Home Canning Instructions: How to Can Basics

Since many people may be new to canning, we’ve decided to give a brief overview how to do it here with these home canning instructions. This is by no means an exhaustive step by step guide! If you can practice and learn from someone else who has a lot of experience, that is the best way to go about it. However, this will give you the basics of how to do it so you can enjoy the many benefits of canning.

The first thing you need to do is decide whether you will be using a pressure canner or a water bath canner. Your canner will likely come with an instruction book, or if you get one of our favorite home canning kits it may even come with a recipe book! If you plan on canning fruits, jellies, jams, pickles and other acidic foods, you can use a water bath canner. However, if you plan on canning vegetables such as green beans, salsas, or any meats, then you absolutely must get a pressure canner. Water bath canners do not get hot enough to kill any potential bacteria low acid foods may have, but the pressure canner will. If you don’t already have a canner, make sure you read our guides on Choosing a Pressure Canner and Types of Water Bath Canners

Most canners come with kits, but not all of them do, so it’s helpful to make sure you have all of the supplies necessary first before you even think about beginning. We recommend getting all of your canning supplies online from Amazon.com because shipping is typically free and they’ve usually got the best prices anywhere, not to mention a wonderful selection on things that can be difficult to find in most stores.

While you will likely need to buy some of these things to begin, once you get started you will soon see a huge return on your initial investment because you will not need to buy food at the grocery store. All of the supplies, including the jars, can be reused for years to come, and you’ll likely start seeing significant savings on your grocery bills!

Here are the supplies needed for home canning:

Tempered Canning Jars & Lids: You must use jars specifically designed for canning – do not be tempted to reuse jars from other things. One or two sets will likely last you a very long time, so it’s worth the investment – you’ll usually only need to buy them again when giving your homemade preserves as gifts! See the Full Guide on Canning Jars Here to help you decide which ones are the best to start out with (or find something new if you are an experienced home canner!). Jars should be sterilized and lids be boiled and kept hot prior to processing.

Pressure Canner: A pressure canner is the only way to ensure that your jars will reach the correct temperature of 240 degrees which will kill all bacteria spores, specifically the nasty ones that cause Botulism. While water baths can work for certain foods like fruit based jams, if you care about safety and you don’t want to make anyone sick, then you absolutely MUST get a pressure canner for things such as vegetables or meats. This will allow you to safely can meats, vegetables, and more. They can range in price anywhere from $70 – $200, depending on your needs. If you only intend to do fruits, salsas, and jams however you won’t need this and can instead get a water bath canner.

Water Bath Canner: There are a lot of different confusing names for a water bath canner, some call it a boiling water canner, some call it a water canner – they’re all the same thing. Unlike a pressure canner it will only heat to 212 degrees of the water boiling in it – so it is only appropriate for acidic foods such as fruits, jams, and salsas. All of our recipes here will tell you whether you should use a pressure canner or water bath canner. We like that water bath canners are typically very inexpensive for someone to start out with, and that you can usually get a great deal on a kit that will include all of your needs. We like the Ball kit which includes not only the pot and jars, but also their classic recipe book and the many utensils needed for handling the hot jars – and it’s only $59.95, making it the perfect gift item or starter set for anyone. Click Here for the Ball Complete Home Canning Kit

Canning Utensils: You can buy kits online pretty inexpensively (some less than $10) and you’ll get all the utensils you need, such as jar lifters, funnel, lid wrench, digital timer, etc. You could buy all of the things separately, but usually a kit is a good bet to start with and a better value, and you can get other things if needed as time goes on. If you are only planning on starting out with fruits, salsas, and pickled items then you can get mostly everything you need to start with the Ball Complete Home Canning Kit, though if you buy a pressure canner this usually needs purchased separately.

Clean Towels, Oven Mitts: You probably already have dish towels and oven mitts, but if not it’s a good idea to get those, too. Canning uses very hot temperatures, so it’s good to have the oven mitts if you need them for some reason and towels are great for placing your materials on so they stay sterile. (Some will argue paper towels are even better). There are other useful gadgets, such as racks and digital thermometers and many other things that will be useful – but this is a good start.

Now, once you have all of your materials ready, you’re ready to get started!

Step 1: Follow Your Recipe: It doesn’t matter what you are making, whether it’s your favorite strawberry jam or green beans – you need to make it according to your recipe first.

Step 2: Fill Your Jars: Jars should be filled with about 1/4 inch from the tops for jams and spreads, 1/2 inch for tomatoes or fruits and 1 – 1 1/4 inches for vegetables and low acid foods. Be sure using a spatula to get rid of any air bubbles which could cause problems with sealing. The USDA recommends “Hot Packing” which means food should still be hot when placed in the jars.

Step 2: Processing: Your pressure canner or boiling water bath canner will come with detailed instructions on how to use it safely. Be sure you follow the instructions carefully and use oven mitts to avoid burning yourself. Keep in mind that your altitude can affect temperatures and processing times for the canner, so don’t forget to check with that as well. Most of our recipes here on our website include directions for different altitudes.

Step 3: Cooling: After processing is finished, allow your preserves to cool at room temperature slowly for 24 hours before storing them. Do not try to force cool your pressure canner or your preserves, as this can cause spoilage or risks the jars breaking. Also, do not be tempted to re-tighten the jar lids, as this could cause the seal to break. You can test the seal by looking to make sure it is indented in and does not spring when you touch it.

And after that, you’re all set! You’re ready to enjoy the fresh preserves year round!

Now that you have the basics of home canning down, why not check out some of our favorite canning recipes on this site, or head on over to Amazon.com to get all of the supplies you need!