The fruits and vegetables we grow in our garden are too delicious to enjoy for only a few months a year. There are many ways to preserve these foods for the colder months and one of the easiest and longest-lasting is water bath canning.
Water bath canning can be used for a variety of high acid foods like whole fruit, fruit-based jams and jellies, tomatoes, and an assortment of pickled vegetables. Low acid foods need to be pressure canned.
Tools Needed:
Clean jars and rings
New canning lids
Large, high sided pot
Canning rack
Jar Lifter
Canning funnel
Headspace measuring tool
Basic Water Bath Canning Steps
- Have your recipe prepared. Many canning recipes require warm ingredients to be added to warm jars.
- Fill the canning pot with rack at least half full of water and heat to simmering.
- Remove lids and rings from jars. Place jars in water using jar lifer and bring water up to boiling. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sanitize.
- Place lids in small pot with warm water to soften the seals.
- Remove jars with jar lifter and carefully dump water back into pot.
- Use funnel to fill jars with your recipe. Leave ¼”- ½” of space at the top of your jar, this is called headspace and your jar won’t seal without it. The recipe will specify the exact amount of headspace needed.
- Wipe the rim of the jars with a damp paper towel and apply the lids. Put the rings on the jars but avoid over tightening the rings, they should only be finger tight.
- Place the filled jars back in the pot of boiling water and cover pot. Cook for time indicated in the recipe.
- Remove the jars from the pot and place on a towel. The jars with need to cool for 12-24 hours and you may hear a ping sound as they cool. The top of the lid should be indented when fully cooled. Remove rings and check the seal of the lid, unsealed jars can be refrigerated.
- Store in a cool, dark place. Most canned recipes will last for 1 year.
Bread and Butter Pickles (adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)
Makes: Four 1-pint jars
Ingredients
2 pounds small (pickling) Cucumbers
1 Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 Tablespoons canning and pickling salt
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon Ball Pickle Crisp
Steps
- Trim ends from cucumbers and cut into ¼” slices. Quart and thinly slice onion. Stem, seeds, and slice pepper into matchsticks.
- In a large bowl, toss cucumbers, onion, and peppers with salt. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Drain vegetables in a colander and pat dry with paper towels.
- Fill canning pot with rack half full of water and bring to a simmer. Place empty jars in pot and make sure the water will cover jars by at least 1”. Bring water to a boil and sanitize jars for 10 minutes.
- Place vinegar, sugar, water, and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves.
- Place a towel on the counter and remove jars from the pot using jar lifter, dumping water back into the pot, and place on the towel.
- Add 1/8 teaspoon of Pickle Crips to each jar and pack tightly with vegetables.
- Using a funnel, add the vinegar brine to the jars leaving ½” of headspace at the top of each jar. Use a skewer of butter knife to remove any air bubbles, sliding it along the inside edges of the jars.
- Wipe the jar rims with a damp paper towel and place lids on jars. Put rings on the jars fingertip tight, avoid over tightening.
- Place jars in the canning pot and boil for 30 minutes. Remove jars from the pot and let cool for 24 hours. Check lids for a good seal and store them in a cool, dark place.