Canning basics: Step-by-step instructions to create jams, jellies, preserves

A good source for canning methods is the National Center for Home Food Preservation at (Carol T. Bradford/ By
on October 23, 2013 at 10:22 AM




Fortunately, Topp has found a way to streamline the process. Her book, "The Complete Book of Year-Round Small-Batch Preserving," features small-scale recipes, from traditional raspberry jam to jazzed-up jalapeño mint jelly, that bring home canning within the reach of the busy modern cook. We've included five of her favorites here, along with simple guidelines to take the stress out of this rewarding hobby. Read on, and you'll soon be preserving like a pro.

Essential tips

Don't change the recipe


Don't change the processing time


Handpick your fruit and vegetables

"Using only top-quality produce -- nothing that's old or bruised -- will really pay off in the final product," advises Topp. Choose fruit that's slightly underripe or just at the peak of ripeness -- the amount of pectin (a natural compound with thickening properties) decreases as the fruit ripens, so if it's overripe, the jam or jelly may not set.

Have all your equipment clean and ready before you start


Boiling water canner


Essential equipment

Canning jars, lids, and screw bands


Tongs, jar lifter, and/or lid wand


Ladle and jar funnel


Small rubber spatula or wooden chopstick


Mesh sieve and cheesecloth


Canning products are available online.

Below you'll find instructions for preserving food with a boiling water canner. Essentially, clean, hot jars are filled with food, then boiled ("processed") to sterilize their contents. As the jars cool, the food inside shrinks, creating a vacuum that sucks the lid on for a tight seal.

Clean and hot are the two key words here.

The aim is to avoid contaminating the jars (be sure to touch them only with clean utensils) and to keep them warm so a tight seal will form. Once you've familiarized yourself with the basic process, you'll be able to use it for condiments as varied as marmalades, jams, pickles, relishes, and chutneys.

Note: This method can only be used for high-acid foods such as fruit spreads (jams, jellies, marmalades, butters, and conserves) and savory condiments (pickles, relishes, chutneys, and some tomato and hot sauces). In order to be safe, low-acid foods such as unpickled vegetables, soups, and stews must be processed in a pressure canner. We've chosen not to cover that method here, but if you want to preserve homemade soups and stews, pick up a home-canning guide such as "The Food Lover's Guide to Canning."

Step-by-step instructions

1. Clean jars

Run your finger around the rim of each jar to check for nicks or cracks. Discard any that are damaged, then wash the jars thoroughly in hot, soapy water, or run them through a dishwasher.

2. Boil jars

If your recipe calls for processing the filled jars for less than 10 minutes (as for jams, jellies, and other sweet spreads), you will need to sterilize the empty jars before filling them. Place them, open and right side up, on the rack in the canner and fill the entire canner (including the jars) with hot (not boiling) water to one inch above the tops of the jars. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Boil the jars for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and leave the jars in simmering water until you're ready to fill them.

Note: For pickles and other savory condiments with a processing time of 10 or more minutes, you can skip boiling the empty jars. Instead, simply place them in the canner, bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down to low, and leave the jars in simmering water until you're ready to fill them.

3. Boil extra water

Bring a separate kettle of water to a boil and keep it simmering in case you need to add more water to the canner once the jars are filled.

4. Boil lids

While you're bringing the water in the canner and kettle to a boil, wash and sterilize the jar lids according to the manufacturer instructions (these will vary according to brand). Leave the lids in hot water until you're ready to use them.

5. Fill one jar

Wash the produce thoroughly and prepare it according to the recipe. When the food is ready to be canned, remove a jar from the canner with tongs (dump the water from it back into the canner) and place it on a wooden board or clean towel (the surface must not be too cool or the hot jar will crack). Ladle or pack the food into the jar (use a jar funnel to keep the rim clean) up to within a half inch of the top.

6. Remove air

Run a nonmetalic wand around the inside of the jar to remove trapped air bubbles. Add more food if necessary to come to within a half inch of the top of the jar.

7. Close jar

Wipe the rim and threads of the jar clean. Using a lid wand or tongs, remove a lid from hot water and place the lid on the jar. Place a screw band over the lid and tighten it just until fingertip tight (the band should not be extremely tight).

8. Load canner

Check the water in the canner -- for hot-packed foods it should be simmering, for foods that are packed into the jar cold (such as some pickles), it should be hot but not simmering. Adjust the heat accordingly, then lower the filled jar into the canner. Repeat steps five through eight until all the jars are filled and in the canner.

9. Turn up heat

Add extra water from the simmering kettle if necessary to cover the jars by one inch (pour the water around the jars, not directly onto them). Cover the canner and turn the heat up to high.

10. Process

When the water has reached a full rolling boil, lower the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil and process for the time specified in the recipe. Be sure that the water does not stop boiling -- if it does, return it to a boil and reset the timer for the full processing time.

11. Remove jars

When the time is up, remove the jars from the canner and place them on a dry towel or board. Do not touch the lids, even if the screw bands are loose.

12. Cool

Cool the jars for 24 hours. You may hear a popping sound as the vacuum created in the jars sucks the lids down.

13. Check seals

When the jars are cool, remove the screw bands (they are not necessary once the lids are sealed and may rust and distort in storage, ruining the seal). Check each seal by pressing on the center of the lid. Sealed lids should be slightly concave in the center. If the center pops down when you press it and stays that way, the seal is probably fine. If it pops back up after it's pressed, the seal is broken and the jar should be refrigerated.

14. Label

Label the jars with their contents and date, and store them in a cool, dark place.

-- by Sarah Kagan