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Water Bath Canning FAQs & Recipe Roundup


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It wasn’t until 2013 that I really got into canning. My mother is a canning guru and I enjoyed the benefits of her knowledge and skills. I’d send off a basket full of dirty raw carrots and receive back perfectly canned carrots. Although I saw no real problem with this arrangement, I did think it was high time to learn the magical art of canning.

Let me start by saying that until recently, I thought canning was just canning. I didn’t realize there were different kinds. I’m hedging my bets that a few of you are just like I was: unaware. Today we are talking about water bath canning.

I personally think water bath canning is the place to start when you are first learning how to can. Check out these FAQs and great recipes to get you started.

Water bath canning is just like it sounds. You are bathing the cans in water versus pressure canning where you use steam pressure to can. I personally think water bath canning is the place to start when you are first learning. You don’t necessarily need a fancy pot and there is no risk of blowing a lid through your kitchen ceiling (just kidding… for the most part).

I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous when I canned for the first time independently. People throwing around a word like botulism does tend to unnerve you. I really didn’t want to be a headline in the paper. 

Woman Takes Out Entire Family with Unsafe Can of Carrots

Honestly, though, it’s really not that hard.  If you have someone in your life who is willing to mentor you, spend some time canning with them. If you don’t have a mentor, check for local classes. My friend Kathie at Homespun Seasonal Living offers classes in her community and I’m sure there are others. If you can’t find an actual person to teach you, Ball’s Blue Book Guide to Preserving is like the canning bible. According to my mother, Guide to Preserving comes out annually and you should always get the latest edition because canning practices (such as changes in canning lid procedures) are always evolving. I used the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving to make spicy pickles yesterday all by myself.

Water Bath Canning FAQs

Do I have to use a special canning pot for boiling water bath canning?
Any large pot will do, but canning pots make life a bit easier. The bigger the pot, the better it maintains a constant temperature.

Can a pressure canner be used on a flat-top stove?
It depends on your stove and the pot you are using. Pots with rippled or textured bottoms don’t make good enough content to heat properly. Some stove burners areas aren’t large enough to handle the space needed for a canning pot.

Can I double stack jars in a water bath canner?
You can, but use caution. Adding that many cool cans to the pot may cause the temperature of the water too much. The time it would take for the water to get back up to temperature may result in mushy canned goods.

Can food be re-canned if the lid doesn’t seal properly?
Canned food can safely be re-canned if it’s done within 24 hours. Remove the lid and check the jar-sealing surface for imperfections. Use a new lid and reprocess.

Can I only can things I’ve grown?
You can can foods from your own garden, your friends’ gardens, the farmer’s market, and even grocery store fresh produce. I highly recommend only using organic produce from the grocery store since things may have been applied to non-organic produce to preserve freshness that can’t be rinsed off in the sink (gross, right?!)

What is hot packed? What is raw packed?
Raw-packing is using uncooked food. In the case of pickles, raw packing preserves crispness. Hot packed foods are boiled and cooked before canning. Carrots are a great hot packed food as they soften before being canned.

Is head space important?
Proper headspace allows for proper vacuum sealing. Too little headspace and the contents of the jar may bubble out. Too much head space and prevent the jar from sealing.

How long does canned food last?
If kept in a cool, dark, dry location, canned foods last for about a year. Here is more information about how long you can expect your canned goods to last.

Water Bath Canning Recipes

Since I am new to all of this, I am directing you to the people I deem professionals. Many thanks to all the wonderful bloggers with canning experience who are sharing with us today.

Jams & Jellies

Serviceberry Lemon Balm Jam from Homespun Seasonal Living
Orange Marmalade from Simply Canning
Seedless Elderberry Apple Jam from Our One Acre Farm
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from Angels Homestead
Gingerly Green Tomato & Vanilla Apple Jam from Homespun Seasonal Living
Homemade Hot Pepper Jelly from Better Hens & Gardens
Dandelion Jelly from Simply Canning
Melon Star Anise Jam from Homespun Seasonal Living

Fruits & Vegetables

Spiced Peach Slices from Untrained Housewife
Spicy Lemon Pickled Beans from Timber Creek Farmer
Pickled Beets with Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey from Montana Homesteader
Pickled Asparagus from Untrained Housewife
Spiced Brandied Peaches from Homespun Seasonal Living

Salsas & Condiments

Roasted Corn Salsa from Mrs. Wages
Nectarine Maple Vanilla Butter from Homespun Seasonal Living
Zesty Salsa from Untrained Housewife
Annie’s Green Tomato Salsa from Mother Earth News
Maple Syrup from Our One Acre Farm
Canning Salsa from Homespun Seasonal Living

Are you ready to get started?

I personally think water bath canning is the place to start when you are first learning how to can. Check out these FAQs and great recipes to get you started.

This canning kit from Granite Ware is a perfect for starting your water bath canning experience. It has all the essentials you could need. There is a 9 piece set that includes a 21-quart canner, canner lid, jar rack, 9″ colander, lid wrench, funnel, tongs, jar lifter, and magnetic lid lifter and a 12 piece kit that contains a 7 1/2 quart blanching pot with lid and drainer insert.

I urge you to give canning a try. It is so rewarding and it’s a great skill to be able to pass on. If you are anything like me, you will spend hours gazing lovingly at your cans all lined up in a row. Happy canning!

What is your favorite food to can?

I personally think water bath canning is the place to start when you are first learning how to can. Check out these FAQs and great recipes to get you started.

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Jessica Lane

I am a non-traditional homesteader. What is a non-traditional homesteader? I'd like to think we are the people who don't fit the mold. I am a busy mom on a small bit of property with not a lot of financial resources, but I am figuring out how to live the life I want. A homesteader's life.
Home » Real Food » Water Bath Canning FAQs & Recipe Roundup

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  4. It’s hard to pick just one favorite thing to can…..but I think stewed tomatoes….and my grandma always canned corn and tomato juice…sooooo good!

    Reply

  8. Strawberry jam made by my grandma is the best. She’s going to teach me how to make it. I’d love to win so I could make it.

    Reply

  9. I just started canning this Summer – tomatoes form our garden, garden cucumbers turned pickles, and today Beautyberry jelly. I really love foraging for free food to can! Muscadine grape jelly will be next. 🙂 I can’t wait to learn pressure canning, beef stew, chili, green beans – yum!

    Reply

  15. Jellies of all kinds through the summer! Looking forward to fall weather to get in high gear with veggies and meat and soups!

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  21. This 74 year old woman wants to learn to can. Been looking in thrift stores for supplies but not much to pick from. Would love to win as would everyone else I’m sure.

    Reply

  30. I love to can anything. Today I did a giant double batch of pizza sauce. Yummy for my family. I need to repeat that at least two more times as we ran out last year.

    Reply

  32. Just had my first successful canning session…two jars of chokecherry syrup…I am excited. not much I know, but I am new to this (always froze all my bounty before) and wanted to start small. Tried years ago with apple sauce with a friends suggestions, but it didn’t work…

    Reply

  37. My favorite canned food is stewed tomatoes. I use them in everything! 🙂 I was supposed to learn how to can this year, but my tomatoes didn’t produce, and neither did any of my family or friends’. Boo!

    Reply

  40. We can everything we can get our hands on! Love our home canned garden goods, jellies, jams, applesauce/pie filling and we just made prickly pear jelly, might be my new favorite 🙂 Seven kids here so canning is not just a passion but a MUST!

    Reply

  46. I haven’t canned since I was a young girl, helping my mom can our summer garden produce. My favorite canned foods were her sauerkraut and wild grape jelly. I know that’s two, but I couldn’t decide which one I liked better. 🙂

    Reply

  48. most definitely… canned tomatoes! Love fresh tasting tomatoes all year round and use them in so many of my dishes… not to mention one of my favorite memories from childhood was when my mom would fix tomatoes and dumplings with tomatoes the family had canned…yum!

    Reply

  73. My wife and I love canning. We have started caning before we got married. We have only tried peaches and pears but are slowly branching out to more foods.

    Reply

  75. This is a hard one for me as I a few. But asparagus is my favorite right now. My husbands as well. Can’t be store bought canned, it has to be home canned.

    Reply

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