Beginner's Guide to Pressure Canning

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Quick Jump

Pressure canning can be scary - I totally understand. There is a lot of science happening, which I don't fully understand myself, but that's why there are steps and precautions we can follow to practice canning safely every time.

Pressure canned jars of ham and bean soup on next to a pressure canner — Ham and Navy Bean Soup - Try my recipe here!

Should I Start Pressure Canning?

For me, there are so many reasons why I wanted to start pressure canning. I knew I had to put my fears of not doing it right, or good enough, aside to meet my personal goals. Here are some reasons to consider starting your pressure canning journey:

Control What Goes Into Your Body

Remember that saying, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT." - ? Modern day discussion around what sorts of dyes and preservatives going into our food is more common than ever now. With the invention of alternative meats and oils, its important to fully understand what you are putting into your body. For me, I can read all about these new foods and diets but I'm still skeptical! Taking nutrition back to basics, utilizing methods that worked generations before us (like pressure canning) just makes sense to me.

Pressure Canning to Combat Inflation

It's 2025, and if your not sick of hearing about inflation yet you must be from another planet! The general understanding of inflation is that if the cost of goods goes up, then the end product also increases. Insert some data about supply and demand, and the next thing you know a head of lettuce with ZERO calories (what our body uses to make energy) costs $3.00 . Apply that same principle that requires more than one ingredient, say chicken noodle soup - see where we're going here? Pressure canning grocery store deals on meats and vegetables has SAVED ME SO MUCH MONEY in the long run!

Pressure Canning to be Prepared

Food preservation and preparation should be common knowledge. In order to survive, we need our three basics - food, water, and shelter. Pressure canning food is a kitchen skill, like cooking, that allows us to eat. Imagine a scenario where electricity is out for a long time in your home - many of us live in natural disaster prone areas, completely out of our control if mother nature decides to knock the power out! I'm in Florida and half the year is dedicated to hurricane season! Pressure canned meals in jars is so great for scenarios like this. Nothing is better than a hot, home cooked meal after a long day of vacuuming flood water out of your house - ask me how I know 😂!

Raw chicken in glass jars ready to be pressure cooked on a bright, sunny window sill — Raw Packing and Preserving Chicken Breast - recipe coming soon, subscribe to be notified!

Tips to Safely Pressure Can Anything

If you can follow a recipe, with out deviating and making it your own, then you can 100% pressure can. Often times, confidence to try something new is the only thing holding us back! Here are 5 tips to pressure can anything.

Read the Instructions to Your Pressure Canner

We are all guilty of throwing away the booklet that comes with the new toy we purchased. Instead, throw away the mentality of, "I don't need the instructions, i got this!" because it will not do you any good here! The instruction packet is loaded with safety tips. Many of them aren't even tips, it's more like a must-do checklist to ensure safety around the high pressure machine. I have an all American Pressure canner / cooker... Here is the link to the instruction packet for every model they make

Know Your Altitude

Altitude is the height of an object in relation to sea level or ground level. In simple terms, where is the ocean in relation to YOU. Do you live in the mountains? Is there a beach in your town? Perhaps you live on the 12th floor of a condo - I don't know! The altitude is important for a few reasons.

Water boils at different temperatures based on your altitude
1. Since pressure canning relies on high temperatures to destroy dangerous bacteria like Clostridium botulinum (Botulism), using the wrong pressure at higher altitudes means your food might not get hot enough to be safe.
Pressure might not build enough
1. Having enough pressure is important to ensure the air fully comes out of the jars, and the seal is safely adhered to the glass. The gauge and weight are great indicators to let you know if you got enough pressure. You will also know at the end because if your lids fall off.... then they weren't sealed (but that one is obvious!)
Pressure might build TOO MUCH
1. This is the mega danger zone. If food borne illness doesn't scare us, this one will. Know your altitude before pressure canning anything!

home made Chili pressure canned in 6 glass jars stacked in a pyramid on a window sill — Home Made Chili - recipe coming soon, subscribe to be notified!

Start With Trusted Source Canning Recipes

If you are new to pressure canning, I would suggest trying out recipes and How-To's from sources that are super well known. Ball Jar, the company that makes the jars, is super well known in the pressure canning and pressure cooking community. Many of my own recipes are tweaked versions from Ball Jar's cook book! Remember, follow the recipes to a T a few times before tweaking them to your own tastes so you are comfortable and the safety steps come second nature to you.