christmas gifts and it would be nice to get it done earlier than during the Christmas season.
Hi Vicky,
Unfortunately, it is not safe to can chocolate sauce. The pH level does not make it a candidate for water bath and from what I understand, the density makes it unsafe for pressure. Here is a link to the USDA recommendation against canning chocolate sauce. They recommend freezing it.
Sorry!
http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/choc_sauce.html
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