Preserving
for the Perplexed

Pickling brine, sanitized canning jars, canning funnel. Always make sure you’re following an approved water bath canning recipe.

There are two ways to sterilize the jars: run them through a hot dishwasher, or set them empty in the canner empty, cover them with water, and let them heat up (5-10 mins at boiling). Put the lids in a saucepan with boiling water to sterilize them as well, but do not put the canning rings in. Remove lids with a clean, metal utensil to keep them sterile.

Look for possible dents or nicks in the rubber gasket on the inside of the lid. Check jars for nicks or cracks. Do not use lids or jars that have defects, as this could lead to a broken jar in the canner or an incorrect seal on the jar. Lid gaskets are fragile, so it is recommended that they only be used once for canning. They can be re-used afterward to seal jars for short term usage, but not for a full canning seal. Canning rings, in contrast, can be re-used until they rust or develop damage.

Once jars have been sanitized and your main ingredients are added (here we’re pickling onions), add your pickling brine. Use a canning funnel to minimize mess and risk of splashing hot liquid. Leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch of headspace in each jar (headspace needed varies by recipe).

If using a steam canner, add enough water just to cover the rack at the bottom of the canner. Don’t add the jars to the canner yet: this way there’s no unnecessary cooking of the canning contents, preserving their integrity. The temperature needle at the top will begin to move as the water heats up. Each color range represents a different elevation. If you don’t already know the elevation of your location, search via Google Maps. You’ll need to get the water temperature up to the appropriate level for your elevation range.

If using a traditional water bath canner, add enough water to fully submerge the jars. [then what, in terms of temp and timing?]

While waiting for canner to get up to temperature, prepare canning jars by using a knife to poke out any air pockets. This creates more space in the jar, so the lid seals better. [is there a simple explanation for why more space means a better seal?]

When ready to seal jars, wipe the rims clean from any residue from the pour. This helps create a good seal. Place lids on top of the jars. [are the lids hot and do they need to be handled with tongs? are the jars hot at any point before putting into the pot?]

After placing the lids on the jars, screw on the rings. Just screw them on finger tight, not as tight as they’ll go.

You’ll need the water bath and/or steam canner, a stovetop, and tongs. A towel laid out on the counter to place the jars on is also helpful: it keeps the jars from going from a very hot to a very cold environment, plus protects less durable countertops.

With a steam canner, you’re there once the temperature needle touches the correct color for your elevation. On this canner, the optimal temperature ranges are the green areas. We’re located around 1,200 ft above sea level (a quick google search can tell you your elevation), so for us, when the needle touches the dark green section, we’re ready to can.

[for water bath??]

Remove the lid and place carefully aside. Place the jars gently in the canner, using canning tongs.

Place jars so they are not touching the sides or each other. The canner pictured here can hold 7 pint jars or 5 quart jars. You may also can fewer jars, but still make sure they are evenly distributed inside the canner. Replace lid, and let canner get back up to temperature. Once the correct temperature has been reached, follow the instructions listed in the canning recipe for how long to keep the jars at temperature. Do not remove the lid until you have completed the canning cycle as listed in the recipe: otherwise you will lose steam and lose temperature! [is this also true for water bath?]

Follow your recipe’s directions on how long to leave the jars in the canner, then remove carefully with canning tongs. The jars will be very hot! Place jars on a towel, placing them so that they are not touching as they cool.

Until the lids have properly sealed, you will be able to push down on the dimple in the center of the lid and it will make a popping noise when pushed. Once sealed, there will be no movement or noise made when the center of the lid is pressed. The lid will also appear much more flat, concave rather than convex. As the lids seal, they will make a popping noise as they pop into place. [is there any way to get an actual recording of this, like a mp3 we can link to or embed somehow?!] Some jars will do this in the canner, while others will fully seal while settling and cooling on the counter. Lids usually pop fairly fast [how many minutes/hours approx?] If the lid has not sealed by the time the jar is completely cooled, it did not can properly, either due to a defect in the glass or lid or to inaccurate temperature. When that happens, you can either try adding the mixture to a new jar with a new lid and re-can the jar, or you can just put it in the fridge and eat it sooner rather than later.

Once all of the lids have popped, you have successfully canned your preserves! Loosen the rings so that they are no longer finger tight, or remove them altogether. If left tight on the jars, they can create a false seal, under which bacteria may grow.

Label each lid with the contents and the date canned. This not only helps keep track of what’s in the jar and its age (most canned goods are only shelf stable for up to a year), but shows which lids have already been used for canning, so you don’t accidentally re-use one. Store jars out of direct sunlight.