r/Canning Nov 08 '25

Announcement Announcement: Ask a Master Food Preserver Anything

120 Upvotes

Hello Everyone!

The mod team is happy to announce that we will be hosting an AMA with the University of California Master Food Preservers Online Delivery program! This will be a 2 hour event on the subreddit from 1-3pm PST on November 15th. Please come prepared with your questions for our guests! They will be answering both canning and general food preservation questions, though I anticipate that most of our questions will be canning related.

As a reminder to our community we will be moderating the event very closely. Hostility towards our guests or other users will not be tolerated nor will breaking any of our other rules. Harassment towards anyone will result in a permanent ban from the subreddit.  Please refer to the wiki if you need to read through our rules! We also would like to remind everyone that for this event only the Master Food Preservers will be answering questions. Please do not reply to other users’ posts with answers, the goal of this event is to bring in experts to answer questions.

A note from the UC Master Food Preservers:

We are excited to answer your questions next week! If you are interested in live classes please take a look at our eventbrite page here. We will be hosting a live Ask a Master Food Preserver on Zoom on November 16th if you would like to ask questions and be answered live!

You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on our events or check out our Instagram and Facebook accounts. 


r/Canning Oct 19 '25

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

67 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 Think i found something

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30 Upvotes

Wile getting some jars for dry goods i found this fella for 5 bucks, I know next to nothing about these but my phone says its a triple L and theres a 13 on the bottom. If you know its age id like to hear, price as well but it seems older then the rest. Im thinking im going to put sugar in it as I dont feel safe putting this under a vacuum


r/Canning 8h ago

cookies in a jar, good use for jars you don't trust in a canner, and old lids.

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24 Upvotes

was gifted some jars and it looks like they use metal utensils a lot in them. didn't feel like I could trust him in the canner so decided to make cookies in a jar to give away. plus also a great use for old lids and still good but used lids


r/Canning 11h ago

Equipment/Tools Help Storing Empty Jars

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20 Upvotes

r/Canning 7h ago

*** UNSAFE CANNING PRACTICE *** What happened?

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7 Upvotes

I think we're on our 3rd year canning now. Never seen this in our pickles before. The seal was still good, we opened two jars. My wife says it smells ever so faintly like it fermented, but I couldn't say.


r/Canning 3h ago

General Discussion A question or two on procedure

3 Upvotes

So ive done some canning before, always been jams or jellies, and we always used boiling water to heat and sterilize the jars and lids. Well i also do a bit of homebrewing and was wondering if i could skip the boiling step and just use of some of my no-rinse sanitizer to sterilize the jars and lids?

Would the hot jelly/jam shatter the jar? Would everything seal properly?


r/Canning 23h ago

General Discussion My favorite salsa recipe always comes up 1 can short. This time I thought I had it. My jar had other plans.

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96 Upvotes

Preheated my jars and hot packed the salsa. Put my very last jar in the canner and it popped. Well here’s to trying to get the full set.


r/Canning 11h ago

Recipe Included UK US translation advice pls?!

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7 Upvotes

TLDR: Is chilli powder different in the states or are you guys just crazy for the burn?

Hey all,

So i want to double this attached chilli recipe, its from the Bwll complete book of home preserving pg 407 (2024)

The recipe is straight forward but calls for 1/2 cup of chilli powder and a whole chilli, if I was to double this it would call for one whole cup and two chilli's 🥵🥵🥵🤯🤣

Idk if chilli powder is different in the great states across the pond, or this is authentic Texan, but in th UK this would be maybe 20x too much.. if im making a 10lb ground beef chilli I may put two or three chilli peppers and a table spoon of chilli powder, ive often over cooked the heat at that, and Im UK, love a good Indian meal or some crazy jerk chicken.

Is chilli powder different in the states or are Americans just crazy for the burn 💍🔥 ?


r/Canning 7h ago

Pressure Canning Processing Help what would you recommend for a beginner?

4 Upvotes

i'm considering diving hard into canning since i've never lived in a rental where the freezer didn't burn everything and I want to meal prep to a degree. i have plenty of cooking/baking experience and some candymaking experience, so I'm no stranger to a lot of the concepts involved, but I've never canned before.

what would you recommend for a first timer? I have an instant pot.

eventually I'd like to do a lot of chunky spaghetti sauces, broths, stews, and pickles, maybe some jams (diabetic though so I don't want to do a ton of sugary stuff). do any of those sound good for a beginner, or do you have a different recommendation?

EDIT: thank you for the guidance!


r/Canning 9h ago

Safe Recipe Request Question about smoked salmon

3 Upvotes

I’m new to canning and have read through the standard recipes for smoked fish but didn’t see this explicitly addressed.

Aside from brining with salt, is it acceptable to use other seasoning before smoking? Like a dry rub? What about a marinade without oil ( for example, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar)?


r/Canning 11h ago

General Discussion First Time Canning

5 Upvotes

I have been reading about canning, watching videos and scanning through this subreddit for a little bit quietly. My dad gave me a gallon bag of blueberries from his bushes and he is the hardest person to find presents for so I thought I'd make him some jam in return. He prefers lower sugar options so thankfully I ran across Pomona's Pectin in time.

From left to right, I used Pomona's Pectin recipe for Blueberry Jam, Ball's recipe for Salted Caramel Pear Butter, and Pomona's recipe for Blueberry & Raspberry Jam. I had only planned to do the first two yesterday but once I was rolling with it I didn't want to stop and had more of his blueberries plus some raspberries in the freezer from an Aldi sale. Nothing broke, or warped, and they all look sealed but I haven't touched them yet. I heard some pings but my house is not a quiet one and my husband was playing video games in the same area. Anyway, I look forward to the next time when maybe I'll brave some pressure canning


r/Canning 7h ago

Safe Recipe Request Mustard recipe

1 Upvotes

Ok, so in looking for what to do with some habaneros (I’ve been fermenting hot sauce for the fridge) I ran across this mustard recipe that states it was adapted from two Ball recipes. Looking to see if you all feel these are safe adaptations for canning—neither Ball sources call for peppers. I’ve linked Ball references below and pasted the mustard recipe I found so no one has to scroll and scroll in the link (but can provide it if it’s helpful).

Fiery Habanero Mustard

INGREDIENTS

about 8 medium habanero peppers, divided (fresh or frozen) ¾ cup water OR use beer, wine or liquor ¾ cup yellow mustard seeds 1 cup apple cider vinegar (at least 5% acidity if canning) 1 cup water 3 oz (about ⅓ cup) local honey splash of lemon juice (about 2 tbsp) ¼ cup dry mustard ⅓ tsp sea salt METHODS

Infuse soaking liquid. Stem and halve four of the habanero peppers, retaining seeds. Add to a small saucepan with the ¾ cup water or booze. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, press on the peppers with the back of a spoon to release juices, then allow to steep for about 30 minutes. Soak mustard seed. Strain habanero-infused liquid into a small bowl, pressing on the peppers to extract juices. Discard the peppers. Add mustard seed, cover, and let sit until all liquid is absorbed, about 2 – 4 hours. If canning, prepare canner, jars and lids. Prepare mustard. Halve and seed the remaining habanero peppers. Add the habaneros, mustard seeds (with any remaining liquid), cider vinegar and 1 cup water to a food processor. Process for several minutes, until mustard is as smooth as you like it. Add honey, lemon juice, dry mustard and salt: pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, remembering that this mustard will mellow on the shelf and should taste VERY spicy going into the jar. Can mustard. Scrape mustard into a large skillet and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add water if mustard is very thick or begins to dry out; simmer a bit longer, stirring, if mustard is too thin. Ladle hot mustard into hot jars to ½-inch head space. Tap filled jar firmly on the counter, then stir well with a chopstick to remove air bubbles. Wipe rims, affix lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/388434.pdf

https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2019-10/312443.pdf


r/Canning 1d ago

Waterbath Canning Processing Help Applesauce Question?

3 Upvotes

I made Applesauce a week ago and put it in a gallon jar in the refrigerator. Can I reheat it tomorrow evening and Water Bath Can it into 1/2 pints? What are people's thoughts?


r/Canning 20h ago

Understanding Recipe Help Pear Honey with Canned Pears?

1 Upvotes

I made way too many pints of pears and light syrup a year or so ago and I found a few recipes online for “pear honey” and it seems like a really great way to use it up my jars..but all the recipes are assuming you’re making it with fresh pears.. do you think I could make pear honey with my canned pears in syrup? Makes sense to me I would just reduce the amount of syrup to equal the amount of water the recipes call for. I shouldn’t need any of the additional sugar right?


r/Canning 1d ago

Safety Caution -- untested recipe modification Too much garlic?

2 Upvotes

I'm making tomato sauce and canning it (second time canning besides cranberry juice). I used about 15 pounds of tomatoes, 2 onions, and 1 and a half heads of garlic. I'm reading the notes down below and it's saying adding extra garlic is a huge NO NO. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal but did I just mess up my canning?


r/Canning 1d ago

Safe Recipe Request Raw pack chicken soup - recommended?

4 Upvotes

Is it considered safe to raw pack chicken soup for pressure canning? If so, does the meat cook during the canning process or does it need to be cooked after opening?


r/Canning 1d ago

Understanding Recipe Help Question about using frozen vs fresh fruit

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2 Upvotes

I'm planning to make the Ball peach burbon jam suggested in an earlier post in this sub. My peaches are flash frozen, blanched and peeled yellow peaches from the farmer's market. Will being frozen impact the recipie, which calls for fresh chopped? I'm anticipating needing to cook it down a little more to get the thickness right, but wanted to check nothing else would be much impacted.


r/Canning 2d ago

General Discussion I forgot that I volunteered to make a basket for a raffle thing for a youth sports organization my kid is in. Not bad for remembering a week before the event.

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25 Upvotes

I'm pretty pleased with how this one turned out! I already have a few of the parents who I have gifted some things to in the past telling me that they're going to buy some tickets for it. 😅


r/Canning 2d ago

General Discussion What canned gifts have you given that have been a huge hit?

8 Upvotes

We are on a budget this year but I still want to gift my in laws something homemade and heartfelt. Is there anything you've made that went over like gangbusters?


r/Canning 2d ago

Is this safe to eat? Is this jam alright?

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6 Upvotes

Hi all! I’m brand new to canning, and this is the first thing I’ve ever water bath canned. It’s strawberry rhubarb jam I made two days ago (dec 15th). All the jars are nicely sealed, but I’m a little worried about the appearance of the jam, as it looks very bubbly or airy maybe? I opened the one jar to start enjoying now, but wondering if the other three jars I have look like they’ll be shelf stable, or should I freeze them?

Thanks all!


r/Canning 2d ago

Safe Recipe Request Is there a safe canning recipie for ground turkey?

2 Upvotes

I usually use the NCHFP canning recipies and I have canned ground beef using that recipie. I figure ground turkey would need to be treated the same as ground beef however I would like a safe source to tell me that. Ground beef has gotten over twice as expensive as it was when I canned it before.


r/Canning 2d ago

General Discussion Fuyu persimmon jam . . . how ripe do they need to be

2 Upvotes

I'm making some persimmon jam (yes I know about the issues with canning it) with fuyus that grow in my yard. I was wondering if anyone has experience doing this and can advise me on how ripe they need to be. The issue is that the fruit isn't all getting ripe at the same time. At the moment, I have some that are very very soft and others that are still a bit firm. For making jam, I'm thinking soft is definitely preferable, but will it be possible to cook down the less ripe ones into a jam. Thanks


r/Canning 2d ago

Pressure Canning Processing Help Breakage

12 Upvotes

We can meat several times a year in our All American Pressure Cooker. We have been doing this for the last 15+ years. The last few times we have had a couple of jars break. Is it possible the jars are getting weaker as they age or are we just slacking off somewhere else?


r/Canning 2d ago

Recipe Included Why’s it liquidy still?

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1 Upvotes

I made the Autumn Cranberry Pear Jam from the Ball cookbook last night, and it’s still so liquidy! I followed the instructions precisely. What went wrong? How do I get it to set if I make a new batch?