Canning Times  Quick Reference Guide

[*1] Artichokes - use lemon juice or vinegar to keep them from turning brown. 

[*2] Meat - raw meat including fish when canning raw does not need water. Just meat 1/2 tsp of salt, and seasoning is optional. If meat is cooked before canning, water is needed. 

[*3] Butter - melt completely. Stir between filling jars. Cream settles to the bottom quickly. For best results us wide mouth pint or smaller jars. Do not use quarts, it's hard to get butter out of the jar. This butter is not whipped like store bought. It makes a solid chunk of butter. 

[*4] Eggs - raw storage: bloom must be on the egg - water glass or oil/butter the egg. To can eggs - wash the egg clean. You can use store bought or farm fresh (bloom free). The cooks while canning. 

[*5] Fruit juices, fruit, and preserves - must reach a minimum temperature of 180°. When making jam or jelly with pectin it must come to a hard boil of 220°. If you are using homemade pectin and even some commercial pectin you need to boil for ten minutes after putting the pectin in. 

[*6] Tomato - when you add water to tomatoes the pH changes. They are processed at a longer time. Especially none heirlooms. When in doubt get a pH strips paper from Amazon less $5 for a book of them to test with. 

[*7] Dairy - after canning dairy will at times have a "split" look to it. Use an immersion blender or hand blender and whip till it comes back together. To help with splitting let the dairy come to room temp about 30 min before canning. Wide mouth pints work best. 

[*8] Polk Sallet Salad - thoroughly wash young tender leaves and stems, then blanch them by boiling in fresh water three times for 5 minutes each, rinsing between boils, to remove toxin. 

[*9] Turnips - wilt with 1 tsp of sugar in the pot. 

[*10] Citrus - must be stored in amber glass. Citrus will oxidize in sunlight quickly. 

[*11] White, yellow, red, purple potatoes - 2 hour water bath. Sweet potato and yam is 3 hour water bath. This mix up comes from people calling all potatoes - potatoes. There is a difference. Same for green beans, they are not beans they are pods. Water bath green beans 2 hours not 3. 

Notes - s. squash - summer squash, w. squash - winter squash, PC - pressure can, WB = water bath can, OK - open kettle can

STEP 1: Find Your Elevation: Search Google for "What is the elevation in [Your City, State]?" Write down the elevation shown in feet (ft).

STEP 2: Water Bath Canning: Use the Water Bath Table. Find your elevation range and add the listed extra time to your recipe's processing time.  Example: Recipe = 20 minutes, chart says add 10 minutes → Process for 30 minutes.

STEP 3: Pressure Canning: Use the Pressure Canning Table. 

Weighted Gauge (Jiggler): Above 1,000 ft, use the 15-lb weight instead of the 10-lb weight. Processing time stays the same.

How to Use: Find your food item in the table and use the listed canning or dehydration information, making altitude adjustments as needed. Those new to canning should rely on tested recipes for preparation, packing, and headspace guidance until they become familiar with the process.

When canning foods with multiple ingredients, check the processing time for each ingredient and use the longest recommended time for the entire recipe.