Here’s what I tell people when they confess that they are intimidated by boiling water bath canning. If you can make pasta, you can handle a boiling water bath canner. And truly, it’s no harder or more complicated that than! Read through this post for a step-by-step introduction to processing high acid preserves in a water bath.
So, a little disclaimer to start out with. I’m going to detail my particular canning workflow. This might not be exactly how you do it in your kitchen and that’s okay. We all find ways to make it work with the tools, equipment and space that we have. In the end, the most important things are that you get your jars hot, that you fill them with a freshly made, hot product to the proper headspace, you use new lids, and that you process them for the amount of time prescribed by your recipe. There’s a good deal of flexibility in the rest of the details.
As I mentioned in the first post in this series, any pot can be your canning pot as long as it’s tall enough to hold a rack and your jars, and that it allows the jars to be fully submerged in the water. I like this one (thought it’s best for pints and smaller, it’s a little too short for quarts) but the best pot to use is the one already in your kitchen. If you don’t already have a pot that’s large enough to serve as a canner, I recommend opting for a durable stainless steel pot rather than a traditional enamel canner, as it will be more durable and versatile.
Once you’ve picked out your pot, position a rack in the bottom. I have a silicone trivet pictured here, but any round rack, or collection of old canning jar rings. Once you have a rack in your pot, place the jars you’re using on top.
Then, fill up the jars and pot with water. I like to use the hottest tap water available, as it speeds up the boiling process a bit to start.
It’s a little hard to see in this picture, but at this point, I only fill the pot enough to just barely cover the tallest jar I’m using. This should be more than enough water for the processing stage, because the jars are currently empty.
Once you remove the hot jars, fill them with your product, close them, and lower those filled jars in the pot, they will displace enough water that they will be sufficiently covered. Sometimes, you’ll even need to remove a little water from the pot to prevent overflow. If this becomes necessary, use something heatproof, like a Pyrex measuring cup so that you don’t burn yourself.
It is always a good idea to pour a generous glug of white vinegar into your canning pot before you start heating it. This will prevent any minerals present in your water from depositing on your canning pot or jars. I don’t live in a place with particularly hard water, but I still do this because it keeps my pot in good shape and makes it easier to clean. If you’re someone who likes more precise measurements, use between 1/4 and 1/2 cup.
Now the pot is ready to go on the stove an come to a boil. I do all of this before I ever apply heat to my preserves. That way, the canning pot has a head start on my product and the jars will be nice and hot when I’m ready to use them.
A note about lids
It used to be that you’d need an additional small pot running next to your canner, in which to warm your new lids before using. Back in 2014, Ball Canning announced that it’s no longer necessary to simmer lids prior to canning, as the plastisol sealant doesn’t require softening. Instead, they just need to be washed in warm, soapy water before applying them to filled jars. This change applies to all Ball, Kerr, Golden Harvest, and Bernardin lids. More information about this can be found here.
If you are using lids from a different manufacturer, make sure to read through the package instructions to determine whether or not they need to be warmed before use.
When the product is ready to go into the jars, I slide the canning pot off the heat and pull out the jars with a handy jar lifter. Just a note: These jars are hot, but not sterilized, because I turn the heat down to a simmer as soon as the pot boils. Jars do not need to be sterilized prior to filling if your processing step is ten minutes or longer.
However, if your recipe calls for a processing time that is shorter than ten minutes (very few modern recipes use this shorter processing time), you need to actively boil your jars for at least ten minutes before filled, to ensure you have sterilized jars.
Now you fill up your jars, leaving the amount of headspace required by your recipe. If the recipe doesn’t tell you how much headspace to leave, use 1/2 inch.
Before applying the lids and rings, wipe the rims with a damp paper towel or clean kitchen cloth. I use the hot water from the canning pot as my dampening water, as the heat helps remove any stubborn sticky spots. If your product is super sticky, a little white vinegar on the cleaning cloth will help.
Then, center a lid on each jar and secure it with a ring. Tighten the ring just until it meets resistance. The term for this level of tightening is called “finger tip tight” meaning that you only tighten as much as you can with the tips of your fingers. This allows the oxygen to vent, which is what produces the airtight seal once the jars cool.
Once all the jars have lids and rings, lower them into your canning pot. Make sure the jars are fully submerged and are covered with about an inch of water (you need that much to ensure that they won’t become exposed during boiling). Turn the burner to high. When the pot returns to a boil, set a a timer to the prescribed amount of processing time.
You do want to maintain an active boil throughout the processing of the jars, but make sure you control your boil. If the pot is madly rolling, the chances that you will burn yourself increase. Turn it down a little, to minimize splashing and injury. I like to use one of these spill stopper lids on my canning pot rather than the original lid, as it also helps manage the mess of the boil.
When time is up, turn off the heat. Remove the lid and let the jars stand in the water for five minutes. This allows them to cool more gradually and prevents the product loss that sometimes occurs if you take the jars out too quickly. It can also improve the quality of the seal.
Once that rest period is over, lift your jars out of the pot and place them on a folded kitchen towel or wooden cutting board to cool. You don’t want to set them onto surfaces made from stone, metal or tile, as their cooler temperatures can cause the jars to break.
Once the jars are out of the canner, leave them alone and let them cool. Best practice is to leave them alone for a full 24 hours, but if you can’t manage that, try to wait until they are completely cool to the touch. As the jars cool, you should hear the lids making a series of popping and pinging sounds.
These noises are indications that the jars are sealing as they should. However, don’t freak out if you don’t hear those noises. Jars sometimes seal slowly and quietly. Once the jars are completely cool, remove the rings and test the seals by holding onto the edges of the lids and lifting up an inch or two. If the lids hold fast, the seals are good.
Sealed jars should be stored in a cool, dark place without the rings. If the jars are at all sticky after processing, make sure to wash them before you put them away. Any sticky residue can attracts ants and other pests, so make sure your jars are squeaky clean.
New to canning. Want to can a ginger-garlic sauce (also has other ingredients). Which method is the best – boiling water bath, pressure canner or some other method? Thanks!
If the acid levels have not been checked, it will probably need to be pressure canned. The best approach is to find some similar recipes and see what the recommended technique is.
I have a question. I am new to canning. And I thought cover the jars with the 1 to 2 inches of water meant the bottom of jar not literally over the top. Are my items that I have canned ruined ?
I must add they did seal.
They’re not ruined, but it’s not ideal.
My water in the pot boiled dry and my jars are stuck in the pot. What can I do to get them out? I made catsup.
I have no idea what to tell you. So sorry.
I followed your canning method to can my apricot jam. I wasn’t around to hear the ‘ping’ after I removed the jars from the boiled water, but when I came back a few hours later, they had all depressed/sealed! *Thumbs-up* Thanks for writing this guide! I also mentioned this blog article in my post about apricot jam here: http://frances.menu/apricot-jam/
Can’t wait to can something else!
I’ve been canning for a few years, and have never done the dumb thing I did today. I had just put a batch of candied jalapenos in their jars and lowered them into their water bath when I had company show up. We went into another part of the house after the water came to a boil and I started to set my timer, got distracted and forgot about the timer and the peppers until company left – an hour later! I can’t tell just by looking at the peppers in the jar, but do you think I just ruined three pounds of beautiful, home grown jalapenos or do you think they will survive 50 extra minutes of a boiling water bath? Are there any health concerns with over processing like this? Or is the biggest worry mushy peppers?
Thanks, love your site!
The only worry here is the texture. They are probably mush. No dangerous, just spreadable.
Can you put only 1 or 2 jars in your pot at a time, or does it need to be a full set?
As long as the jars are fully submerged, you can run a canner than only has a few jars in it.
I am relatively new to canning, other than pickles. I am making jam and wondering if I can wait until the end if the day to actually do the canning–the contents of the jars will have cooled before I put them in the water bath. Is that okay? Thanks!!
No. You want the contents of the jar to be hot when they go into the water bath.
Help! I’m making jam for my wedding favors, and I’m using 2 oz food grade jars. The lids are one piece — no ring, no seal-lid. I’m having trouble getting them to seal… or else I can’t tell if they’re sealed. The lids don’t have mu ch give when I tested one on a jar right out of the box. I made sure my rims were wiped clean. Is it possible the lids weren’t hot enough?
Do the lids look even a little bit concave? If so, then they’re probably sealed. Beyond that, I really can’t help here.
I am new to canning and am going to try to avoid asking you if my pickles are safe because I know you can’t tell me, but I do have questions. I grew my own cucumbers and decided to make pickles (both garlic dill and bread and butter) based on recipes from your book ‘Food In Jars’. I used Ball pint jars and a regular stock pot with jar rings as my rack. I used Bragg’s apple cider vinegar and added raw garlic and fresh dill to the first batch and raw bell pepper and onion to the second. I processed them both the same, by pouring the boiling liquid (50/50 water and vin. + sugar added to the bread and butter pickle solution) into the jars on top of the raw vegetables. Some how I missed the part in your recipe about boiling the veg for the bread and butter pickles. I also did the same processing time for all- 5 min. boil. Some of the jars sealed right away, some took a while and a few still had a bump in the center of the lid. When I pushed the bump in, it clicked and did not pop back. I removed the rings 24hrs later and they passed the lid test. Some jars have contents completely covered with liquid while a few seem a bit low. Now, I know you can’t tell me if they are safe or not, but I am getting more worried with every article I read about botulism. Is it true that you can’t always see/smell if something is wrong and you’re better off trashing everything if you have any doubt?! Thanks so much for your time, and the great book/blog. I really would like to continue to can, but the fear might be getting the best of me.
Ugh! I’m sorry, I just read a post of yours saying that botulism will not form in pickles due to the acid! Still, any words of advice you may have for me personally would be greatly appreciated!
Botulism cannot grow in high acid environments. You’ve submerged all those low acid vegetables in a high acid environment, so there’s no risk of botulism in this case. However, you should really stick with the recipes as written until you better understand what makes a recipe safe or not safe.
i never knew you could reprosess the jars that never sealed. About how long do they keep if you don’t get them to seal properly?
If they don’t seal properly, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.
Hey,
I’m new to canning and I thought I knew what I was doing and apparently, I might have just messed up my entire batch. I thought that the seal had taken once I could no longer press down on the lid. So, to remedy it I put my jar back into the water bath. Some jars took 3 attempts to get the lid so that I could no longer push down on it. Does this mean I possibly ruined the contents of that jar? I am doing dilly beans and pickles. Thanks
The texture of those pickles is probably pretty terrible if you’ve been processing them over and over again. Are you letting them cool for at least 12 hours before reprocessing? You need to let the jars cool completely before testing the seals.
Darn. No I didn’t wait. I just put them back in the water. Is the only way to test the seal is by taking off the band and seeing if the metal stays? Otherwise, do I just assume that the seal took until I test it? If it didn’t hold, do I just refrigerate? Thanks so much!
You need to let the jars cool fully before testing the seals. They only seal during the cooling process. Once the jars are fully cooled, you remove the bands to test the seals. If the jars didn’t seal, you just pop them into the fridge and use the contents within a month or so.
I have had instances where my pickles are not crisp. In reading online articles it is suggested when this is the problem they have been processed too long. When water bath canning at what point does the processing time begin? Is there a certain temperature to use as a guide?
Keeping cucumber pickles crisp is a challenge. The processing time begins once the water returns to a boil. I tend to do cucumber pickles as refrigerator pickles these days to retain crispness.
Someone told me this week when I was talking about maybe doing pickles, she told me if I can find a grape leaf to put it in each jar that something in the grape leaf keeps pickles crisp
When I am dill pickles I pack the the jars as full as I can however after processing they seem to have floated up and I have about half an inch of juice at the bottom of the jar. What am I doing wrong?
You’re not doing anything wrong. Try using regular mouth jars, as the shoulders of the jars help keep the cucumbers below the brine level.
Where may I get a trivet, like the one you show in here.
Thanks
Al
https://foodinjars.com/2012/01/a-new-canning-rack/
After taking tomatoes out of the hot bath, they have the fruit on the top and about 2 to 3 inches of water at the bottom of the jar.
Is this the way it is supposed to look?
It looks like the water has been cooked out of the tomatoes and settled to the bottom.
Will the recombine, or do I need to do something different?
Thank you
Totally normal. Here’s my post on tomato canning: https://foodinjars.com/2011/08/canning-101-tomato-float-sauce-separation-and-loss-of-liquid/
Thanks for all the great information! Why should you store your sealed jars without the rings? I am assuming this is a very beginner’s question, but never knew this before. Thanks for your answer!
Lisa
The answer to your question is in this post: https://foodinjars.com/2013/10/store-jars-without-rings/
Hi, I have a VERY beginner question. Why do you have to put either a rack, trivet, towel, etc in the bottom of the pot? Will it ruin the jars to have them sitting directly on the bottom of the pot? Thanks in advance!
You use a rack to prevent breakage and to allow the water to better circulate around the jars!
Thank you for this site! What a help for a new-to-canning cook. I have a canning lid question. I am new to food in jars and made my first batch of raspberry jam yesterday. Because I wasn’t sure how many jars would be filled by the recipe I prepared a couple extra jars and lids which I did not use. The jars I know I can sterilize and use but the lids i’m not sure about. I did heat up the lids in a simmering water bath but never applied them to a jar and never boiled them in a water bath. Can they be reheated and used for my next batch? Thanks in advance.
Yes, you can still use the lids you prepped but did not use.
I reuse my used lids all the time. I do throw out any damaged ones after a difficult jar opening but since I discovered you can use lids over and over again I am a little more careful about opening my jars. Reusing your lids is a real money saver too.
It is absolutely not recommended to reuse lids.
You can reuse the rings, not the flats
It is not recommended to use the lids again so the companies that sell them make more money. It”s a scam. As long as you hear the pop the lids are fine to reuse. If the rubber seal on the bottom of the lids are frayed at all then they will have a hard time sealing. When you water bath a canning jar the internal heat causes the air inside to escape. The lid and heat keeps new air from coming in. You create negative pressure, meaning the pressure pushing down on the lids from our atmosphere is much more than the pressure pushing up from inside. That’s what causes the lid to “seal”. At equal pressure the jar lid removes easily when lifted. If the pressure is higher in the jar than the pressure from outside the lid shoots off.
Oops, I made jars of jam 2 days ago but forgot to place them in the water bath. Is it too late?
Yes. They need to be refrigerated.
Hi, I’m hoping you can help. I have been canning jam using two piece lids and occasionally one will come out of the water bath having sucked in a bit of water. Sometimes they seal and sometimes they dont, but obviously the jam is ruined in either case.
What causes this? I can find a lot of info on jars shooting product into the water bath (siphoning) but in this case it’s just pulling in water, nothing seems to be going out–no food on the rim or in the bath and headspace remains the same, but now with water where some or all the air should be.
The only way that the jars could be taking on water is if you’re not tightening the rings tightly enough. Try turning them a bit more.
I have been pressure canning for a couple of years and just got my first nasty steam burn last night. I am currently trying your water bath method right now with some applesauce and I am hopeful for safer results!! Thank you for weeding out the “unnecessary” information and focusing on the more important stuff when it comes to all the steps of the canning process.
So glad to help! Sorry about the burn, though. That sucks!
can you tell me if our pan does not cover the jar all the way with water. Can we put them on their side. Or do they HAVE to be covered with water. We used small jars the first time. Turned out great. Out of small jars. have only larger jars. Don’t want to buy anymore.
You need to have a pot deep enough to have the jars be fully upright and submerged. They will not vent properly if processed on their sides.
2 of my 4oz jars of apple butter turned sideways during the boil. Do I need to reboil them? Thanks for your site – it was a huge help for me on this first time canning!
As long as the jars sealed, there’s no need to reprocess them.
Question. I made some pickled green beans and did the hot water bath to seal them. This is also my first time. I took them out to cool and the lid was not sealing. So I opened it for maybe 5 seconds and then closed the lid and it sealed right away. Do you think it’s still safe to continue the process and are okay to eat after a few weeks?
If you’ve opened the jar after the processing even for a millisecond you have let all the air back in that the processing forced out.
I don’t know how I got as far as I did without this critical piece of information, but I’ve been sterilizing my jars prior to filling them, and not afterwards. I just learned that I need to return them to a hot water bath after they’re filled.
Yesterday I made pickle, and I didn’t put the jars back in the hot water bath. They’ve been sitting on the counter since last night (the pickle is made with vinegar, so it is high in acid).
Can I go back and put them in the boiling water bath now or do I have to toss them?
You could refrigerate them, but I don’t recommend processing them at this point, because it will seriously compromise the texture.
Hi Marisa, thanks for your reply. It’s actually not pickles but a pickle relish, so I don’t think texture is so important?
If you’re not concerned with texture, you can certainly process it. However, for best results, you need to open up all the jars, reheat the relish, repack the jars and can with new lids (because chances are that the lids formed some vacuum while they were sealing on the counter and so now the sealing compound is spent), and process according to the recipe’s instructions. If the recipe doesn’t tell you how long to process the relish, ten minutes for pint jars or smaller is a good baseline time.
I had to reprocess my jam because of a mistake I made. I emptied the jam contents back into a pot and left it on the stove for a long time – it was hot enough that bubbles were forming along the sides of the pot for a long time, but the jam never came to a hard boil (like it did when I made it the first time). Is this a problem? Does the jam need to come to hard boil when reprocessing? Thanks!
The jam never came back to a hard boil? Well, if you were recooking it in order to get a better set, you need that boil in order to cook the water out and get the firmer set. If you’re talking about the water in the processing pot, it also needs to achieve a hard boil in order to fully sterilize your product.
HI – my daughter is getting married in August and she wants to give small 64ml jars of preserves as wedding favors. I am getting the jars from Greaves factory in Niagara Falls, ON where they make jam. Do I process the jam the same way as regular mason jars? And for how long would I process them in water? Can I stack the jars on top of each other?
Thanks
You need to make sure you’re getting lids that are designed to go in a boiling water bath (ask the company). Here are my posts about canning with one piece lids.
https://foodinjars.com/2013/07/how-to-can-in-hex-jars-with-lug-lids/
https://foodinjars.com/2012/10/canning-101-how-to-use-one-piece-lids/
And yes, you can always stack jars in the canner, as long as they’re fully submerged in the water.
My Jalapeno jelly is not hott ) : I already sealed the jars and everything. Any advice?! Can I take everything out of the jars and re-boil the jelly with spicier peppers like serranos?
I am very new to canning… how long after canning do you have to wait prior to eating??
With jams and other sweet preserves, you can eat them immediately. Pickles need some time (at least 2-3 weeks) to improve.
I had canned meat and left it in the boiling hot water just over 3 hrs. I was going to leave it for the 5 mins. settling time that everyone recommends before removing the jars from the hot water bath. Unfortunately, I had left them in longer than the 5 mins. When I took them out, the lids were already down (and therefore did not pop after being out in the air cooling). Is everything still good after being in the water after the boiling had stopped and the jars were not removed to cool right away? Thanks!
As long as you did the proper processing time, you should be fine!
I tried water canning last night for the first time, BEFORE I found your website. One of my jars broke inside the pot and the applesauce was in the water. As long as I wash the other jars off do you think they are still safe or does that contaminate them? Thank you for your, more than helpful, site!
As long as the other jars look fine, then they are fine.
I am like Diane, #79, who has never hot bathed her jam. I just got through canning pear preserves and I think they have all sealed, but to be sure could I put the jars in a hot bath? I have never done this before and I was thinking I would need to loosen the lids and put them in the boiling water for 10 minutes. This may not be possible, but I would like to know.
If you wanted to process your jars, you’d have to open the jars, reheat the preserves, refill the jars, apply new lids and then process.
Thank you for your reply. I am going to reheat my pear preserves and put them in the boiling water bath as you suggested. Do the lids need to be hot when I put them on the jars and how long do I keep the jars in the boiling water? Also, I want my pears to be more amber color so hopefully I have enough juice when I reheat them. Could I add some water without affecting the taste of them?
You do as if it was a brand new batch. So hot lids and in the processing pot for the same amount of time as the first round of canning. You could add some water but it may impact the flavor.
Hi Marisa I looked back to see if anyone had answered my question #89. I see you had responded to the one after mine, could you take a look and see what to do in my situation. I am new and don’t want to get sick, but I don’t want to throw out my work if it is ok.
Victoria, the thing to do in this case is to look at the recommended times on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website and see if your times match up.
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/apple_sliced.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/pear_halved.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/grapes_whole.html
http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_06/pickled_carrots.html
Make sure that you’re not starting your timer until the water returns to a boil.
Chances are that even in the cases where you didn’t follow the exact right processing times, your preserves are still safe. If you have any concerns put them in the fridge.
I am brand new to canning- I just want to know, does this same method work for soups? I want to can soup and put them in a cupboard. If I can use this method with soups, can the soups have meat or other perishables in it without being refrigerated?
Unfortunately, it does not. Soups are universally low in acid and so aren’t safe for preserving in a boiling water bath canner. For soups and other low acid foods, you have to use a pressure canner. Here’s a post on canning turkey stock, and much of that information applies to soups as well. https://foodinjars.com/2013/12/can-turkey-stock/
I just started canning this week and as I was reading this post think I may have done something wrong and want to see if I can still eat the food I put up. I made:
Apples in syrup (20 minute processing time) 3 jars at a time
Pears in syrup (20 minute processing time) 3 jars at a time
Pickled grapes (5 minute processing time) 4 jars at a time
Daikon and carrot pickled mix (10 minute processing time) 4 jars at a time
Here is what I did. I boiled the jars in my pot followed the recipe for each item and then add my ingredients and put them down in the boiling water. I started my timer and took them out of the water and left them on a towel to cool and seal. I am not sure if the water lost any of the boil by putting the hot jars back in (everything except the daikon and carrot was hot packed), I just set the timer and went off that. Everything sealed properly, but I am wondering if these are good. Do I need to eat them right away now, are they fine if they sealed, should I reprocess them or do I need to throw them all out. Thanjs for any help!
Forgive my ignorance but I’ve followed these steps using a large pot and have removed the jar but the jelly looks runny again. It had started to set after I removed the pot from heat and put them in the jar. Is it that water has got in?
The heat of the canning pot is what made it a little runny. It should set up again over the next few days.
Thanks so much! They look ok 🙂
I didn’t heat the water before putting the pickled mushrooms in the canner. I just put the jars in the canner, added water, waited for it to boil. Then boiled for 20 minutes, which is what the recipe called for. Am I risking disease? Or is this ok? Thank you.
It should be okay.
I did not have enough mustard beans or corn relish to fill the last jar nor did I have a smaller one so I half filled the jar is this ok
Ths
It is not ideal. There’s no way to vent all of the oxygen out of half filled jars and so they are at increased risk of spoilage.
What does it mean to bring something to a hard boil?
It’s a vigorous, rolling boil.
I’ve just tried Canning/Preserving for the first time. I’m trying Candied Jalapenos. I’m dying to try them out, how long should I wait before I can open one of them.
Hello! Just had my first apple butter and first canning experience… Once I had my jars cooling on the counter I got a little impatient, having not heard any ping’ing of the jars sealing… So I pushed on the tops slightly and they went down… and stayed down. Will me forcing the tops down get in the way of the sealing process? Do I need to reprocess or something? They are not totally cooled yet. Did I totally mess up all of my work?
The jars are fine. Sometimes you tap the lids just around the moment when they were ready to seal.
I have never hot bathed my jams as they are packed hot into hot jars. They all seal fine. But the more I read about jams and everyone seems to hot bath them I’m losing confidence that maybe I’ve been wrong. For the first time this year (out of many years) I had mold on the top of my apricot/pineapple jam. What is your advice.
Processing your jars is always a good idea for a long lasting, spoil-resistant preserves.
I just did A batch of salsa on my glass cook top. I started the ten min required processing time when the water started to boil….but it was not a “full roiling boil” which I couldn’t get to. Is this enough or should I refrigerate it? Thank you!
As long as the water was moving, it was boiling. The jars should be fine.
can honey be processed in a hot water bath?
It doesn’t need to be processed in a boiling water bath canner to be made safe. It is naturally antibacterial.
When I can tomato juice I get my jars and lids hot in boiling then I pour the juice in the jars and they seal on their own. Is this safe or do I still need to water bath them?
That is not safe. You still need to process the jars in a water bath.
Thank you for this question and answer! I just had the same problem and appreciate knowing I still need to process them!
hi, thank you for this! i am fairly new to canning and definitely needed these basic steps laid out for me. i just finished a batch of pickled cukes, water-bath style. two questions:
-i totally forgot to tap out air bubbles. problematic?
-you say to keep the processing time to five minutes because the hot water can soften the pickles. well, i did all the steps, put the jars on the rack, lowered it in, and saw all these air bubbles. i started the timer for 5 mins, then realized you meant start the timer when the water starts boiling again. but it took like another 5 full minutes (or more!) for the water to come back up to a boil. so really i processed them for like 10 mins. how exact does the time have to be? is there any chance of it being really problematic if you don’t process it for long enough? or for too long?
thanks!
As long as the jars sealed well, the air bubbles aren’t an issue. But not removing them can lead to liquid loss.
And you never start the timer for the processing time until the water returns to a boil. That’s why it’s important to have the water near to the boil when you put the jars in.
I was canning tomato sauce. When the boiling stopped after the water bath I noticed the water had evaporated and the jars were no longer covered. However the lids popped and sealed. Is it okay?
It is not ideal, but it will probably be fine.
This same thing happened to me today while making spaghetti sauce. The water evaporated and the rings were exposed. The jars sealed right away.
Hi! I made apricot jam and realized I did not have lids so I put it in the jars and stuck them in the fridge. I would like to water bath them so they are shelf stable but the jam already set up nicely. Will canning them now after it has set ruin the set?
It should be okay to can them at this point. You need to empty out the jars, bring the jam to a boil and then refill the jars.
I canned tomatoes for the first time yesterday and when I woke up today there were air bubbles in the jars… Is that normal… The bubbles sit between the tomatoes and the juice and the jars are sealed.
Yep, totally normal. Read more about it here: https://foodinjars.com/2011/08/canning-101-tomato-float-sauce-separation-and-loss-of-liquid/
I just wondered why you store the jam without the ring?
Read this post for an explanation: https://foodinjars.com/2010/08/canning-101-how-to-store-finished-jars/
Could you tell me if you have to keep the lid on while the water is boiling, for the water bath? Thank you.
You don’t have to, but it does help the pot maintain a rolling boil better, because the heat is more contained.
I made mixed berry jam today for the 1st time. I also canned for the 1st time today as well. I surprised myself and everything worked out, all my lids are sealed. Here’s my concern though, do I refrigerator the jam now or can I leave it out. The jam doesn’t seem as thick and this could be a recipe issue. I feel if I put the jam in the frig it will solidify more. Am I worrying to much? Is there anything else I need to do or did I screw up?
If you canned the jars, they don’t need to be refrigerated. The canning process makes them shelf stable. And as far as the texture goes, jam often takes a few days to thicken up. Give it some time.
I just made watermelon jam for the first time and the recipe said it would yield 10 half pints and I only got 5 half pints and I followed everything exactly like the recipe what could have happened
I have no idea. Maybe the watermelon you used had less water content?
Just remember, when ever you cook before canning or putting in a jar, you product will always cook down. I thought the same thing when I first started canning, but watched a special on making jams and jellies – it will reduce by about a 3rd.
I submerged my strawberry jam in the boiling water to process, and noticed bubbles coming out from the jars. I guess I will know in a few minutes if water seeped inside. I hadn’t realized that you can’t reuse the canning snap lids!
It is normal to see bubbles escape from the jars when you first put them in the water. It’s actually something you want to see!
Thank you!!! Tonight was my first canning experience ever, using your directions, which are SUPERB!!! Placed my jars on old canning rings, which worked, but some of my jars kept tipping over (hope that is ok?)…I just kept standing them back up using tongs.
I noticed the bubbles also and quickly grabbed them out, tightened, put them back in and still a few bubbles came up to the surface…so glad you answered this question and that it’s a good thing 🙂
I wish I had found your website/blog before I made jam!! Yesterday I made loquat jam and followed a recipe I found online. It did not call for water bath processing after canning. I ended up putting them in the frig (about 5 hrs after cooking and canning) because now I’m concerned about using them. How long will they last if refrigerated?
They will last for weeks in the fridge!
OH! I wish there was a way to upload directly to pinterest so I can have this information at my fingertip!!
If you get the “pin it” button for your browser you can pin anything you like 😉
http://help.pinterest.com/en/articles/add-pin-it-button-your-browser#Web
Sorry that’s not canning related but hopefully still useful!
Thanks for this information! I was looking up recipes for refrigerator pickles and kept seeing “seal in a water bath” at the end of the recipes. That confused me because that sounded like canning- which seems VERY intimidating!! but canned items last longer so I kept an open mind. This really makes it seem less scary.
Hi! I made some pepper jelly recently and as I poured the jelly into the sterilized jars and added the lids, one of the jars actually sealed up right away – I heard the ping of the lid and it was no longer popped up. I just put that one in the fridge right away without processing it, figured I made a mistake, but would I even need to process it since it seemed to seal up on its own? Is it possible they can seal before the water bath?
If both the jars and the product are piping hot, jars can absolutely seal right away without processing. However, it’s not a particularly strong seal and you can still process the jars in the water bath to ensure a fully sterilized product. They’ll unseal in the canner and then seal again once you take them out. The water bath will give you an optimum seal and does the job of killing off any bacteria present.
Im new to canning and made my first batch of Jalapeno jelly after following your processing method. I would like to ask a question re my processed jars after they have cooled and sealed properly, I noticed droplets of water hanging in the lids while i was inspecting the jars. I would just like to know if they are still safe to consume? i warmed the lids before putting them on — am i doing something wrong with my processing the jars?
This happened to me also, not sure if it’s ok or not, hopefully someone else can let us know?
Having a little condensation inside the jars is totally normal. It should eventually reintegrate into the product.
Hi there! Great blog!
I have a question about canning. I recently canned some tomato soup and I didn’t put the lid on the pot of boiling water during processing (doh!). Do you know if the soup is still good?
Thanks,
Bonnie
I have enjoyed your blog for some months now, but have felt too intimidated to jump in to canning. Then I *had* to do something with the pile of Jerusalem artichokes my family just couldn’t eat fast enough. I processed 10 half pints of choke pickles this evening and am listening to them hiss and pop this very minute. If it wasn’t for you, I would never have thought to can on a small scale.
I am close enough to attend one of your classes, so I am watching your schedule for one that works for me. Thanks so much!
Hi – My question is about the processing time and boiling during the water bath part of the canning procedure. Today I made 6 quarts of apple pie filling. I have a huge black enamel water bath that I’ve used for years, but I don’t generally use quart-size jars. So, I had everything ready to go, put jars filled with the pie filling in the water bath, and as it came back to a boil, it boiled over and put out the flame on the stove. It was very full – with the 6 quart jars in the lifter the water level was very high – so I took out some of the water and put it back to boil. It kept boiling over. I took out as much water as I could but wanted to leave the level at least an inch above the jar tops. So, I turned the heat down a bit so it would stop boiling over. The processing time was supposed to be 20-30 minutes. I realized, with about 10 min. to go, that the water wasn’t actually boiling anymore – it was just below that level. I don’t know for how long it wasn’t boiling. So I turned it back up, had to remove more water as it boiled over again, and I did that for another 10 minutes or so. Then I removed the jars and put them on the table to set because I didn’t know if it would be bad to leave them in the water bath for too long. IF they seal, will they be preserved without 20-30 straight min. at a full boil? If not, can I re-process them like you can do with jam that doesn’t set? Thanks in advance for your reply.
The processing you’ve described is not ideal. Are you putting a lid on your canner? That helps control the evaporation and ensures a more constant boil.
I had always given the jar rings a twist to tighten them after I removed them from the canner. My jars always seal, but should I not be tightening them more? I am also looking at using the one piece lids with the plastisol seal and wondering the same about them. I am attempting to make some ice cream toppings and putting them in the small 4 oz. jars for Xmas gifts bags. So these water bath instructions should do the trick, but if you have any suggestions they are greatly appreciated..
There is no need to tighten the rings once the jars come out of the canner.
Gosh, I wish I’d read this post yesterday…
I just ordered a water bath canning pot and rack (that I absolutely do not have room for in my little kitchen), because I couldn’t find anything in my kitchen to lift the jars off the bottom. Never even considered a hand towel or extra rings!
So I guess I should have read this first. It is my first time…I went off someone’s verbal directions. She never told me to boil the jars first or to dampen the rims. I cleaned them off with a paper towel. I have 6 pint jars filled with a runnier salsa. I boiled them for about 20 minutes and they are sitting to cool right now. I have not heard any sealing yet, but 3 of the jars do not make the “pop” sound when I push on the middle of the lid. Obviously, 3 do. So if I am getting this straight, 3 are sealed good and 3 aren’t? Also another thing I have noticed is that a fifth of each jar on the bottom is watery. Is this from my tomatoes or did water get leaked in during the boiling. Please help, I have no idea what I am doing.
Thanks!
I was reading this to remind myself how long to sterilize the jars and found a wonderful tip about the vinegar. Thanks so much. No more white jars!
I always make large batches and once my jars are sterile I put them in a 170 degree oven. This keeps them sterile and hot, ready to fill. Then I can do all my sterilizing at once.
Also for jam I pack everything hot, hot jars, lids, and jam, and do not can them. It is not necessary as the jam is already cooked enough. It will save you time and the jars will still seal.
Thank you so much for a great post.
Normajeam, it’s actually not recommended that you skip the boiling water bath canning process. It improves the quality of your seal and ensures that any bacteria is killed.
I canned 48 small jars of prickly pear cactus jelly yesterday but did not boil the jars after sealing all of the lids popped down Do i need to boil them now or it is to late? Learning curve ……
I used a hot water bath method for pickles 2 days ago. I put them in a hot water bath for 17 minutes but did not have the water covering the jars. It was 2 inches below the tops. They all sealed without a problem. My question is this…do I have to or should I re-do them or will they be fine the way they are? The finished jars have an air space above the pickles and are not completely covered. Next time I will do it better. Thanks for all your help
Thanks for this great resource! Glad to have the confirmation that what I do is sound, and like others, I’ll be sure to start adding some vinegar to my very calcium-rich tap water!
I’d be interested in seeing information from you on flat top stoves (don’t remember seeing that from you previously). I love canning each summer, but am in the market for a new range. However, I’m scared from what I’ve read to jump in an get a flat top range (glass top) because I’ve seen conflicting information. As it stands, I just do water bath canning, but I know my stove top gets VERY hot. Any advice in response to this or as a blog post would be VERY much appreciated! Thanks for your fantastic blog!
I live at high altitude (Denver), so I have to add processing time to all my recipes. Would the altitude extend the minimum length of time that a jar would need to be processed to be sterilized beyond the 10 minute time you mention in your instructions?
Yes, processing time has to adjust upwards if you’re at altitude. Instructions on how to do it can be found here: https://foodinjars.com/2012/02/canning-101-on-adjusting-for-altitude/
Thanks so much for this post. After years of being frustrated with how complicated canning seems, last night I just went for it and did what I thought was right. This post confirmed that my instincts are right and now I look forward to many more canning projects!
Thank you SO much!! I have wanted to can my entire life, but was totally freaked out until reading this. This week so far I have canned the Strawberry Vanilla Jam & Zucchini Relish 🙂
One question, do you take out the rings & lids when you take out the jars or just before you put them on your filled jars?
I live at high altitude (Colorado) and have a glass top stove. I saw in the inside look of your book on Amazon (which I just ordered) that I should add about 15 minutes to cooking time for the altitude. Should I add more time to that because of the stove?
I had read somewhere else that canning can’t be done with a glasstop stove but then met a woman who said she has been doing it for years, just keeps it all on the heat longer. I just wasn’t sure of how much longer would be enough.
Thank you! Great blog, I haven’t tried canning yet and have wanted to for so long. I am very excited to start. Ordered the trivet to use in a big tall pot I have.
You do need to make the altitude adjustments, but you don’t need to increase the time more that than. Sometimes flat top stoves cycle the heat on and off, which can interfere with a boil. However, I’ve canned on flat top stoves and haven’t noticed an issue. Other reasons it’s not recommended are that sometimes the weight of a large, full canner can be too much for the stove and there’s a risk of a seal being formed between the stove and the pot (which could break the glass). I solve this by using medium-sized, flat bottomed pot and haven’t had any issues.
Thank you so much Marisa, I really appreciate all of your help. i am going to look through your blog now and find a recipe to make my first batch of jam. I’m very excited to do it and I am really looking forward to getting your book!
I canned some blueberry jam yesterday from one of your recipes. I am relatively new to canning. This time, I forgot to boil the jars (they were clean) before I filled them with the really hot blueberry mixture. I processed them for ten minutes and they immediately sealed. Now I’m worried about missing that important step. What should I do?
Thank you for the tutorial. I love how you are using a silicone trivet instead of a canning rack! Great idea! Now I am going to go out and buy one.
My favorite canning tool is my huge old Farberware stock pot. I have used it in my canning since my now-grown kids were little. I would be lost without it. It is big, heats evenly, and is a snap to clean up – even with a sticky mess like jam makin’s.
Hi All!
Marisa (or anyone else here)…do you have any favorite jars from Filmore? I am a Philly native and would love to support a more local business.
I really want to move to a jar with smooth sides and no stamping. I did read your post on using continuous thread jars and tops with plastisol and that was so helpful! I will steer myself away from the lug jars. I was just wondering if you had any shapes or sizes that you really enjoy.
And would a 9oz jar work? It seems like an odd size since canning is mostly done in pints and half pints.
Randomly…I’ve been talking alot about canning with strangers this week in my travels (must be on people’s minds with summer harvests starting) and have recommended your book over and over. It’s my favorite!
Susanne, I really love the smooth-sided half pint jars: http://www.fillmorecontainer.com/12-Pint-Canning-Jars-Wholesale-Mason-Jelly-Glass-P197.aspx
You can certainly use a 9 ounce jar, though. It’s just an ounce off from a half pint, so it won’t change your that much. Thank you for continually recommending my book! 🙂
Thanks! Totally going to grab some of these once I run out of my Ball stock. Making your peach jam today. I also just got Kevin West’s book from Amazon. I’m excited to see what’s inside.
Thanks for posting! Quick question -I’m new to canning and have made a batch of strawberry jam and blueberry butter. When I put the jars into the water bath for processing -and when I took them out after processing -several of them tipped over in transport (nothing came out of the jar -the contents just rolled around inside a bit). They still sealed properly, but should I use them immediately rather than put them on the shelf?
It is not ideal for the jars to tip over, but as long as the seals are good, the jars can still be stored in the pantry.
Thank you!
Thank you for this post! I’ve been canning for a few years but I still had no idea how to estimate the right amount of water so it doesn’t overflow when you put the full jars in. Last year, canning 6 quarts of peaches, there was absurdly too much water in the pot, and bailing boiling water out of it was no picnic. You have also inspired me to finally buy one of those silicone trivets. Hooray for taking the little hassles out of canning!
Here’s a trick I tried just last night and it worked. I filled my pot to a level I knew would be too low once the jars were in. However, I had my tea kettle going so that once the jars were all in, I simply poured more boiling water right on top, to just the right level. Worked like a charm. 🙂
Hi, Sheli, where can I purchase the silicone trivets?
Thanks, Linda
I don’t understand what the difference is between warming the lids in a separate small pot versus warming them in the pot with the jars.
Surprised that no one else has commented on this yet. This may not be a problem in certain cities, but if you live in an old house with old plumbing, please DO NOT use hot water straight from the tap.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/health/29real.html
The Claim: Never Drink Hot Water From the Tap
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
Published: January 29, 2008
THE FACTS
The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.
The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.
Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.
Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. More information is at http://www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD).
THE BOTTOM LINE
Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking.
I’m aware of the issues around using hot water from the tap for cooking and drinking. However, the water in a canning pot isn’t really ever in contact with your food. Yes, it’s in contact with the jars during the heating process, but it evaporates quickly and, with the addition of the vinegar, leaves no discernable residue behind. I certainly wouldn’t advocate using hot tap water for drinking, soup making, or pasta cooking, but I do think that in this case, it’s pretty harmless.
Thanks, this post is a good tutorial and reassured me that I’m doing things right! Using a makeshift canning rack for jams and jellies is alright, but I’m a big fan of a proper canning rack for canning fruit. A rack allows you to lift the jars partly out of the boiling water all at once. I learned the hard way that if you do that and then let the liquid in the jars stop boiling before you move them, you are less likely to lose syrup via boil overs. Less mess and a better product in the end. Plus it’s faster than letting the whole canner cool down if you are processing more than one batch.
The vinegar is a good tip. I knew that but I keep forgetting to do it. Hard water deposits come off the jars easily if you use a vinegar-soaked rag to wipe them before you put them away. Yeah, I learned that the hard way too…
Love this post, Marisa. Even though I’ve canned for a few years now, thanks to your blog, I found little hints that will make my process much better. This is so good, you should repost it every year at the beginning of canning season! Thank you for doing it!
Love this post, Marisa. Even though I’ve canned for a few years now, thanks to your blog, I found little hints that will make my process much better. This is so good, you should repost it every year at the beginning of canning season! Thank you for doing it!
Oh! Thank you for the vinegar tip! I’ve been BUYING distilled water for the canner because the water here is so hard. I’ve made 24 jars of jam this morning using tap water and a glug of white vinegar, and the jars are beautifully clean and shiny.
I’ve been canning for a couple of years but have never heard of putting vinegar in the canning pot, so this was a great post even for the non-newbie. Thanks for the tip!
Silly questions : How dry should the lids ( and sealing compound ) be , when placed on the jars?
Are slightly corroded rims acceptable to use?
Beside encouraging corrosion, are there any negatives to keeping the rims in place?
thanks,
mac
You don’t need to dry the lids at all before pulling them from the water. They should be hot enough that the water mostly evaporates off.
It’s perfectly acceptable to use lightly stained and rusted rings. However, if they are really hard to get on and off the jars, I wouldn’t use them.
You want to remove rings from the jars because if somethings goes bad in the jars, you’ll know sooner.
Great tip with the vinegar!
This is what I do for the flat lids: I put all the flat lids in a small heatproof bowl. Then when I take the jars out to fill them, I pour the hot water that is currently in one of the jars into the bowl. The lids get heated while I fill the jars, and it is easier to fish them out of the little bowl than the big canning pot!
Thank you for the vinegar tip! The water in these parts is very hard.
How hard is it?
Two days after getting a new tea kettle, there were already noticeable hard water deposits.
Oh well. I partially credit the calcium rich waters I grew up with for the fact that I never broken a bone (despite being a klutz) and have only ever had two fillings in my life.
I bought the silicone trivet so I could use a smaller pot, after seeing it in your recent post. Works great! I now have 10 jars of ginger plum jam. I couldn’t process all 10 jars at once (so they weren’t all hot when I filled them), but they processed for 10 full minutes so I know they’re sterile. Thanks for a great site!
Jamming: http://pdxknitterati.com/2013/07/13/sweet-summer-jam/
Thanks for posting this – I’ve only recently started visiting your site, and I’ve been disappointed that there haven’t been more basic how-to posts. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
Thank you so much for posting this. I actually used it today making some strawberry/blueberry jam.
This is such a great resource, thanks Marisa! This might be a silly question, but do you process the jars with the pot covered or uncovered?
I process the jars with a cover on the pot. It keeps the heat in the pot better.
Thank you! I figured as much, but wasn’t sure if there was some technical reason to leave the lid off… I just made a batch of strawberry-raspberry honey jam following the method you outlined in this post and it went off without a hitch 🙂
Vinegar also new to me………….Have gallons on hand at all times,so, will try to remember to add it to the water. Can’t hurt,right?
Thanks so much for the vinegar tip! Finally no more powdery white jars. I use the same canning set up with the same trivet (in green)…which made me super excited when I saw this. The pieces are all multi-functional and that trivet is fun!
I might start adding the vinegar to my canning water. Our local water is relatively soft, but I do get a little bit of residue on the rack after several canning sessions.
Thanks for the basics! I’ve only been canning for a few years, so I always learn something new.
Marisa, this is a bit random, but how do you keep the silicone trivet in place before you put the jars in? I bought the same one (except mine is black) back when you first posted about it, but mine will not expand to a larger size and remain flat in the bottom of the pot.
Not Marisa, but if you put the silicone trivet in as the same time as your jars, your jar will weight it down. I used a chopstick to help distribute the trivet; it wanted to fold and float!
I stuck a ring in the center of the silicon trivet. It expanded the trivet enough to jam it in place against the sides of the pot.
That is brilliant!
I started canning last year using your book with excellent results. But I’m curious, why is it important to store the jars without the rings?
Yes please, I also am curious to know this. It is not something I have heard before, and would love to know the reasoning.
Not Marisa but…if your lids sealed properly you don’t need the rings to hold in place. The rings will rust/corrode and you don’t want them to become one with the jar. Lastly when you buy new jars they come with a lid and ring. After that you can reuse the jars and rings and only buy new lids. You’ll slowly lose some rings to corrosion and loss but can survive with fewer rings if you don’t store them with each filled jar.
Also not Marisa but…in addition to all the great reasons Mary W writes about, there is one more. Jars can loose their seal after time, and if they do, the ring will keep the lid on and pressure will build inside the jar as the contents start fermenting. Explosions can happen! If the rings are not there, you won’t have such a mess in your pantry.
Yes to everything Mary W said! I believe it is also because the rings can make it look like your jars are still sealed properly, even if they aren’t. You don’t want a ton of spoiled goods sitting on your pantry shelf!
I have a question about sterilizing jars. Your book has pickle recipes (which I made last year with great results – thank you!) that require sterilizing the jars because the processing time is less than 10 minutes. But I don’t understand how the jars stay sterile once I pull them from the pot and start filling them. My jar lifter, hands, funnel, rim-wiping cloth, etc are all clean of course, but not sterile, and they come into contact w the jar during filling. I feel like I’m defeating the purpose of sterilizing my jars! Am I doing something wrong? I will note that all of the pickles I made last year using your sterilized jars/5 min processing time instructions sealed well, did not have any spoilage and were far crisper (and more delicious) than pickles I made the prior year with a 10 min processing time. So I will definitely continue to use your method, but am just curious about the question I raised. Thanks!
Nice post. Well written with good information. Thanks!
Even though I have been canning for 30+ years I’ve learned something from you today!!! I will start putting that ‘glug’ of white vinegar in…I’ve always lived in the midwest and for the most part have very hard water and yes I get mineral deposits on everything. How very simple but I’ve never thought of it! Thank you!
I’ve been keen on canning for a while but the process always seemed too complicated! You’ve really simplified it for me, so thank you very much for this post 😀
Thank you SO MUCH for this post. I was toggling among various posts of yours and the Ball jar canning guide last weekend while I attempted my first-ever jam (plum). This post will make it much easier for me next time, and will cut down on the number of pots on my stove.