Home Canning 101: The Basics of Home Canning

Instructions:

1. Use only the best, top quality ingredients. Preserve fruits and vegetables at their peak of ripeness. Make sure all fruits and veggies are thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed to remove any excess dirt or chemicals.
2. Process ALL home canned foods. Low-acid foods—vegetables, soups, stews, ragouts, meats, poultry and seafood—with pH values higher than 4.6, must be processed at temperatures of 240°F for a specified length of time to destroy harmful bacteria. Therefore, low-acid foods must be processed using a steam pressure canner.
3. High-acid foods—fruits, fruit juices, jams, jellies and other fruit spreads, tomatoes with added acid, pickles, relishes and chutneys, sauces, vinegars and condiments—on the other hand, require heat processing to 212°F reached by using a boiling-water canner for a specified period.
4. Follow only current, tested home canning recipes that include the appropriate processing method for the food type being canned; give a specific processing time for the food type and size home canning jar used; designate headspace; come from a reputable source offering up-to-date recipes, following acceptable canning guidelines.
5. Follow the manufacturer's directions for preparing home canning jars and two-piece vacuum caps. We have provided you with complete instructions for using Kerr and Ball jars and caps in high-acid and low acid canning in the downloadable PDF file compliments of Ball and Kerr.
6. Fill the hot jar with prepared recipe making sure you leave the recommended headspace (located in the downloadable PDF file, compliments of Ball and Kerr). Remove air bubbles by sliding a nonmetallic spatula between the jar and food; press gently on the food to release trapped air. Repeat around the circumference of the jar.
7. Wipe the rim and threads of the canning jars with a clean, damp cloth. Center the heated lid on the jar. Screw the band down evenly and firmly until a point of resistance is met – fingertip tight.
8. After processing, remove jars with the jar lifter from canner; set jars upright on a towel to cool. Do NOT re-tighten bands or check for a seal while jars are hot.
9. After 24 hours, check the lids for a seal. Sealed lids curve downward. Press the center of the lid to ensure it does not flex up or down. (Reprocess or refrigerate any unsealed jars.) Remove the bands. Wipe the jars and lids with a clean, damp cloth and dry. Wash bands in soapy water, dry and store.
10. Label and store jars in a cool, dry, dark place. Pull out fresh salsa on a dreary Winter day or delicious Strawberry Jam when Spring rolls around. It will be as fresh and as delicious as the day you canned it! For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.