r/Canning • • May 26 '26

Announcement Why We Don't Recommend Electric Canners (Mod Post)

308 Upvotes
  1. Electric pressure canners have not been verified safely by third party testing. What has been performed is only, “We are safe because we say we are safe,” type testing. The manufacturers claim to match USDA specs but no one has verified that information externally and the manufacturers will not release their results to anyone externally. The USDA symbol used in some promotional materials is not an actual USDA seal and does not indicate USDA approval. The equipment that's been used in the past by the USDA and NCHFP to determine the thermal profile inside canners doesn't even fit inside existing electric canners on the market. A new design would be needed, and currently there is no funding for developing this equipment.
  2. The users of electric pressure canners do not have the physical signs of the device coming to pressure (like a jiggling weight or a rising analog dial to ensure that the food is processing at the correct pressure.) The user must rely on an electronic display for accuracy. Even if a type of electric canner has an analog feature, there is no way of getting the electric canner device tested or calibrated to ensure it is accurate or working correctly. (We should mention that electric WATER BATH canners are fine to use because the user can physically see the water coming to a boil.)
  3. Perhaps most importantly, all current approved pressure canning recipes rely on the heat up and cool down times relative to stove top pressure canners loaded with a minimum of two quarts of product. These heat up and cool down times are factored into the safety of all current safe recipes. Changing and/or reducing these times can affect the safety of your finished product.

Until ALL THREE of these reasons can be appropriately addressed, we as a sub do not endorse or condone the use of electric pressure canners.


r/Canning • • Oct 19 '25

Announcement Why don't we recommend pH testing for home canning? [Mod Post]

72 Upvotes

Hello Everyone!

As a mod team we've noticed a lot of questions and confusion about pH testing home canned foods recently so we're here today to give a more in depth explanation of why it's not recommended.

As I'm sure you all know, there are tons and tons of misconceptions about home canning and what we can and cannot do safely. One of the most common misconceptions is that if we pH test a food and it shows a pH below 4.6 it can be canned as a high acid food. There are two reasons why this isn't true.

  1. pH is not the only safety factor for home canning
  2. The options for pH testing at home are not necessarily the same as what's available in a lab setting.

Although pH is an important factor in home canning safely it is not the only factor. Characteristics like heat penetration, density, and homogeneity also play a role.

There are two types of pH test equipment; pH test strips and pH meters. pH test strips are not very accurate most of the time, they're just strips of paper with a chemical that changes color based on pH imbued in it. These strips expire over time and the color change is the only indicator which makes reading them rather subjective and likely inaccurate.

There are two levels of pH meters; home pH meters and laboratory grade pH meters. Home pH meters aren’t particularly expensive but they are often not accurate or precise at that price point. Laboratory grade pH meters are expensive, think hundreds to thousands of dollars for a good one. Many pH meters on sites like Amazon will claim that they are “laboratory grade” but they really aren’t. pH meters also need to be properly maintained and calibrated to ensure accuracy using calibration solutions which are also expensive. 

The bottom line is that most people do not have access to the lab grade equipment and training that would be required to make sure that something is safe so the blanket recommendation is that pH testing not be used in home canning applications.

Recipes that have undergone laboratory testing (what we generally refer to as "tested recipes" on this subreddit) have been tested to ensure that the acidity level is appropriate for the canning method listed in the recipe. pH testing does not enhance the safety of an already tested recipe.

Because pH testing is not recommended for home use we do not allow recommendations for it on our subreddit.

Sources:
https://ucanr.edu/blog/preservation-notes-san-joaquin-master-food-preservers/article/help-desk-question-home-ph

https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/oklahoma-gardening/recipes/ph-and-home-canning.html


r/Canning • • 8h ago

General Discussion Reminder: Used canning lids are perfect for scraping the guts out of pumpkins.

109 Upvotes

If you’re making jack o’lanterns this week, use an old canning lid to get the guts out. It works amazingly well!


r/Canning • • 56m ago

Pressure Canning Processing Help Sealing Issues

• Upvotes

Not sure where I am going wrong. I pressure canned 6 quarts of chili. Using brand new ball jars and new superb lids. Filled it with 1” headspace, cleaned rim properly, loaded, and maintained a constant 10.5 psi for 90 minutes. Afterwards I let it drop pressure, removed weight and lid, removed jars carefully and had 4 not seal. I reprocessed those 4 but utilized new ball lids and only had 1 seal.

I am new to canning, only have canned salmon, chicken thigh, chicken drum, and beef stew. But have had one 1 seal failures to this point. Any tips on why this may be happening?


r/Canning • • 7h ago

Equipment/Tools Help Pressure canner

2 Upvotes

I read advice here on pressure canners. After considering the All American vs Presto I decided on Presto, largely because of the weight difference.

Is there a reason not to buy the induction capable model? I have a regular ceramic stovetop, but who knows what I’ll be using 5-10 years from now.

Thanks!


r/Canning • • 1d ago

General Discussion USDA Apple Pie Filling Test Run

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75 Upvotes

I did the 1-quart "test run" recipe of the USDA apple pie filling to see if we like it - it turned out very good with gala apples. This is in the fridge now and will be used up as a topping over yogurt and ice cream, yum!

I really like the idea of testing out a small amount to make sure you like the final product. It also allowed me to test out canning apple products for the first time. I blanched the apples and left a generous 1" headspace, happy to report no siphoning!

Two things I learned for the full run:

  1. I cannot eyeball 0.5", I need to measure because my apple pieces were cut way too thin.

  2. I do have some serious air bubbles even after de-bubbling thoroughly. Does anyone have advice on de-bubbling apple pie filling thickened with Clear Jel?


r/Canning • • 2h ago

Recipe Included Feedback on Roasted Tomato Guajillo Salsa

1 Upvotes

from healthycanning. I made some, not opened yet, can someone tell me what it tastes like? Would it sub for Heinz chile sauce I need for a recipe??

Thanks Roasted Tomato Guajillo Salsa - Healthy Canning in Partnership with Facebook Group Canning for beginners, safely by the book


r/Canning • • 4h ago

Is this safe to eat? HELP: Is my canned tomato soup garbage?!

0 Upvotes

I canned tomato soup yesterday. I realized this morning I didn’t put any acid in the jars and it might all be a waste. I also used a pressure canning recipe but I used the water bath method. I did a bit of research and none of it sounds like it’s in my favour and being human kinda sucks sometimes.

Here is the recipe: https://www.therusticelk.com/canning-tomato-soup/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic#mv-creation-174-jtr

I water bathed for 50 minutes and it has been sitting on the counter since last night.

PLEASE HELP ME, it breaks my heart knowing I might have to throw it all away. Posting in different groups to get all the opinions


r/Canning • • 1d ago

General Discussion Sourcing produce-- grow or buy? And what did it turn into?

19 Upvotes

I am always impressed with what people are sharing they canned on here. This is just my own curiosity-- are you growing your ingredients for canning or buying them? If so, is this Farmer's Market produce?

I would love to hear from people-- how much do you grow and how much canning you get out of that. For example, this year I had 4 tomato plants and I have 12 pints of pizza sauce, 20 pints crushed tomatoes, and 6 pints salsa stashed away. That by no means was all my tomatoes, as I use lots fresh and mostly make fresh salsa.

I also did buy a box of peaches at the Farmer's Market and made 8 half pints of peach habanero jam using habaneros from the garden.

Your turn! I would love to hear what you grow (how many plants) or bought and then what you made!


r/Canning • • 3h ago

Is this safe to eat? Turkey stock turned off

0 Upvotes

I was simmering stock on the stove last night and one of my children turned it off. I was off all night. It wasn't maybe Lukewarm this morning. I set it on high and get it going on a hard boil this am. But is it safe? Do I need to toss it?


r/Canning • • 20h ago

Equipment/Tools Help Clarification on Pressure Canning minimum jar count

7 Upvotes

I have a Mirro 12 qt pressure canner. My understanding is the minimum jars in a batch is 4 pints or 2 quarts. Correct?

So if I have 3 pints of product - do I just use another pint jar with water and lid/ring? I have saved some used lids for this purpose. Thanks


r/Canning • • 23h ago

Safe Recipe Request Beef Stew Question (and my first pickled beets

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10 Upvotes

The picture isn't that great, but I picked my beets from my garden finally and pickled them. Used the recipe from Healthy Canning. Can't wait to try them!

Now for my question... I would like to make the Ball beef stew recipe. But, I'm wondering how to keep proportions of the meat, potato, and carrots right in each jar if I'm ladeling pre-mixed stew into jars. I thought about separating everything for the pre-cook (meat in one pot, potatoes in another, carrots/onion/celery in a third) and layering it in the jars so I can better control how much of each ingredient goes in each jar. I'm thinking it would be a density issue having each ingredient consolidated in one spot. But, I figured I'd ask the experts here before I try it. Either way, I'm still making the recipe, but if my plan is not safe then I'll scrap it and follow the directions. Thanks!


r/Canning • • 1d ago

General Discussion How do you store your empty jars?

15 Upvotes

We just got some new shelves for our basement. Planning on setting up a basement grocery store with my full jars :) but I’m also looking for creative and space efficient ways of storing the empties! Right now, I just have haphazard cardboard moving boxes full of jars


r/Canning • • 19h ago

General Discussion How long do pressed tomatoes last before canning?

0 Upvotes

I pressed some tomatoes but don’t have time to can them just yet. How long do pressed tomatoes last before canning?


r/Canning • • 1d ago

Safe Recipe Request 'Tis the Season For Cranberry Sauce Recipes

6 Upvotes

What are your favorites?


r/Canning • • 1d ago

Safe Recipe Request Safe to scale down Ball tomato sauce recipe for water bath canning?

2 Upvotes

I have 5lbs of tomatoes, is is safe to scale this recipe down to 25% and water bath can? Or should I just do crushed tomatoes and make tomato sauce from the crushed tomatoes? https://www.ballmasonjars.com/blog?cid=basil-garlic-tomato-sauce


r/Canning • • 1d ago

Understanding Recipe Help Crabapple Jelly

2 Upvotes

Hello all!

I harvested crab apples from my brtlothers tree this past weekend and have processed them into juice. I'm following the recipe in the Ball home preservation book. I've never had crab apple jelly before and I guess I expected the cooking process to mellow out some of the tannins, but it's still very astringent. I've ended up with 4 cups of crabapple juice total, and the recipe calls for 5 cups.

So I guess my question is; Can I go buy some raw apple juice and add a cup of regular apple juice to the crabapple juice without modifying the science of the recipe? The only difference I'm seeing between crabapple and apple jelly is the addition of some lemon juice to the apple jelly, and it would be a 4-1 ratio of crabapple to apple.

If this isn't plausible I'm happy to just reduce the recipe 25% and proceed from there! I think I'm okay with the jelly turning out not the best since this is my first experience with crabapple jelly, so either way is fine with me, I just don't want to ruin my hard work with something I think is theoretically okay but isn't actually okay!


r/Canning • • 2d ago

Is this safe to eat? Sweet Potato’s!

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35 Upvotes

This is our first year canning! We had a great harvest of sweet potato’s and decided to can a LOT of them. I followed all the requirements from our Ball Blue Book. Canned for the right time with the right pressure. Potato’s were hot when they went into the jar and the water was boiling. Went 65 minutes under 10 pounds of pressure. Problem is they all turned to mashed potato’s! I think we may have over cooked. Still, I can definitely make stuff with this, my question…is it safe? It seems like all of the water was absorbed by the potato’s….


r/Canning • • 1d ago

Waterbath Canning Processing Help Canning peppers mishap?

1 Upvotes

I was on my last batch or banana peppers and one jar fell over in my water bath canner. I pulled it and added it back to the washer bath with my next batch of jalapenos. Which was about an hour of time difference. Will this be OK or was there something else I should have done. Both peppers got processed for 10 minutes in the water.


r/Canning • • 22h ago

Safe Recipe Request Can I can a frappuccino like the Starbucks ones at home?

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0 Upvotes

I would love to make my own in bulk, I'm a big fan of them but they're pricey


r/Canning • • 1d ago

Is this safe to eat? Bone broth looks sus to me

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0 Upvotes

I canned bone broth for the first time over a week ago at 15 psi for 25 minutes. Before that I can cooled it and skimmed the fat layer off then canned it. I’m just not sure if it’s supposed to look like this and I’m cooking a roast with it today. I just don’t want to get my family sick so I’m gonna be the test dummy. Do you think it’s safe to eat?


r/Canning • • 2d ago

Safe Recipe Request Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Thumbnail ballmasonjars.com
4 Upvotes

I have an abundant harvest of garden tomatillos that I would like to try processing into salsa verde and then water bath can. I came across this recipe from Ball which recommends roasting the ingredients. This is closest to my usual freezer salsa recipe- but is it safe?? Most other sources use the recipe from NCHFP.

Advice greatly appreciated!


r/Canning • • 2d ago

Understanding Recipe Help Tomato Paste - why cook twice?

7 Upvotes

I’m about to start the NCHFP tomato paste recipe. It says to wash, core, chop, and cook the tomatoes down by half, and THEN sieve/mill them to remove skins and seeds. Does anybody know why? I have a tomato press that I can throw them in whole and raw and it removes the cores, seeds, and skins. I don’t want to have to waste a bunch of time coring and chopping and then having to mill hot tomato sauce for what seems like no reason if I can remove all the unwanted stuff right off the bat.


r/Canning • • 2d ago

Equipment/Tools Help (UK) I'm new to canning and my mums put the fear of god into me about botulism. Where can i get a good pressure canner in the uk? i saw presto is highly recommended but not stocked in the uk due to warrenty issues and tarrifs. tyia.

8 Upvotes

r/Canning • • 2d ago

Recipe Included Strawberry Kiwi Jam Advice

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5 Upvotes

Reposting with recipe link and photo.

I used this recipe with Pomona’s Pectin, but I subbed strawberries for the raspberries. Everyone had loved this jam, and I do really like the flavor. However, it lost ALL of its color after a few days and it’s such a dull, pale pink/brown color and just looks so unappealing. If I hadn’t made it myself, I wouldn’t even try it.. it looks terrible.

What could I do to keep the bright red color? I made a strawberry peach jam that kept the most beautiful deep red color, and I’m wondering if it was the peach in it that helped maintain the color?
I get this is rogue canning at this point, but just wondering if anyone knows of a safe recipe that keeps its color.

https://pomonapectin.com/kiwi-raspberry-lime-jam/