How to Can Vegetables

Growing fresh vegetables and canning them yourself is a rewarding way to provide a stash of food for the winter. Even if you don't have a garden, you may have a local farmer's market where you can buy fruits and vegetables in their peak growing seasons. If done properly, home canning with a pressure canner is a safe way to preserve the harvest.

Canning jars and bands

New canning lids

Wide mouth funnel

Jar lifter

Several large pans

Ladle and large slotted spoon

Salt

Pressure canner with regulator

Timer

Wash all jars, lids and bands with hot soapy water. Rinse and keep warm everything until ready for use. Don't use jars with nicks or cracks and don't use rusted bands.

Gather the food you want to can. Pick early in the morning and can as soon as possible. If you get fruits and vegetables at the market, only buy young, tender unblemished foods. Inspect, wash and prepare the food for canning.

Fill the jars. Each food requires its own method of preparation. It's acceptable to pack some vegetables and fruits without heating them, but others call for the hot pack method. Find this information in a canning manual or at the Texas Cooperative Extension website (see Resources below).

Release trapped air bubbles from the bottom of the jar. Run a thin spatula or bread knife down the sides of the filled jars. If you use a knife, be careful not to break or chip the glass.

Place lids on the jars and screw on the bands. Twist several times for a secure fit, but don't use he-man strength to tighten them. You don't want to screw the bands down too tightly because air continues to escape during the canning process.

Put the rack in the canner and add 3 to 4 inches of water to the pan. Follow your manufacturer's instructions. Begin heating while you fill your jars and ready them for canning.

Use the jar lifter and place the jars carefully into the canner of hot water. After the jars are in place, the water level should be halfway up the jars.

Lock the lid in place. Some have locking screws without a seal, and others have a twist on lid with seals. Whichever one you have, follow the instructions and lock the lid securely in place.

Turn the heat on high to raise the water temperature in the canner. Allow steam to escape through the steam vent for about 10 minutes. Cover the vent with the weight or cap and allow pressure to build in the canner.

Let the pressure rise until the correct amount is reached (refer to your instruction manual) and maintain it for the specified length of time. Use the heat under the canner to regulate the pressure. Lower the heat if the pressure gets too high and increase it if it gets too low. With practice, you'll keep the pressure steady with a few adjustments. Monitor the pressure regulator closely during this time.

Process for the appropriate amount of time, and then turn off the heat. Let the canner cool down by itself. Leave the steam vent weight in place until the pressure gauge has returned to zero. Remove the weight only after the steam has escaped. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to prevent hot steam from hitting your face.

Remove the jars using the jar lifter. Gently place them in a draft-free place to cool completely. When they are cool, check the seal. A good seal has an indenture in the lid that doesn't pop back when you tap it. If the seal is bad, the food should be refrigerated and used within a few days.

Check your canner in advance to make sure the regulator is working properly and that the seals are in good shape.

If you live in altitudes of 1,000 feet or higher, adjust the amount of pressure you use when canning. Increase the pressure 1 lb. for the first 1,000 feet and then 1/2 lb. for each additional 1,000 feet thereafter..

When processing low acid foods, you must bring them up to at least 240 degrees F under the appropriate pounds of pressure to kill the dangerous clostridium botulinum microorganism (botulism).