fingertip tight. Be sure to wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel before placing the lids onto the jars. Fit the lids onto the jars, and lower them one by one with a jar lifter or by loading a rack and lowering it into the canner.
5. If you use a jar lifter to load the canner, be sure you situate the lifter below the screw band of the lid and keep the jars vertical at all times. If you tip the jars and the contents spill into the sealing area, not only might it leak into your canner but also it can prevent a safe seal.
6. If necessary, add enough water to reach 1 inch above the jars for short processing times and 2 inches for processing times of 30 minutes or more.
7. Turn the heat to high, place the lid on the canner, and bring to a vigorous boil.
8. Once the water is boiling vigorously, start your kitchen timer for the required processing time. Processing time always starts from the boiling point.
9. Keep the canner covered and the water at a hard boil throughout the processing time. If the water stops boiling at any point, bring it back to a boil and restart the timer.
10. When the timer goes off at the end of processing, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes before you begin removing the jars.
11. While you wait, lay one or more towels onto a flat, cleared surface. Use enough towels to allow you to have 1 inch of space between jars.
12. Lift the rack of jars out of the canner (or remove them one by one using the jar lifter), and place each one onto the towel(s). Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
13. Check each lid to be sure that you have an airtight seal on each jar. There are three ways to check the seals:
Option 1: Press down on the middle of the lid with your finger or thumb. If the lid springs back up when you release your finger, the lid is not properly sealed.
Option 2: Tap the lid with a teaspoon or butter knife. A clear ringing sound indicates a good seal. If it makes a dull or thunking sound, the lid is not sealed.
Option 3: Hold the jar at eye level and look straight across the lid. The lid should be slightly concave (curved downward in the center). If the center of the lid is either slightly bulging or flat, it may not be sealed.
Note: If you find any jars that have not sealed properly, refrigerate them and use the food within a couple of days.
14. Secure the sealed lids with rings, and use a marker or canning label to list both the contents and the date of processing before storing the jars in a cool, dark place. Most canned foods can be safely eaten for a year after processing, but check with your agricultural extension or your canner’s instruction guide for storage dates based on the type of food.
15. The altitude of your geographical location affects water bath canning processing times. See below for additional processing times needed for elevations over 1000 feet (305 meters). Also see the back of the book for the altitude of selected cities in the United States and Canada. To find the exact altitude of your location, use the search features on the EarthTools website (www.earthtools.org).
Water Bath Canning Altitude Chart
Tips for Water Bath Canning Safety and Food Handling
Always check the recipe, your manufacturer’s guide, or your local agricultural extension office to be sure that the type of food you’re canning has enough acidity to be canned in a water bath canner.
If you’re canning mixed foods containing both high- and low-acid foods (e.g., some soups, relishes, stews), they must be processed in a pressure canner to prevent bacterial growth and spoilage.
Always wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel before placing the lids on the jars. Food and liquids on the rims of the jars can prevent them from sealing properly.
When selecting and preparing foods for canning, always check carefully for mold, bruises, holes, and cuts that may harbor bacteria or insect eggs.
If children are present, be sure they’re safely away from the stove and the canner during processing, and that they understand that jostling or moving the jars during cooling can interfere with proper and safe sealing.
Always make sure your cooling jars are safe from jostling or tipping for at least 12 to 24 hours. You may want to keep pets and small children out of the kitchen during the cooling period.
2
PERFECT PICKLES
Pickles are a great way to start learning how to can with the water bath method. They’re considered one of the easiest foods to master, and most people love pickles, so they’re also very rewarding.
The Different Types of Homemade Pickles
There are several different types of homemade pickles:
Quick-process or cold-pack pickles are perhaps the most common and simplest to prepare. These are either marinated in a cold vinegar solution for several hours or are packed in a hot vinegar solution, and then they are processed immediately. Most of the recipes included in this section are for quick-process pickles.
Fermented pickles are generally soaked in a briny solution for 4 to 6 weeks before being packed and processed.
Refrigerator pickles are never processed. They are marinated or soaked for about a week, packed into jars, and then stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Fruit pickles, such as watermelon rind pickles or pickled peaches, are exactly what they sound like. They’re usually cooked in a type of syrup solution before being packed and processed.
Tips for Perfect Pickles
Pickles are easy to make at home, but the following few tips can maximize your potential for the perfect pickle:
Always select firm cucumbers (or other foods) for making pickles. Overripe or slightly rubbery cucumbers yield floppy, unappetizing pickles. Pickling does not crisp them up, so choose the freshest, firmest cucumbers you can find.
If you’re pickling fruits or other vegetables, such as tomatoes, it’s best to choose produce that is completely ripe. Sweetness is not an issue in pickling, but texture is. Slightly under-ripe produce produces a crisper texture.
Over-processing can turn crisp cucumbers into wilted, leathery pickles in just a couple of minutes, so be sure to double-check the recipe’s recommended processing time, watch your timer, and turn off the heat promptly.
Cucumber blossoms contain an enzyme that can make your pickles limp. It’s best to cut off the blossom end (just a sliver) to ensure this isn’t a problem.
You can use any size cucumber for pickles, but you want something close
