Home-canning Pressures

and Processing Times

by Lynn Paul, Ed.D., R.D., Professor and Extension Food and Nutrition
Specialist, Montana State University-Bozeman; and MSU Extension Agents:
Bernice Mason, Yellowstone County; and Karen Tyra, Stillwater County

Time charts and instructions to ensure safety of home-canned foods.

MontGuide
MT200905HR Reviewed 7/10

Safety is the top priority 212F at sea level, it boils at a much lower temperature at
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) home- higher altitudes. Consequently, at higher altitudes home-
preservation guidelines used in this MontGuide are based on canned foods must be processed for longer times or at higher
extensive research to prevent botulism, a potentially deadly pressures.
foodborne illness caused by a toxin of the bacteria Clostridium 2. Is the food I am home-canning a high-acid or
botulinum, which produces one of the most deadly poisons. low-acid food?
C. botulinum can grow and reproduce in improperly processed The following information will help you determine whether
home-canned foods. you need to use a pressure canner or boiling water canner.
The guidelines presented here will also help prevent food- Low-acid foods include vegetables (except most tomatoes),
borne illnesses caused by other bacteria, molds and yeast, and meats, poultry and fish. Acidity helps protect foods from
will help prevent food spoilage in your home-processed foods. poison-causing bacteria and food spoilage, and because these
Additional Resources foods have little natural acidity, they must be processed at
higher temperatures and pressures that can only be achieved
This MontGuide is best suited for intermediate and advanced
by pressure canners.
home food preservers. The following resources provide a wide
variety of tested recipes and information, based on USDA On the other hand, high acid foods used for canning
recommendations, especially important for the beginning include fruits (naturally high in acid) and properly acidified
food preserver. tomatoes and properly acidified pickled products can be
processed in either a boiling water or pressure canner.
National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP),
USDA sponsored Web site is the most current source for NOTE: In recent years, the recommendations for safely
canning tomatoes and salsa have changed. Because tomatoes
publications, video clips, tutorials for the beginning home
grown today may have less acidity, they need to be acidified
food preserver, frequently asked questions, and seasonal
before canning by adding 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon
tips: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/
juice or teaspoon of citric acid per quart. When canning
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2006. Available on salsa, only use recipes based on USDA recommendations.
NCHFP Web site, above, click on 'publications' These salsa recipes have been tested to determine a safe level
So Easy to Preserve, 5th edition only, MSU Extension does not of acidity. Do not use unapproved salsa recipes for canning.
recommend earlier editions. http://www.soeasytopreserve.com
The following publications are available at local stores or online Equipment and Methods Not Recommended
at http://www.kitchenkrafts.com: Ball Blue Book Guide to Open-kettle canning and the processing of freshly filled jars
Preserving, 2009 edition only; Ball Complete Book of Home in conventional ovens, steam canners, microwave ovens,
Preserving, 2006 edition only; Ball Blue Book of Preserving, and dishwashers are not recommended because they will
2006 edition only. not prevent potential poisoning of the botulism toxin. Jars
with wire bails and glass caps, one-piece zinc porcelain-
Two Questions of Safety lined caps, pressure sauce pans, and gallon jars are no longer
Before beginning your home-canning, ask yourself: recommended.
1. What is my altitude? Ensuring High-Quality Canned Foods
In order to decrease your risk of food-related illness and death, Use only high-quality foods which are at the proper maturity and
you must determine the correct home-canning processing are free of mold, diseases and major bruises. Trim small bruised
times and pressures for your altitude. While water boils at spots from food. Never use overripe foods.

For More Online MontGuides, Visit www.msuextension.org

 SAFE EQUIPMENT
q Jar lifters q Canning funnels q Nonmetallic spatulas
q Canning jars and 2 piece lids q Magnetic wand to lift jars lids
q Boiling water canner for high acid foods equipped with lid and rack. Pot must be large enough to fully surround
and completely immerse jars with 1 inch of water. Water must be able to boil rapidly over jars.
q Pressure canner for low and high acid foods. A pressure canner is a specially made heavy pot with a tightly fitted
lid. The lid is fitted with a vent and dial or weighted pressure gauge.

PACKING
Style of pack: Many fresh foods contain 10 - 30 percent air. Hot-packed foods will remove more air from the foods
than raw packing, prevent floating of food, and yield a greater quantity product.
Raw-packing is the practice of filling jars with freshly prepared, but unheated foods. Raw-packing works best for
vegetables processed in a pressure canner.
Hot-packing is the practice of heating freshly prepared food to boiling, simmering it 2 to 5 minutes, and promptly
filling jars with boiled food. This is the preferred pack style for foods processed in a boiling water canner.
Jar size: Follow directions for packing in either pint, pint or quart jars. (NOTE: Not all foods can be safely
processed in quart jars. Therefore, not all foods will designate quart directions.)
Head space: Follow directions for specific foods.
Lids: Follow manufacturer's directions for lids.

PROCESSING
Use a pressure canner for low-acid foods (vegetables, meats, poultry and fish). Follow manufacturer's directions
for your pressure canner; directions for use vary among manufacturers.
q Test your dial gauge at least once per year. Weighted gauges do not need testing.
q Canners must be vented for 10 minutes to exhaust air. If canner is not vented, excess air will keep the canner
pressure and temperature too low for safe processing.
q Determine pressure and times for altitude.
q Start processing time when weighted gauge begins to rock or dial gauge reaches required pressure for your altitude.
Use a boiling water canner for high-acid foods only (fruits, properly acidified tomatoes, properly acidified pickled
products)
q Determine processing times for your altitude.
q Start processing time as soon as water returns to boil and be sure jars are covered with one inch of boiling
water and are placed on a inch rack.

COOLING
Pressure canner:
q Remove pressure canner from stove, cool at room temperature until pressure returns to zero. Do not force cool
the canner by opening vent, removing weight, or running under cold water. After canner is depressurized, remove
the weight or open the vent. Wait 10 minutes, then unfasten the pressure canner lid and remove carefully.
Boiling water canner:
q Turn off heat and remove boiling water canner lid after required processing time. Wait 5 minutes before removing jars.
For both pressure and boiling water canners place jars on rack or cloth so air can circulate. Do not expose to
draft or cover with towels. Do not touch or tighten lids until jars have cooled.

SEALING
q Cooled jars should have the center of the lid popped down and not moveable when pressed.
q Jars that have not sealed should be repacked and reprocessed for the original processing pressure and time
within 24 hours. If not reprocessed, foods may also be refrigerated or frozen.

CONSUMING
q If you are uncertain about the safety of home-canned foods, follow the advice When in doubt, throw it out.
q Botulism and other deadly foodborne illness causes are not detected in food by sight, smell and taste. Foods
may show no sign of spoilage! If a canned food looks spoiled, foams or even has an off odor, dispose of it.

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 PROCESSING TIMES AND PRESSURES FOR PRESSURE CANNERS
For Select Low-Acid Vegetables, Meats and Poultry

TABLE 1. Minutes to Process.

Vegetables Processing times in this table are
Pint Quart only for foods prepared according to the
See MT200906HR for processing times for fruits, tomatoes and mixtures
recommendations found in the Additional
Asparagus, spears or pieces, raw or hot pack 30 40
Resources listed on page 1.
Beans or peas, shelled, dried, hot pack only 75 90
Beans, baked (see Beans, dry)
Beans, dry, with tomato or molasses sauce, hot pack only 75 90
Beans, fresh lima shelled, raw or hot pack 40 50
STEPS
Beans, snap and Italian pieces, raw or hot pack 20 25 1. Follow directions for hot pack or
Beets, whole, cubed, or sliced, hot pack only 30 35 raw pack.
Carrots, sliced or diced, raw or hot pack 25 30 2. Follow directions for head space.
Corn, cream style, hot pack only 85 NA* (NOTE: Head space is 1 inch for
Corn, whole kernel, raw or hot pack 55 85 vegetables and all meats except
Mixed vegetables, hot pack only 75 90 chicken and rabbit, which is 1 inches.)
Mushrooms, whole or sliced, hot pack ( pint same as pint) 45 NA* 3. Determine processing time.
NOTE: Wild mushrooms cannot be canned safely. 4. Determine pressure based on altitude
Peas, green or english, shelled, raw or hot pack 40 40 for either dial or weighted gauge
pressure canner.
Peppers, hot pack only ( pint same as pint) 35 NA*
Potatoes, sweet, pieces or whole, hot pack only 65 90 a. Dial Gauge Canner:
Potatoes, white, cubed or whole, hot pack only 35 40 Altitude Pressure
Pumpkin and winter squash, cubed, hot pack only 55 90 0000-2000 feet 11 lbs.
Spinach and other greens, hot pack only 70 90 2001-4000 feet 12 lbs.
Squash, winter, cubed (see Pumpkin) 4001-6000 feet 13 lbs.
6001-8000 feet 14 lbs.
Meats
Pint Quart
See MT200903HR for more information on canning meat, poultry and fish. For example, use 13 lbs. of pressure
Chicken or rabbit, cut up, without bones, raw or hot pack 75 90 (PSI) when processing in Red Lodge at
Chicken or rabbit, cut up, with bones, raw or hot pack 65 75 an altitude of 5562 feet.
Ground or chopped meat, hot pack only 75 90 b. Weighted Gauge Canner: Use 15
Strips, cubes or chunks of meat, raw or hot pack 75 90 pounds. (Note: 15 pounds required for
all altitudes above 1,000 feet.)
Meat stock (broth), hot pack only 20 25
Fish, raw pack only 100 NA**
Smoked fish 110*** NA*
*Directions for canning in quart jars are not available.
**Directions for canning in quart jars are not available in this Montguide. See Additional Resources, page 4, So Easy to Preserve, 5th edition only,
and the USDA Home Guide to Canning, 2006 edition only, for more information on canning fish.
***Safely canning smoked fish in pints requires distinctly different directions for filling pressure canner than for pressure canning other foods. See
Montguide MT200903HR for directions for filling the pressure canner for processing smoked fish as well as the additional resources listed on page 4.

TABLE 2. Altitudes* of County Seats in Montana

County Seat Altitude County Seat Altitude County Seat Altitude County Seat Altitude
Anaconda 5239 Cut Bank 3793 Hysham 2618 Ryegate 3775
Baker 2968 Deer Lodge 4609 Jordan 2640 Scobey 2461
Big Timber 4199 Dillon 5118 Kalispell 2984 Shelby 3300
Billings 3153 Ekalaka 3494 Lewistown 3936 Sidney 1967
Boulder 4938 Forsyth 2510 Libby 2198 Stanford 4288
Bozeman 4806 Fort Benton 2698 Livingston 4557 Superior 2813
Broadus 3091 Glasgow 2088 Malta 2275 Terry 2228
Butte 5539 Glendive 2053 Miles City 2362 Thompson Falls 2519
Chester 3162 Great Falls 3398 Missoula 3232 Townsend 3869
Chinook 2411 Hamilton 3625 Phillipsburg 5357 Virginia City 5804
Choteau 3799 Hardin 2903 Plentywood 2068 W. Sulphur Sp. 5091
Circle 2500 Harlowton 4185 Polson 2930 Wibaux 2650
Columbus 3599 Havre 2493 Red Lodge 5562 Winnett 2975
Conrad 3523 Helena 4068 Roundup 3198 Wolf Point 2043
*accessed January 22, 2009, http://nris.mt.gov/montanafacts/townelev.html
3
 TABLE 3. Processing Time for Select Fruits, Acid Vegetables and Pickled Products in Boiling Water Canner
Minutes to Process, at Altitudes (in feet) of:
1000- 2001- 3001- 4001- 5001- 6001- 7001- Processing times in this
Food and Kind of Pack Size table are only for foods
2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 7999
pint 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 prepared according to the
Apple butter, hot pack
pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20 recommendations found in the
Apple juice, hot pack
pint & quart 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 Additional Resources listed
Apples, hot pack pint & quart 25 25 30 30 30 35 35 on page 1.
pint 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
Applesauce, hot pack
quart 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
Spiced apple rings, hot pack pint, pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
Spiced crab apples, hot pack pint 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
Apricots, halved or sliced Follow directions for peaches
Berries, hot pack pint & quart
pint
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
25
25
25
STEPS
Berries, raw pack 1. Determine hot pack or
quart 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
Berry or fruit syrup, hot pack pint, pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20 raw pack.
FRUITS

pint 20 20 20 20 20 25 25 2. Determine headspace.

Cherries, hot pack
quart 25 25 30 30 30 35 35 (Note: All foods on this
Cherries, raw pack pint & quart 30 30 35 35 35 40 40 list are inch except for
Fruit puree, hot pack pint & quart 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
those marked with .)
Grape juice, hot pack pint & quart 10 10 10 10 10 15 15
pint 25 25 30 30 30 35 35 3. Determine processing
Peaches, hot pack
quart 30 30 35 35 35 40 40 time based on altitude.
pint 30 30 35 35 35 40 40 (Altitude chart on page 3.)
Peaches, raw pack
quart 35 35 40 40 40 45 45
pint 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
Pears, halved, hot pack
quart 30 30 35 35 35 40 40
Plums, halved or whole, pint 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
raw or hot pack quart 30 30 35 35 35 40 40
Rhubarb, stewed, hot pack pint & quart 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
Tomatoes, raw, pressed in,
TOMATOES

pint & quart 90 90 95 95 95 100 100

no added liquid
pint 40 40 45 45 45 50 50
Tomato juice, hot pack
quart 45 45 50 50 50 55 55
pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
Sauerkraut, hot pack
quart 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
pint 25 25 30 30 30 35 35
Sauerkraut, raw pack
quart 30 30 35 35 35 40 40
Sweet Gherkins, raw pack pint 10 10 10 10 10 15 15
PICKLED PRODUCTS

Dilled green or yellow beans,

pint 10 10 10 10 10 15 15
raw pack
Pickled beets, hot pack pint & quart 35 35 40 40 40 45 45
Piccalilli or chow chow, hot pack pint, pint 10 10 10 10 10 15 15
Corn relish or 3-bean, hot pack pint, pint 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
Dill pickles, raw pack
quart 20 20 20 20 20 25 25
Bread & butter pickles, hot pack pint & quart 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
Pickle relish, hot pack pint, pint 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
Pickled mixed vegetables, pint 10 10 10 10 10 15 15
hot pack quart 15 15 15 15 15 20 20
NLOAD M

inch head space; all others are inch. OW
D

Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or teaspoon citric acid per pint. Double amount per quart.
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File under: Nutrition and Health (Food Preservation)

Reviewed July 2010 500-710SA