Water Bath Canning Basics

It is officially pickling and jam season! If you set out to grow most of your own food, you’ll learn pretty quickly that you’ll need to figure out how to store and preserve it. Whether you currently have a big garden or want to preserve food you bought at the farmer’s market or grocery store, water bath canning is a great place to start! Keep reading to find out water bath canning basics and what you’ll need to get started. You might already have some of the things in your kitchen!

What Is Water Bath Canning

Water bath canning, also known as boiling water canning, is a food preservation method used to process high-acid foods such as fruits, jams, jellies, pickles, and some tomatoes. It involves placing filled jars of food in a large pot or canner filled with boiling water and processing them at a specific temperature for a specified amount of time. The purpose of water bath canning is to create a seal on the jars that prevents the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds, thus extending the shelf life of the preserved food.

Water Bath Canning Process

Although there are a lot of other details about water bath canning, here is the basic process:

Preparation

Wash and sanitize the canning jars, lids, and bands. Prepare the food by washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking it according to the recipe.

Filling the jars

Fill the hot, sterilized jars with the prepared food, leaving the recommended headspace (the space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar). Wipe the jar rims clean to ensure a proper seal.

Sealing

Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they are fingertip tight. This allows air to escape during the processing but prevents liquid from leaking out.

Water bath canning processing

Place the filled jars on a rack in a large pot or canner filled with enough boiling water to cover the jars by at least 1-2 inches. Bring the water back to a boil and process the jars for the recommended time, which varies depending on the recipe and altitude.

Cooling and storing

After the processing time is complete, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel or cooling rack to cool. As the jars cool, you may hear a popping sound, indicating that the lids are sealing properly. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Then, check the seals by pressing down on the center of each lid. If the lid is firm and doesn’t move, it is properly sealed. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

As mentioned above, this is a brief overview, but I highly recommend watching some canning videos or reading a book like The Ball Book of Canning to fully understand the steps to safely can your own food.

Difference Between Water Bath Canning + Pressure Canning

Water bath canning is suitable for preserving high-acid foods because the heat from the boiling water can destroy most bacteria, yeasts, and molds that can cause spoilage. However, it is not suitable or safe for low-acid foods like vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood. For these low-acid foods, pressure canning is required to ensure safe preservation.

Here are a few different pressure canners if you’re interested in pressure canning.

What You’ll Need to Start Water Bath Canning

Here are some supplies you’ll need to get started with canning! You may already have many of these things in your kitchen.

Water Bath Canning Stockpot

Look for a durable, heat-conductive material like stainless steel or enamel-coated steel. Avoid copper or aluminum pots because they can react with acidic foods and impact the overall quality of the canned goods. Look for a pot with sturdy handles and a lid. I recommend looking for a pot that comes with a canning rack or check to see if a.pot you already own is large enough to hold a canning rack.

Dish Towel or Rack

Placing your jars on a removable metal rack helps with heat distribution, jar breakage prevention, and proper water circulation. If you don’t have a canning rack, you can use a folded up dish towel on the bottom of your pot. I have used this method with success several times!

Water Bath Canning Kit

I highly recommend THIS canning kit. It contains the following tools which will make water bath canning so much easier and cleaner. These kits are more affordable than buying every piece individually.

funnel
magnetic jar lids lifter
Canning Bubble Popper
Measuring cups
canning jar lifter
jar wrench
pickle grabber tongs

Mason Jars

Look for a trusted brand like Ball or Kerr. You can purchase these jars new or look for used ones at an estate sale. I got a large amount of jars from an estate sale. I cleaned them in hot soapy water and submerged and boiled them in water for 10 minutes to sterilize them.

New jar lids + rings

When canning you, HAVE to use brand new lids. I prefer Ball canning lids which can be bought in bulk HERE. Canning rings can be reused as long as they are rust-free and have been properly sterilized prior to reuse. Check your jars to see if you need wide mouth or regular mouth lids and rings.

Ball Canning Book

This book has hundreds of easy-to-follow canning recipes. Most of the recipes are for water bath canning; however, there is a section specifically for pressure canning. This book goes over materials needed, safety precautions, and detailed recipes. There are recipes for soft spreads like jams, fruit butters, and marmalades, pie fillings, sauces, and canned fruit, salsa, relish, chutney, condiments tomatoes, pickles, broths, vegetables, and soups.

Vinegar

A lot of pickling recipes call for distilled white vinegar. You can often purchase canning vinegar from local grocery stores or online from Azure Standard.

Salt

Many canning recipes, specifically pickle recipes, call for a high-quality salt. When it comes to canning, specifically water bath canning or pickling, it is important to use canning and pickling salt. Canning salt, also known as preserving salt or pickling salt, is a type of salt that is free from additives such as iodine or anti-caking agents, which can potentially affect the quality and appearance of canned foods.

Here is some Ball canning salt I bought locally. You can buy sea salt without anti-caking agents in bulk HERE from Azure Standard.

Sugar

A lot of jelly and jam recipes call for sugar. You can buy organic sugar in bulk for a more affordable price from Azure Standard HERE.

Pectin

If you are planning on making jams or jellies, a lot of recipes call for pectin which is a thickener. Here is one we bought locally. You can get it HERE in small sizes or bulk amounts at Azure Standard.

Sharpie

Sharpies like THIS one are helpful for labeling canning jars with the contents and canning date.

Water Bath Canning: An Easy Place to Start

It is best to use canning recipes from trusted and verified sources like Ball Canning to ensure safety measures. Some easy and delicious recipes to start with from the Ball Canning Book include the strawberry jam and dill pickle recipes. I recently made the Grandma’s Dill Pickle recipe, and it was delicious!

Water bath canning does require some upfront costs, but in the long run you will be saving on home preserved foods that are free many of harmful additives and preservatives.

You can check local estate sales for many of the supplies mentioned above. You might even have similar items in your kitchen!

What Is Water Bath Canning