100+ Home Canning Recipes and Resources (2024)

FAQs

What foods Cannot be home canned? ›

Fats / Dairy

butter, milk (all kinds), cheese, cream (all kinds), yoghurt, eggs, tofu, soy, etc. Also any recipe that use one or more of these ingredients, such as mayonnaise, caramel, pudding, cream soups, cream vegetables, refried beans, nut butter (all kinds), pesto, chocolate (all kinds) etc.

Pack cream style corn in only half-pint or pint jars because the density of the product slows heat transfer to the center of the jar. Corn may turn brown during processing because the very high temperature in the pressure canner may cause the sugar in the corn to caramelize.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is probably the best canning resource out there, simply because it is part of the official United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and canning safety is their number one concern.

Proper canning procedures are meant to kill spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes the potentially deadly botulism poisoning. Some examples of unsafe canning practices include open-kettle, dry canning, oven and dishwasher processing, and using pressure saucepans/cookers instead of canners.

Water-bath canning is NOT for meats, seafood, poultry, chili and beans, corn, and other low-acid vegetables that require a higher temperature (240°F) to raise the heat inside the jars above the boiling point of water (212°F) and hot enough to kill harmful bacteria. Low-acid food requires pressure canning.

Yes, if you are canning something like pickles that can cook at less than the boiling point of water. Then you can overcook it by boiling too long in a boiling water canner. Other foods like juices and jellies need higher temperatures to overcook. Those are more tolerant of over-boiling.

If the pressure gets too high, the weight jiggles and releases steam and pressure. No blowing up. You do need to monitor your pressure canner while it is building pressure and during processing. Like a deep fryer, you don't just fill it and go in the other room or outside while it is doing its thing.

Using a funnel, raw pack the cubed sweet potatoes into jars leaving a 1-inch headspace. Be sure to really pack them into the jar filling up as many open spaces as possible. Ladle fresh water over sweet potatoes, filling to 1-inch headspace. Lightly tap the jar onto a cutting board to release any trapped air pockets.

Growth of Clostridium botulinum in food may cause container lids to bulge and cause foods to have a bad odor. Commercial or home-canned food products with bulging lids or a bad odor should not be eaten.

What kills botulism? ›

How can botulism be prevented? Only cooking or boiling food destroys botulinum toxin. Freezing does not destroy the toxin.

Bulging and/or leaking cans can be caused by freezing, improper storage, overfilling of the can during processing, denting or contamination by spoilage bacteria. Since the cause of the bulging or leaking can is unknown those cans must be DISCARDED.

If you're growing the produce at home and canning it, then the price is less than $. 25 a jar, if you're purchasing the produce, it will vary, but usually it's still going to be less than $2.00 per jar of finished product. But don't discount the price savings by purchasing it in bulk and in season.

Equipment and Methods Not Recommended

Open-kettle canning and the processing of freshly filled jars in conventional ovens, microwave ovens, and dishwashers are not recommended, because these practices do not prevent all risks of spoilage.

The pathogen of concern when canning is Clostridium botulinum, which could cause botulism- a potentially deadly form of food poisoning. These spore-forming bacteria can survive harmlessly in soil and water and are very prevalent on the surface of most fresh food surfaces.

Pressure canning is the safe, research-based method for canning meat, fish and poultry. It is the only way you can destroy Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes food poisoning. Be sure to process canned meats for the correct time at the correct temperature in a pressure canner.

Home-canned vegetables are the most common cause of botulism outbreaks in the United States. From 1996 to 2014, there were 210 outbreaks of foodborne botulism reported to CDC. Of the 145 outbreaks that were caused by home-prepared foods, 43 outbreaks, or 30%, were from home-canned vegetables.