Canning 101- Pressure Canning
**This is a general guide to help the home canner get started preserving foods. For complete regulations as set forth by the US National Center for Home Preservation visit www.homefoodpreservation.com
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Canning is the process of preserving food by heating and cooling into a vessel to not only kill bacteria, but also by expelling air and creating a vacuum which, in turn, prevents oxygen and contaminates from spoiling the food.
The method we will talk about in this post is often where people “graduate” after trying Water Bath Canning . Pressure canning can be intimidating to the novice canner. Perhaps the image of the canner blowing up and annihilating everything in its path is enough to cause someone to avoid it all together. This need not be the case. Today’s pressure canners are quite safe to use. There are many built in safety measures in place that the possibility of one blowing up are extremely rare. You would have to be HUGELY neglectful and do all the wrong things for this to be possible. I assure you, once you try, you will wonder why you haven’t started pressure canning years ago!
There are many pressure canners out there. Be sure to thoroughly read the specific instructions for your canner. I am using a Presto 16 quart pressure canner. I actually own 2 of them and most of the time I have them both going at once. This canner is very inexpensive and is perfect for the beginner. If and when mine ever stops working, I will “upgrade” to a bigger canner, but for now this has been my canner for years and will continue to be my canner for years to come.
You will need:
Pressure Canner– This is a large lidded pot that is specifically designed to hold several jars under a constant pressure. The canner will also have a rack to keep the jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot. There are many brands and sizes available. The “creme de la creme” of pressure canners is the All American. While this is a great canner, it can be expensive (there are larger ones than what I have linked) and are completely unnecessary for the novice canner to learn on. There are canners with a weighted regulator or a gauge regulator. I prefer the weight, but other people swear by the gauge. Whatever canner you decide on, make sure to thoroughly read and understand the directions as canners will vary greatly in their operations. *Your Pressure Canner can double as a Water Bath Canner by filling the water as you would a Water Bath Canner and only placing the Pressure Canner lid on top (not turning the lid to seal) So if you can only afford one canner, invest in the pressure canner.
Jar lifter– Does just as the name suggests- Lifts the jars. You will definitely want one of these as the jars and water are very hot. This handy device has a rubberized grip to keep the jars from slipping and a long handle so you can safely lift the jars in and out of the hot water.
Magnetized lid lifter/debubbling spatula– This tool does double duty. The magnet on the end allows you to lift the hot lid out of the hot water and place it onto the jar without burning your fingers. The spatula end safely debubbles solid products without scraping and potentially cracking your jars.
Canning Funnel– A funnel with a wider bottom so you can load messy foods into your jars a bit easier, leaving clean up a quick chore.
Jars– These come in many sizes, shapes and even colors. Look for sales, at yard sales, ask friends. Only buy what is comfortable for your budget. Start small and gradually work your way to more and more jars. The worst thing to do is to go out and buy way more than you can handle at once! Make sure they are actual canning jars and that there are no cracks or chips along the lip. For your own safety, don’t assume any glass jar will work.
Lids- There are many options out there. To begin with, stick to the standard one time use lids that have a rubberized band that seals to the lip of the jar. They come in regular mouth and wide mouth. (your jars have regular or wide mouth openings). Once you have a few canning sessions under your belt you can venture out to other types of lids such as glass, single lug or reusable tattler lids. Most people will use the standard lids for all their canning sessions as they are inexpensive and extremely easy to find. (You can also purchase them in bulk once the canning bug really bites you).
Rings/Bands– Metal rings that are used to screw the lids onto the jars and hold them in place for the processing. Chances are you will collect way more than you could possibly use, so don’t worry too much about having a large supply to start with.
The following items are also nice to have, but are not completely necessary for canning:
Headspace Measure– A handy tool to accurately measure the correct headspace for different foods
Lid Wrench– Honestly in all my years of canning, I have never used this tool. I don’t recall anyone I know having ever used one. Apparently it is used to help you loosen rings that are too tight to undo by hand.
Canning Ladle– A ladle designed to make pouring into a jar easier. Also generally has an easy-measure size for canning related volume.
Jar Pot Holder– A mitten style insulated pot holder that has pockets in the back for your fingers, but wraps around the jar to help you hold and move hot jars.
Electric Hot Water Kettle– You will use a LOT of hot water in the canning process. Some people like to have a kettle with hot water around.
Here is a handy Canning Essentials Kit that in addition to your pressure canner will get you started!
Once you have gathered your starter supplies, it’s time to decide what you want to can!
Since we are focusing on the Pressure Canning Method in this tutorial we will want to choose something that is low in acid (vegetables, beans) or contains meat (meats, broth or stock, seafood, sauces or soup containing meat).
Low acid or meat based foods do not inhibit the growth of the botulism bacterium which is the main concern when canning. Botulism is colorless, tasteless and odorless, but can make you very sick or can be fatal even in small doses. Taking all precautions seriously and being meticulous in the cleanliness of the process will greatly reduce the chances of you ever having problems with Botulism. As a general rule of thumb: When in doubt THROW IT OUT! If a jar looks “off” don’t leave anything to chance, just throw out the contents, wash your jar thoroughly and store it for the next canning session. *do not feed the contents of the jar to any animals*
Water Bath Canning only brings the food up to the temperature of boiling water (212˚ F or 100˚ C) which is not high enough to kill all bacterium present in everyday foods. This is why only highly acidic or sugary foods are safe to can with this method, as the properties of these food inhibit bacteria from multiplying and causing illness. These foods are generally considered “safe” or “low risk” foods.
Pressure canning, however, allows you to safely can most other foods not generally considered “low risk”. When foods are under pressure, the temperature is able to reach 240 degrees F (116 degrees C). This temperature is well above the mere boiling point of water, so pressure canning is safe for “high risk” food groups providing all other precautions have been observed. The correct operation of your pressure canner will vary due to the elevation you live at. Be sure to check the correct weight and timing for your area: This is a great reference book- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.
Now that you have decided what you are going to can, we need to start the process of actually canning this food.
Preparation:
Gather jars, lids, rings and basic canning supplies into one area in your kitchen. Inspect your pressure canner carefully. Look for dings, or dents that may interfere with safe operation. Check the valves and gaskets that they are clear and in good working order. If you cannot see clearly through the valves, or if any rubberized gasket is dry or cracked, be sure to clean out or replace parts before operating your pressure canner. Start your pressure canner with the amount of water recommended by the manufacturer, keep the temperature low to medium low on the stove. You will want to start another pot with enough water to completely submerge the jars. I like to use my Water Bath Canner for this step as it has a rack at the bottom to keep the jars from coming into direct contact with the bottom. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Water Bath Canner, a large stock pot with a towel or canning rings on the bottom will also work. Wash your jars by hand in very hot soapy water. Some people like to use the dishwasher… however, the harshness of the detergents used in the dishwasher can break down the jars strength over time and cause cracks or broken jars in the future. Put the clean jars into the hot water and gradually bring the temperature to boiling. Boil for a full 10 minutes, then turn burner to low until you are ready to use your now sterilized jars. Clean all surfaces of your kitchen with an antibacterial solution. (Bleach water, Lysol, or disinfecting wipes will all work) You will want to create the cleanest environment possible for the success and health of your canning session.
Prepare your food following the recipe you have chosen. Be sure to follow all directions carefully and measure exactly- especially for your first few sessions. Once you have experience and understand the dos and don’ts of canning, you will be able to adjust the recipes to your liking or make up your own!
Place your lids into a small saucepan with water. Allow the lids to come to a simmer, but never let them boil. Turn the burner to low until ready to use.
Assembly:
When everything is prepared and ready for canning, the assembly is ready to happen! You will want to move quickly through this process so your jars remain at a constant temperature. Allowing your jars to cool, then plunging them back into hot water will cause breaking!
Always have a towel on the counter when handling hot jars. The hard surface of the counter top coupled with the sudden change of temperature may cause jars to break. Using your jar lifter, remove the jars from the hot water and drain the water from the jar before placing on the towel lined counter. You may work one jar at a time, or a few jars depending on your comfort level in how quickly you can assemble the jars and return them to the hot water.
Use your canning funnel to help guide your hot food into the hot jars. If you are using a solid food (such as green beans) you will use the spatula to remove air bubbles from around the food. Simply run the spatula around inside the jar to allow the air to escape. Check the headspace. This is the amount of space between the top of your food product and the top edge of the jar. Certain foods will require more headspace than others. Always check your recipe and measure carefully. Headspace allows the food inside the jar to move around as it is boiling inside the jar without spilling over and causing a mess! Spilled food may create a barrier between the rubberized surface of the lid and the lip of the jar and will not create a complete seal which can cause food to spoil. The headspace also allows for the lid to indent when the vacuum forms as the jar cools.
Clean the rim of your jar with a paper towel dipped into water, or a water and vinegar solution. This is a very important step to ensure the rim is as clean as possible so the lid can have 100% contact and create a solid seal!
Use the magnet to extract a lid from the hot water and place rubber side down onto the rim of the jar. Carefully center the lid in place and use the ring to tighten the lid onto the jar. The ring is used to keep the lid in place during the processing. Do not tighten the ring more than finger tight. Finger tight means once the ring encounters slight resistance give the ring just a quarter turn more. You should feel the ring is solidly in place, but not so tight that it will require any amount of muscle to remove it. Rings that are too tight will not allow air to escape from the jar during processing and may cause the lids to buckle (and not seal). Too loose rings will allow the lids to move around and shift so the rubber sealant is not in full contact with the rim of the jar (and not seal).
Next, you will use your jar lifter to place the filled jar into the hot water in your pressure canner. Repeat until all your jars are filled. Unlike Water Bath Canning, pressure canning DO NOT require the water to cover the jars. You should only have the amount of water recommended by the manufacturer. Pressure is unable to sufficiently build if there is too much water inside the canner. Place the lid on your canner by following the procedure outlined in your manual. For mine, I line up the arrow and turn clockwise to lock the lid in place.
Turn your stove up to medium high and gradually increase the temperature. NEVER try to rapidly bring the water to a boil as this may cause siphoning (liquid loss in the jar). Most canners will direct you to let your canner vent for 10 minutes. Once you see steam escaping from the valve, begin the timer for 10 minutes. This important step is allowing air to escape from the canner, so pressurizing is effective. After 10 minutes of venting, place the weight regulator or gauge in place. (always follow specific directions for your canner as the steps may vary) . My canner has a pressure indicator that pops up when the canner has pressure inside.
Allow the pressure to build until the correct pressure is reached for your elevation. Since I use a weighted regulator, my weight will begin to rock when the correct pressure has been realized.
You may adjust the temperature of your burner to keep the pressure at a constant weight. Be cautious that you do not let the pressure fall below the desired weight at any point in the processing time. If this happens, bring the pressure back up and start the processing time over again. Once the time is complete, you will need to turn the heat off and allow the pot to remain still with the lid on for a full 5 minutes. This begins the gradual cooling off of the jars. Then CAREFULLY move the canner to a counter or table protected with a trivet or heavy duty pot holders. The canner is extremely hot (and heavy) you will damage your surface if you do not adequately protect it.
Allow the canner to depressurize naturally. NEVER try to speed up this process. Do not remove the weight, or attempt to open the canner until the pressure valve has fallen. As long as the pressure valve is popped up, there is pressure inside your canner.
Carefully take the lid off – there will be very hot steam! Use the jar lifter to place the jars onto a towel lined counter or table. Be sure your cooling area is not directly in front of an open window, or any drafty area (especially not near an air conditioner vent for example). Allow the jars to remain undisturbed for a full 24 hours. DO NOT TOUCH THE JARS IN ANY WAY as they are cooling! You may notice the contents of your jar are still “boiling” as you are taking them out of the canner, this is normal (and kinda fun to watch). You will hear a pinging noise… this is exactly what you are hoping to hear (It is the song of our people). Each ping is the sound of a jar successfully creating a vacuum and sealing your precious food away from any contaminates lurking about!
Finishing:
After you have patiently waited a full 24 hours, you may now touch your jars and revel in your hard work!
1. Remove the rings – Never store jars with the rings on. Should a jar unseal for any number of reasons, you want to be able to detect the hazard. Leaving the rings in place may cause the jar to appear sealed, but in fact it is not! In some parts of the country where humidity is a problem, the rings may rust. This will cause an issue with the integrity of the seal and could possibly make the task of opening the jar nearly impossible. (maybe this is what the jar wench is for?)
2. Test your seal- using your finger press on the center of the lid. There should be no movement. If the lid pushes in or pops, the seal was not successful. Set these jars aside and either reprocess them or put them into the refrigerator and use right away. The second test is to carefully hold just the edges of the lid and lift the jar. The seal should be strong enough for the jar to lift with the lid still attached. If any lids pop off, you should reprocess the jars or place into the refrigerator. Jars that don’t seal are generally the exception. If all the steps were followed you should rarely see an unsuccessful seal, though it will happen from time to time, so don’t be upset when it happens to you.
3. Gently wash the jars in warm soapy water and rinse well. Do not use hot water at this stage. Giving the jars a gentle bath will make sure the surface is clean and ready for storage. No sense in bringing sticky or unclean jars into your pantry! I like to dry the lids immediately to prevent water spots.
4. Label/Date- This step can be extra simple or over the top creative. Completely up to you! I tend to can in large quantity and its always canning season at my house, so I keep to simply labeling and dating the tops of my jars with a sharpie. There are sticker labels, there are printable labels, you can order custom made labels or decorate your jars with bits of material or any other creative way you wish to have fun with your awesome homemade goodies. The important thing is to write what the contents of the jar are and when they were canned.
5. Store- Ideally everyone will have a temperature and humidity controlled dark room with a plethora of sturdy shelf space, but reality forces most of us to be a bit more creative in where and how we store our canned goods. Choose an area that keeps the jars cool, but never where they run the risk of freezing. Too warm of a spot and the jars may come unsealed. (Did you know that often sickness would be a yearly phenomenon thought to be the result of the seasons changing, when in fact it was the jars of food for winter unsealing as the temperature got warmer in the spring? Good thing we have an understanding of such things now and have the advantage of pressure canning low acid foods such as meats!) Keeping foods away from direct sunlight, or even artificial lights will prolong the appearance and nutritional value of your canned foods. Wherever you are able to store your jars, make sure that any shelving is very strong! You won’t believe how heavy jars are when they are filling up a shelf! Don’t forget to check your jars regularly (I like to check them every 6 weeks or so). I take a bucket with warm water and a wash cloth and run it over each of my jars to keep dust away and check the seals. Most foods are safe to store for about a year according to regulations. I, personally, regularly keep foods for 2 or more years. As long as you are diligent about keeping your jars stored properly and regularly cleaned, there is no real reason the food isn’t perfectly fine with the seal still intact. Do what you are comfortable with!
I hope this tutorial has been helpful and I can’t wait to hear about your canning experiences!
Welcome to the wonderful world of food preservation!!
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