Whole meat cuts can be canned in big chunks, they just need to be small enough to fit into the jar. That includes chunks of pot roast or whole chicken legs (bone in even).
Ground meat needs to be broken up and browned before canning.
Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, potatoes and root crops need to be chopped into uniform chunks. Whole potatoes under 2'' in diameter can be left as is, but anything bigger than that needs to be cubed. Your target here is bigger than 1'' cubed, so they don't fall apart, but smaller than 2'' so they can heat evenly.
Thank you! Yeah, I should definitely talk about pre-heating temps for raw pack vs hot pack.
For anyone reading this wondering what I mean, when you do raw pack your canner is cooler, warm but not simmering, around 140 F. That helps match the temperature of the jars and prevents thermal shock.
When you do hot pack and everything goes in boiling, the canner is preheated to a simmer, around 180 F.
I've heard that glass cooktops can't handle the weight of big canners. I've never worked with a ceramic or glass cooktop, so I can't say personally. But outdoor propane burners work just as well. I use a big 3 burner from camp chef in the summer to keep the kitchen cool, and it works for waterbath canning or pressure canning (originally they were saying you couldn't use the big ones for pressure canning, but they've since reversed that).
Great question! You can see the pressure level on the gauge, and that's important when working with a dial gauge because that's how you're going to watch it and keep it at pressure with that type of canner.
You can watch the gauge with a weighted gauge too, but I don't. It's not necessary. The canning weight rocks to release little bits of steam, keeping it at the right pressure. The rocking makes a little noise, kinda like keys jingling, so as soon as you hear the noise, you know it's at pressure.
What a great friend and neighbor you are! Since you are teaching, they'll be bringing their own supplies and food to can in your kitchen and then take home, yes? Ask what soup they eat most often and what meat they eat the most of in casseroles. "Ugly" chicken in a jar ready to go in a casserole is a huge time saver. There's a YT video with a lady teaching how to can "ugly" chicken. Another thought is canning oranges if they like them.
I don't. Once the jars are completely cool, you take the rings off and you don't put them back on again.
If there's a problem with the seal, the jar will open without the ring, which is a good thing. You want to know if there's a seal problem. I've had this happen to 4 jars in the past ten years. Not common, but it does happen. You'll see the center pop up, and the top of the food will start to discolor. If you leave the rings on, it can create a false seal, so it can be a safety thing.
The second reason is the lids will rust or corrode onto the jars over time.
When properly sealed, it takes a good bit of work to pry those lids off the jars. They're not going to incidentally come off, and the rings are not helping things.
Thank you, that answers my question about the rings you mentioned in the last paragraph. I have never canned anything before so did not know that the screw top lids were called rings. Thanks again for an excellent tutorial. And these clarifications in the comments are really helpful too. 🙏🏽❤️
I have a Presto pressure canner and I used to have issues with siphoning quite a bit. I watched a canning video by Ruth Zimmerman about the difference in the thicker walled All Americans versus the Presto. She says that the presto cools so much more quickly and that’s why siphoning happens. So she recommends tapering the temp up and down on the burner and definitely not messing with it till long after the pressure is released. It helps but takes even longer.
I have never adjusted my recipes for altitude but then realized I’m well above 1,000 feet. Not sure if I will change my methods, but I probably should!
I find adding a bit of vinegar to the water helps prevent water stains on the outside of the jars.
Yes, Ruth is right on that one. (I love Ruth, she really knows her stuff.)
It's quick changes in temperature that cause siphoning. Even with a presto, you can minimize or prevent it by starting with your canner cooler, and then slowly bringing it up to pressure on medium-low heat. Then, when the time is up, slowly cool it down, and then don't open the canner until it's all the way cooled to room temp.
I've heard a lot of people say that about vinegar, and I have tried it, but something about my water chemistry makes it corrode the jar rings. They'll rust and ruin the first batch if I put vinegar in the pressure canner water. Everyone says to do it though, so I know it's gotta be something crazy about my water.
Anyway, I just whipe the cooled jars down with a rag wet with vinegar and it pulls the hard water spots off the outside. Easy enough.
Yes, I like her no-frills, practical approach to life.
Interesting about your experience with vinegar! I was just sharing thinking of what I would tell people who are new at it. The past couple weeks I’ve done venison jerky and ground up the extra bits of venison with some pork and finally canned up tomato soup with the tomatoes I had frozen this summer. Nice to have some freezer space again!
Thanks for your amazing website. It’s a wonderful resource to me. I’d love to have it all in a book! I’m sure it would be as big as a set of encyclopedias!
That is a darn good question. You can buy the plugs in a 4 pack for about $10, so they're about $2.50 each. I've read that you're supposed to replace them every year, so they never even start to wear, and given that they're so inexpensive, it's a good idea.
That said, actual wear depends on your climate and how they're stored. My canner is in my basement (cool, moist, and out of direct sunlight). I have NEVER replaced that plug. It looks as new as the day I bought it. I was curious how long it'd last...and I still don't know, because it's still good!
Other people in dry climates who have their canner out exposed to sunlight really do need to replace it every year, as it will start to crack and degrade.
It's a good idea to keep a pack of the plugs on hand, but for me, it's never really come up.
(I once misplaced the canning weight, bought another one, and then found the original. But nothing has ever broken or specifically needed replacement. At least not yet.)
Yesterday I was thinking about pressure canning. I’ve never done it, but it’s an avenue I’ve been wanting to try and you covered basics very well. You even answered my pressure canner style. We have a large garden planned and I don’t want to have to WB foods for 3+ hours that I can PC. I’m actually more excited than nervous.
One of the things I love about pressure canning as opposed to water bath is it doesn't steam up the house. Everything's contained in there, unlike boiling things for 3 hours. Even with a lid on a water bath canner, that's a lot of steam in the house!
Thank you for the great explanations. I received two cases of Ball jars, fresh veges from her half acre garden and stew beef from my m-i-l for a wedding gift. Plus she taught me to can. I have used her gift all my life.
I love that you are passing on a tradition that helps us to feed our family's and friends.
I am a new pressure canner and I always seem to have jars that overflow. I did tomatoes following your guide and left half an inch at the top but one can made a mess! It ended up sealing after all but the same thing happened with broth and one didn't seal. What am I doing wrong? Do we really need to leave such little space?
Hi Ashley, great blog, love it. I still haven't gotten into canning, but.... one day 😀 I have two questions: the lids that are on the jars after cooling down: can you get them off and re-use them, or will they get damaged? And the second question is more open I guess: approx for how long can you store your canned food? All the best from Norway.
Must you cut food, especially dense foods like meat or squash, up into smaller, more uniform pieces?
That depends on the food.
Whole meat cuts can be canned in big chunks, they just need to be small enough to fit into the jar. That includes chunks of pot roast or whole chicken legs (bone in even).
Ground meat needs to be broken up and browned before canning.
Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, potatoes and root crops need to be chopped into uniform chunks. Whole potatoes under 2'' in diameter can be left as is, but anything bigger than that needs to be cubed. Your target here is bigger than 1'' cubed, so they don't fall apart, but smaller than 2'' so they can heat evenly.
Just wanted to mention that your jars should be warm if going into preheated canner. Thank you for all your wonderful content.
Thank you! Yeah, I should definitely talk about pre-heating temps for raw pack vs hot pack.
For anyone reading this wondering what I mean, when you do raw pack your canner is cooler, warm but not simmering, around 140 F. That helps match the temperature of the jars and prevents thermal shock.
When you do hot pack and everything goes in boiling, the canner is preheated to a simmer, around 180 F.
Does it matter what type of stove you are using? I have a ceramic cook top and I was wondering if it would work well or not.
I've heard that glass cooktops can't handle the weight of big canners. I've never worked with a ceramic or glass cooktop, so I can't say personally. But outdoor propane burners work just as well. I use a big 3 burner from camp chef in the summer to keep the kitchen cool, and it works for waterbath canning or pressure canning (originally they were saying you couldn't use the big ones for pressure canning, but they've since reversed that).
You can see pictures of what I'm talking about here: https://practicalselfreliance.com/outdoor-canning-kitchen/
How do you know it has come up to pressure?
Great question! You can see the pressure level on the gauge, and that's important when working with a dial gauge because that's how you're going to watch it and keep it at pressure with that type of canner.
You can watch the gauge with a weighted gauge too, but I don't. It's not necessary. The canning weight rocks to release little bits of steam, keeping it at the right pressure. The rocking makes a little noise, kinda like keys jingling, so as soon as you hear the noise, you know it's at pressure.
What a great friend and neighbor you are! Since you are teaching, they'll be bringing their own supplies and food to can in your kitchen and then take home, yes? Ask what soup they eat most often and what meat they eat the most of in casseroles. "Ugly" chicken in a jar ready to go in a casserole is a huge time saver. There's a YT video with a lady teaching how to can "ugly" chicken. Another thought is canning oranges if they like them.
I love Sutton's Daze! She's so fun to watch. Here's the Ugly Chicken video if anyone's interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_dbY6cqJIE
Do you put the ring back on at the end after rinsing jar?
I don't. Once the jars are completely cool, you take the rings off and you don't put them back on again.
If there's a problem with the seal, the jar will open without the ring, which is a good thing. You want to know if there's a seal problem. I've had this happen to 4 jars in the past ten years. Not common, but it does happen. You'll see the center pop up, and the top of the food will start to discolor. If you leave the rings on, it can create a false seal, so it can be a safety thing.
The second reason is the lids will rust or corrode onto the jars over time.
When properly sealed, it takes a good bit of work to pry those lids off the jars. They're not going to incidentally come off, and the rings are not helping things.
Thank you, that answers my question about the rings you mentioned in the last paragraph. I have never canned anything before so did not know that the screw top lids were called rings. Thanks again for an excellent tutorial. And these clarifications in the comments are really helpful too. 🙏🏽❤️
I have a Presto pressure canner and I used to have issues with siphoning quite a bit. I watched a canning video by Ruth Zimmerman about the difference in the thicker walled All Americans versus the Presto. She says that the presto cools so much more quickly and that’s why siphoning happens. So she recommends tapering the temp up and down on the burner and definitely not messing with it till long after the pressure is released. It helps but takes even longer.
I have never adjusted my recipes for altitude but then realized I’m well above 1,000 feet. Not sure if I will change my methods, but I probably should!
I find adding a bit of vinegar to the water helps prevent water stains on the outside of the jars.
Yes, Ruth is right on that one. (I love Ruth, she really knows her stuff.)
It's quick changes in temperature that cause siphoning. Even with a presto, you can minimize or prevent it by starting with your canner cooler, and then slowly bringing it up to pressure on medium-low heat. Then, when the time is up, slowly cool it down, and then don't open the canner until it's all the way cooled to room temp.
I've heard a lot of people say that about vinegar, and I have tried it, but something about my water chemistry makes it corrode the jar rings. They'll rust and ruin the first batch if I put vinegar in the pressure canner water. Everyone says to do it though, so I know it's gotta be something crazy about my water.
Anyway, I just whipe the cooled jars down with a rag wet with vinegar and it pulls the hard water spots off the outside. Easy enough.
Yes, I like her no-frills, practical approach to life.
Interesting about your experience with vinegar! I was just sharing thinking of what I would tell people who are new at it. The past couple weeks I’ve done venison jerky and ground up the extra bits of venison with some pork and finally canned up tomato soup with the tomatoes I had frozen this summer. Nice to have some freezer space again!
Thanks for your amazing website. It’s a wonderful resource to me. I’d love to have it all in a book! I’m sure it would be as big as a set of encyclopedias!
How long does neoprene safety plug last before needing to be replaced?
That is a darn good question. You can buy the plugs in a 4 pack for about $10, so they're about $2.50 each. I've read that you're supposed to replace them every year, so they never even start to wear, and given that they're so inexpensive, it's a good idea.
That said, actual wear depends on your climate and how they're stored. My canner is in my basement (cool, moist, and out of direct sunlight). I have NEVER replaced that plug. It looks as new as the day I bought it. I was curious how long it'd last...and I still don't know, because it's still good!
Other people in dry climates who have their canner out exposed to sunlight really do need to replace it every year, as it will start to crack and degrade.
It's a good idea to keep a pack of the plugs on hand, but for me, it's never really come up.
All American sells a maintenance pack (https://www.allamerican1930.com/products/pressure-canner-repair-kit) that has handles, valves, and other small parts, which is also a good idea to have on hand...but I have NEVER needed to replace anything on my canner.
(I once misplaced the canning weight, bought another one, and then found the original. But nothing has ever broken or specifically needed replacement. At least not yet.)
Yesterday I was thinking about pressure canning. I’ve never done it, but it’s an avenue I’ve been wanting to try and you covered basics very well. You even answered my pressure canner style. We have a large garden planned and I don’t want to have to WB foods for 3+ hours that I can PC. I’m actually more excited than nervous.
Nice!
One of the things I love about pressure canning as opposed to water bath is it doesn't steam up the house. Everything's contained in there, unlike boiling things for 3 hours. Even with a lid on a water bath canner, that's a lot of steam in the house!
Comment via email:
Thank you for the great explanations. I received two cases of Ball jars, fresh veges from her half acre garden and stew beef from my m-i-l for a wedding gift. Plus she taught me to can. I have used her gift all my life.
I love that you are passing on a tradition that helps us to feed our family's and friends.
This is on my "to learn" list for 2025! I am so excited to have found your newsletter. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
I am a new pressure canner and I always seem to have jars that overflow. I did tomatoes following your guide and left half an inch at the top but one can made a mess! It ended up sealing after all but the same thing happened with broth and one didn't seal. What am I doing wrong? Do we really need to leave such little space?
Next up-- overcoming pressure cooker phobia
Thank you, this is so good!
Great article!!
Hi Ashley, great blog, love it. I still haven't gotten into canning, but.... one day 😀 I have two questions: the lids that are on the jars after cooling down: can you get them off and re-use them, or will they get damaged? And the second question is more open I guess: approx for how long can you store your canned food? All the best from Norway.