r/Canning • u/dinulipattisbones • 2h ago
General Discussion Lots of fun recipes out there …
But I find myself doing more and more staple work these days.
r/Canning • u/mckenner1122 • May 26 '26
Until ALL THREE of these reasons can be appropriately addressed, we as a sub do not endorse or condone the use of electric pressure canners.
r/Canning • u/thedndexperiment • Oct 19 '25
Hello Everyone!
As a mod team we've noticed a lot of questions and confusion about pH testing home canned foods recently so we're here today to give a more in depth explanation of why it's not recommended.
As I'm sure you all know, there are tons and tons of misconceptions about home canning and what we can and cannot do safely. One of the most common misconceptions is that if we pH test a food and it shows a pH below 4.6 it can be canned as a high acid food. There are two reasons why this isn't true.
Although pH is an important factor in home canning safely it is not the only factor. Characteristics like heat penetration, density, and homogeneity also play a role.
There are two types of pH test equipment; pH test strips and pH meters. pH test strips are not very accurate most of the time, they're just strips of paper with a chemical that changes color based on pH imbued in it. These strips expire over time and the color change is the only indicator which makes reading them rather subjective and likely inaccurate.
There are two levels of pH meters; home pH meters and laboratory grade pH meters. Home pH meters aren’t particularly expensive but they are often not accurate or precise at that price point. Laboratory grade pH meters are expensive, think hundreds to thousands of dollars for a good one. Many pH meters on sites like Amazon will claim that they are “laboratory grade” but they really aren’t. pH meters also need to be properly maintained and calibrated to ensure accuracy using calibration solutions which are also expensive.
The bottom line is that most people do not have access to the lab grade equipment and training that would be required to make sure that something is safe so the blanket recommendation is that pH testing not be used in home canning applications.
Recipes that have undergone laboratory testing (what we generally refer to as "tested recipes" on this subreddit) have been tested to ensure that the acidity level is appropriate for the canning method listed in the recipe. pH testing does not enhance the safety of an already tested recipe.
Because pH testing is not recommended for home use we do not allow recommendations for it on our subreddit.
https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/oklahoma-gardening/recipes/ph-and-home-canning.html
r/Canning • u/dinulipattisbones • 2h ago
But I find myself doing more and more staple work these days.
r/Canning • u/Friendly_Ad_3813 • 8h ago
Heck of a day at my local Krogers! 30% off a 12 pack of ball quart jars ($12). $5 off $20 in produce, picked up 4 1/2 pounds mushrooms and 10 lbs of potatoes! Also buy one get 2 on Tyson chicken, got 12 thighs for $7! Got to love those BOGO sales!!!
r/Canning • u/Kammy44 • 1h ago
I saw a mod saying they love to work out recipes! I have a casserole dish favorite. Before I knew better, I canned it, just using the longest amount of time, which was the ground beef.
I keep refusing to make and can it, but my husband keeps ‘forgetting’, and asks me to can it again. Please, for my husband, and my sanity, could you help me come up with a SAFE. Recipe?
Here is the original. I realize it’s not safe with this recipe.
BLOCK PARTY BEANS
Open and drain:
Can of green beans
Can of Lima beans
Can of Kidney beans
Can of yellow, wax beans
Brown 2 pounds ground beef, and one small onion, diced.
Add:
1c. Brown sugar
16 ounces tomato paste
1 can tomato soup (condensed)
1 can of baked beans
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
Bake uncovered 1-1/2 hours at 350 F
I usually just use dehydrated tomato juice that has been dehydrated. I was wondering if I could possibly can it thin, without the paste or dehydrated tomato juice, and thicken with it when we open a jar?
May the Force be with You!
r/Canning • u/ThePenGal • 2h ago
I canned these serranos using a tested recipe two days ago (this one minus garlic and sugar: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/vegetable-pickles/pickled-hot-peppers/). Peppers were picked from my garden that day.
Is it okay that the liquid is cloudy? I did use pickling salt (and pickle crisp). Did jalepenos last year and I don’t recall their liquid being cloudy. I’m new to this so not sure what to think. Seals are good.
r/Canning • u/BillyBobHobo • 2h ago
Can't wait to open one up!
r/Canning • u/VeggieGirl43 • 3h ago
Edit: I read the recipe wrong, it doesn't call for food milling, it calls for blending! My future sauce is going to be a lot easier. :P No losing onions to the mill!
Also this recipe won over the family I do believe 👏 With some dried herb tweaks and some butter before serving :P
Hope I chose the right flair, sorry if not.
I'm making a mini batch of the Basil and Garlic toamto sauce by Ball, for dinner tonight. I followed all the instructions, but when I put the tomatoes/garlic/onion mix through the food mill, the onions stayed in the mill 😭
My question is: would it be safe to not food mill the garlic/onion with the tomatoes? Basically: one pot sauteeing onion and garlic. Other pot to soften tomatoes. Put tomatoes through the mill, then combine with onions/garlic. Continue recipe as stated.
I think what went wrong is I didn't let the onions cook enough, so they didn't really go through the mill very well...
r/Canning • u/Electrical-Lake-5559 • 8h ago
Help please 😮💨
This is my second time pressure canning. I'm trying so hard with green beans.
Here are pictures. S means sealed. LW means low water. U means unsealed. I put all of the LW and S in the fridge when they cooled down. I was up until 3am trying to get these processed.
I'm trying so hard to provide healthy food for my family.
I'm using a 16 Quart Presto with a weight thingy. This is my friends canner I'm borrowing. I'm putting 8cups of water in, jars with green beans, one inch head space with a measuring tool thingy thats also a debubbler, one half teaspoon of salt, wiping rims, finger tip tight.
I am using brand new lids, boiling them in a metal bowl before I put them on, I make sure the rims and lids are dry before I put them on jars
I put six half pint jars into the canner. I turn on the burner to highest setting (electric glass top stove. I'm being extra careful to not move the canner after I set it up).
Then I wait until the vent (middle part where I put the weight on later) has been consistently steaming for at least 10 mins but no more than 15 mins because I dont want to run out of water in the pressure canner.
I put the weight on, I believe the weight is 5lbs, I put it on with one ring which makes it 10lbs. I wait until this is moving tons.Then I turn the burner down to 2.2 (high is 9.5)
I wait until the weight is at a steady rock. Then I start the 25 min timer.
After its up. I turn the burner off entirely.
I wait between 10 and 15 minutes then take off the weight
I wait a bit longer and then open it. I take out the jars (some are still bubbling inside their jar)
Then put them on a metal cooling rack on the counter.
I would appreciate help and no judgement. I'm brand new to canning and have made some jams and applesauce.
I hate wasting food. I don't want botulism
Please help and thanks for reading ❤️🔥
r/Canning • u/Accomplished-Pack756 • 1d ago
My boss’s neighbor had an apple tree lose a few limbs this last storm, loaded with apples. So about 20lbs showed up at work. Waste not, Monday night canning night. Ball’s “Apple Butter” recipe.
r/Canning • u/jossur0166 • 2h ago
I debubble, I check headspace, I wipe rim, I'm careful when tightening the ban.. the only thing I can think is maybe it's because I'm doing it on my glass top oven? I haven't done one batch yet that didn't have at least two unsealed bottles.
r/Canning • u/Wimzie_Oo • 10h ago
Making salsa for the first time and didn’t know much about canning prior. I’m embarrassed to say I had know idea how “intense” it is in terms of if I screw up I kill everyone who eats it! I found a recipe online for canning salsa. It was 9 cups tomato’s, 1 cup vinegar and 1 12 oz can tomato paste. (Plus peppers, ect) My first batch I for some reason thought the tomato paste was the smaller can and just used that and my second batch i eye balled the tomato’s but it was 9 cups give or take and the tomato paste was a 2x concentrate of nonna pia’s (I did half what was called because it was 2x).
I now know that I was a fool and to take the recipe very seriously! But my question is - have I ruined them all and need to throw both batches out? I guess I also assumed that tomato’s are very acidic and with the vinegar it’ll be fine but clearly there is a fine line here!
r/Canning • u/Rob_red • 5h ago
They siphoned a little in the canner. They were in for a bit over 90 minutes at 15 pounds being very careful the weight wasn't going crazy with too much heat. Did the cool down which was about 45 minutes. Waited 15 min with the weight off after pressure went down. Cracked the lid and let it sit 15 more minutes. Then got the jars out.
I took pictures right after they came out then after 12 hours when I removed the rings. All jars snap sealed with 20 minutes of being on the counter.
The 3 on the right are meatballs in tomato juice and the other 2 are pasta sauce left over from a previous batch. This has also happened with some diced chicken I canned months back but it still was great on my salads.
r/Canning • u/Just-Like-My-Opinion • 3h ago
Hi all,
I'm trying to can up some low sugar grape jam using Pomona's concord grape jam recipe.
But I'm wanting to make two changes, and hoping they're safe:
Can I safely substitute Ball's No/Low Sugar Pectin for Pomona's safely in Pomona's low sugar grape jam recipe?
Can I safely substitute green grapes of a small thick-skinned tart variety? (I don't know what kind they are, but we have a vine in our backyard)
Should I add some extra lemon juice, just to be extra safe, and if so, how much per a recipe that calls for 3 cups of grapes?
r/Canning • u/Tigereyez17 • 9h ago
I'm fairly new to canning, and this is my first time canning peaches. They're in a simple syrup.
I'm a little worried because the peaches have floated up above the simple syrup- will they be okay? I know there's enough syrup to cover them because if I flip it upside down, they're all covered. Lids have sealed but the sides of the jar are sticky so I know simple syrup got out during the process.
r/Canning • u/Big-Astronaut-9510 • 21m ago
Potted meat = cook the meat in a pot then pour fat in to seal it from the air
My guess is during the fat solidification its all exposed to the outside air, maybe the edges where the fat touches the pot dosent completely seal or perhaps the fat layer dosent fully seal whats underneath?
r/Canning • u/kmichelle7492 • 31m ago
Hi!
I recently joined this subreddit after getting back into canning (following a many-year hiatus) because a friend of mine gave me several gallon bags of extra plums that were going to go to waste. I decided to make plum jam, and I made an old recipe from memory, which uses 2 cups of sugar per 6 pounds of plums (and nothing else). I also left headroom in the jar of between 1/2 to 1 inch, because that's what my grandmother had taught me to do.
Now, I'm reading through the safe canning sites list on the sidebar and I'm seeing how I apparently did it all wrong, and I'm mortified. It seems that I should have used much more sugar, added some lemon juice, and left only 1/4 inch of headspace in the jar. I just made the jam two days ago - is there any saving what I've already made? Could I unseal the jars, empty them all out into a pot, add more sugar and lemon juice, and bring it to a boil before re-canning them correctly, or would that be a waste of time?
I just really hate wasting food, so I'm trying to balance that with safety. Any tips?
r/Canning • u/d0ttyq • 43m ago
Hi ! I’ve been freezing my San marzanos as they ripen so I can get enough to can (…when I have time). My initial plan was to make sauce, but I am wondering if I can do crushed from frozen ? I would much prefer a more versatile product, especially since a million pounds = 7 jars 😭🤣
Has anyone had success canning crushed tomatoes from frozen and what recipe and techniques did you use ? I’m seeing that I should core the tomatoes for crushed, but they have all been frozen whole and I am not even going to entertain the thought of trying to core them when they defrost.
Thanks for any tips/advice in advance !
r/Canning • u/rascal1797 • 10h ago
First I would just like to thank everyone for all your advice and help on my previous post about my dad’s now known unsafe pickling recipe. Truly appreciate it!
With that said now I’m looking to try a couple different recipes and see which one I like best. I’ll be pickling hot peppers and storing them at room temperature for up to a year. I have around 6 pounds of peppers ready to get picked so looking for a variety of different recipes.
Thanks again for all the help and look forward to trying new safe pickling recipes
Hey! I just pulled out this "Habenero Gold" jelly from the water canner 5 minutes ago and one of the jars is bubbling like in the picture (Rain drop sized bubbles, one every few seconds)
It's kinda cool but I wonder why it is doing this and the other two jars are not?
I followed the Ball "Complete Book of Home Preserving Habenero Gold" recipe, subbing in jalapenos for Habenero as the recipe allowe me to.
Interested to know what causes this!
Also, I learned waiting the 5 minutes before pulling them from the water boiler really did help with siphoning.
r/Canning • u/Ordinary_Ad7439 • 9h ago
New to canning (ordering a Presto!) and looking at what brand of jars and canning lids to get. It looks like both Ball and Superb have had issues with lids not sealing, within recent years? Are people still having that issue? Or are they safe to buy now?
If not, what brand should I buy, and how much to start with?
Any and all advice is welcome! Thanks in advance!
r/Canning • u/MiningWithXay • 3h ago
Can anybody give me some tips I’m new to canning never done it matter of fact and I need some help can someone tell me how to fix something up and do yall usually know how long it lasts I’m 18 and I would like to know
r/Canning • u/hardpass1194 • 3h ago
I forgot to get lemons at the store and am planning to make my yearly batch of peach jam before the season ends which calls for lemon juice. I have tons of Meyer lemons on hand but have read that they are less acidic.
Is there any risk of using them that will either not have enough pectin or be a risk for preservation/long term storage/safety? Should I just use more to compensate?
I’m planning to water bath process them.
The recipe:
3 lbs peaches
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 3/4 cup sugar
r/Canning • u/turtlebull2 • 4h ago
When canning, my recipe PSI is 12. I’m curious if there is such a thing as a weight that is specifically a 12, (I can only find a 5, 10 or the 15 that comes with my pressure cooker. Obviously a 10 is too low and a 15 is way too high. I’d love to walk away and listen for the rocking that people talk about in their videos but if not I’ll continue to watch the pot & PSI like a hawk.
Thanks!
r/Canning • u/Busy_Specialist_8645 • 5h ago
1 lb Italian Sausage
1 head of garlic, about 10 large cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
1 onion, medium, finely diced
6 cups chicken broth, or chicken stock
4 cups water
5 russet potatoes, medium, peeled and chopped into 1/4" thick pieces*
1 kale bundle, leaves stripped and chopped (6 cups)
Im unsure if Italian sausage can be canned, how long would you can it for? I have a pressure canner