100+ Home Canning Recipes and Resources (2024)

FAQs

What foods Cannot be home canned? ›

Foods that are comprised mainly of fat (such as oils, mayonnaise, or lard) are not safe to be canned. They have a low moisture content which means it doesn't have enough water in it to help the contents reach 240°F.

Water bath canning uses very little equipment. You only need a large stock pot with a lid. You can easily learn how to water bath can with just a few simple tips and tricks. Water bath canning only works for high-acid foods like fruits, pickles, tomatoes (with a little acid added), jams and jellies.

Pack cream style corn in only half-pint or pint jars because the density of the product slows heat transfer to the center of the jar. Corn may turn brown during processing because the very high temperature in the pressure canner may cause the sugar in the corn to caramelize.

Proper canning procedures are meant to kill spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes the potentially deadly botulism poisoning. Some examples of unsafe canning practices include open-kettle, dry canning, oven and dishwasher processing, and using pressure saucepans/cookers instead of canners.

Water-bath canning is NOT for meats, seafood, poultry, chili and beans, corn, and other low-acid vegetables that require a higher temperature (240°F) to raise the heat inside the jars above the boiling point of water (212°F) and hot enough to kill harmful bacteria. Low-acid food requires pressure canning.

Steam canning is a more environmentally friendly process than boiling water canning for the following reasons: 1) the steam canner uses much less water than a boiling water canner and 2) the steam canner reaches the required temperature for processing more quickly and thus uses less energy than the boiling water canner ...

Check the water level. If the water does not cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches, add boiling water as needed. Bring to a rolling boil, cover the canner and boil for 10 minutes if using 4-, 8- or 12-ounce jars or for 15 minutes if using 16-ounce jars.

But for those growing their own produce, canning the harvest is an easy way to store homegrown spuds for use well beyond the few months a potato might last (even in the best of conditions).

the container is leaking, bulging, or swollen; the container looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal; the container spurts liquid or foam when opened; or. the food is discolored, moldy, or smells bad.

How many years does home canned food last? ›

Properly canned food stored in a cool, dry place will retain optimum eating quality for at least 1 year. Canned food stored in a warm place near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, or in indirect sunlight may lose some of its eating quality in a few weeks or months, depending on the temperature.

How can botulism be prevented? Only cooking or boiling food destroys botulinum toxin. Freezing does not destroy the toxin.

To Prepare Whole-Kernel Corn

For freezing, place ears in 1 gallon of boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes after the water returns to a boil. For canning, blanch for 3 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Cool ears and cut kernels from cob at about three-fourths of the depth of kernel. Do not scrape the cob.

Instructions. Using a funnel, raw pack the cubed sweet potatoes into jars leaving a 1-inch headspace.

A raw-pack (also called a cold-pack) is better for veggies that you process in a pressure canner, so it's the usual choice for canned corn. The food is ladled into jars while it's still raw (or just briefly boiled for 3 minutes in the case of canned corn), then boiling water (or syrup or brine) is poured on top.

Since the canning process forces air out of food, the C. botulinum bacteria may find incorrectly or minimally processed canned foods a good place to grow and produce the toxin. Low-acid vegetables such as green beans, corn, beets, and peas, which may have picked up C. botulinum spores from the soil, are at risk.

How does canning affect nutrient levels? Canned foods are often thought to be less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods, but research shows that this is not always true. In fact, canning preserves most of a food's nutrients. Protein, carbs, and fat are unaffected by the process.

By cooking under pressure, you can increase the temperature of boiling water from 100°C (212°F) up to 116°C (240°F). This is the minimum temperature necessary to destroy botulism spores, and the only way to guarantee safe canning for food items such as vegetables, meats and seafood.