What Canning Method Should I Use?

When canning fruits, vegetables, or other foods, it is important to decide what canning method is best for your specific project. The two canning methods to choose from are water bath canning and pressure canning, and it is important to know which method each type of food needs.

The acidity (pH) of the food is what determines which canning process is required. Without the proper canning method, your food may not stay preserved and could potentially grow harmful bacteria. Blain’s Farm and Fleet wants to make sure that you have the right information to safely can your products.

Water Bath Canning

Water bath canning, aka “boiling water bath”, is the easier of the two canning methods and allows you to store homemade jars of high-acid foods outside of the refrigerator for long periods of time. When water bath canning, you are putting prepared food into boiling water for ten minutes or more (depending on the recipes instructions) so the food can be stored longer.

This method includes processing high-acid foods at 212°F to destroy molds and yeasts and inactivate enzymes. By processing the jars in boiling water at the end of your recipe, you lock in the fresh flavor of the foods for a full year.

High-acid foods that are great to use water bath canning for are fruits, jams, jellies, salsa, and pickles. Along with time in a boiling water bath, the natural acidity of these foods help preserve them safely without the use of high pressure, which raises the temperature above the boiling point of water (212°F).

Some low-acid foods require a method that provides a higher temperature, pressure canning, to kill off the more harmful bacteria.

Pressure Canning

Pressure canning uses special equipment to process food at higher temperatures to prevent spoilage. It is necessary to use pressure canning to preserve low-acid foods. Any vegetables and meats with a pH above 4.6 must be processed in a pressure canner, but anything below 4.6 can be canned in a water bath.

To participate in pressure canning, you will need to invest in a canner, but you can use the same pot for water bath canning as well. Although pressure canning may seem like a lot of extra work, it is essential and the only safe way to preserve low-acid foods to eliminate harmful, food-borne bacteria.

This method traps steam inside of the pressure canner which increases the pressure inside the cooker and raises the temperature to (240°F), well above boiling temperature. This process is great for vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood.

Now that you know which canning method to use, check out more of Blain’s Canning Blog to learn what size jars you need and find out about canning must haves.