How to cleanse homemade canned foods using a hot water bath

Learning to process your canned foods in a hot-water bath will remove any concerns about bacterial contamination.

Safe canning includes processing foods at a high enough temperature for a long enough time. You can purchase a hot-water bath set or put one together yourself out of things you probably already have or can purchase easily and cheaply.

You will need:

• 1 very large, deep, heavy, nonreactive pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid
• 1 wire rack or 1 basket to fit the pot
• Glass canning jars and lids (the jars and metal screw bands to hold the lids in place can be reused; new lids must be used every time you can)
• Canning tongs (these are designed to transfer hot jars)
• Additional wire racks for cooling the jars1. Start by sterilizing all the jars. Wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse thoroughly and set in a pot of boiling water that covers the jars by 2.5 centimetres (one inch); boil for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat but let the jars sit in the hot water until ready to use.2. Prepare the lids following the manufacturer's directions.

  3. Once the food is cooked, remove the cooking pot from the heat. Carefully remove the jars from the hot water. Ladle the food into the warm, clean jars, leaving a space between the top of the food and the rim of the jar as specified in the recipe, usually between three and six millimetres (1/8 to 1/4 inch). Run a sterilized spatula around the inside of the jar to remove any large air bubbles.

  4. Using a clean, damp cloth, wipe off the rim of each jar. Following the manufacturer's directions, apply the lids and screw bands.

  5. Place the rack in the processing pot and fill halfway with hot water. Place the filled jars on the rack, then add boiling water (pour around the jars, not directly on the jars) until the jars are covered by at least 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of boiling water.

  6. Cover the pot. Set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil; begin timing when the water comes to a rolling boil. Process for the time specified in the recipe; at high altitudes, increase the boiling time by one minute for about each 300 metres (1,000 feet) above sea level.

  7. When the processing time has been reached, use the tongs to transfer the jars from the pot to a second wire rack and let the jars cool completely; be sure to leave space between the jars on the rack. Let the jars stand for 12 to 24 hours.

  8. Gently press the centre of each lid; if the depression in the centre holds, the seal is good and you can store the jar; if the depression does not hold, the seal is not good and you should put the jar in the refrigerator and use the food immediately.

  9. Label and date each jar. Store canned foods in a cool (4°C to 15°C/40°F to 60°F), dark storage space; check the seals periodically and just before opening. Any jar that leaks, or food that smells or looks questionable when opened, should be discarded. Never taste food to check for freshness.

• In canning, acid content is crucialJams, jellies, marmalades — basically any fruit or mixture with a high enough acid content to inhibit the growth of microorganisms — can be safely canned with a hot-water bath.
• Low-acid vegetables — every type other than tomatoes — should be frozen for storage or canned with a pressure cooker unless you are pickling them.
• Pickling adds enough acidity to allow for safe hot-water processing.

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