Getting Started


Introduction to home canningheat processing

 

Why is Heat Processing important?

While other alternatives have been offered, we feel that the safest way of preserving foods is through "heat processing".   Heating the filled jars is the only way to change the atmospheric pressure, thus creating a vacuum seal that will keep your treasured contents safe.

 

The heat processing method, according to up-to-date tested home canning guidelines includes:

 

  1. placing prepared food in mason jars that can be sealed airtight with a two-piece metal SNAP LID® closures.
  2. using the correct type of canner to heat the filled jars to a designated temperature for the food being processed.
  3. maintaining this temperature for the time specified in up-do-date, tested recipes to destroy spoilage mircoorganisms, inactive enzymes and properly vent air from jars.
  4. cooling jars properly to allow lids to form a strong vacuum seal

 

When home canning at elavations higher then 1,000 ft (305 m) above sea level, adjustments must be made for the higher altitudes.  For example, when using a boiling water canner at altitudes higher than 1,000 ft (305 m), processing times must be extended:

 

Boiling Water Canner- Altitude Adjustments

Altitude Chart

FEET METERS Increase Processing Time
1,001–3,00 306–915 5 Minutes
3,001–6,000 916–1,830 10 Minutes
6,001–8,000 1,831–2,440 15 Minutes
8,000–10,000 2,441–3,050 20 Minutes

NOTE: The cooking time that is part of recipe preparation before the food is placed in jars is not processing time. It does not alter the "heat processing" time required for safe home canned foods. To thoroughly destroy all microorganisms that may be in a specific food, or that may contact the food as it is ladled into the jars, always heat process the filled jars by the method and for the time specified in a tested recipe from a reputable source such as the BERNARDIN Guide to Home Canning

Preserving.

Canning guidelines in this section are applicable to all home canned foods. Information regarding the selection, preparation and use of mason jars and two-piece metal SNAP LID® Closures applies to BERNARDIN™  home canning products.