Presto®: Pressure Canning: Vegetables

Pressure Canning

PRESSURE CANNING VEGETABLES

Pressure canning vegetables is the ONLY SAFE METHOD for canning vegetables.
Young, tender, fresh vegetables, slightly immature, are better for canning than those which are overripe. As a rule, vegetables are best if canned immediately after picking, since flavor decreases upon standing and often unpleasant color changes take place. Avoid bruising vegetables because spoilage organisms grow more rapidly on bruised vegetables than on those that are unblemished.

Wash and prepare garden fresh vegetables as you would for cooking.

To raw pack vegetables, simply place the prepared vegetables into clean, hot Mason jars and cover with boiling water.

To hot pack vegetables, precook in boiling water until heated through. Pack pre-cooked vegetables into clean, hot Mason jars and cover with boiling water. Whenever possible, the precooking water should be used as liquid to cover the vegetables after packing into Mason jars. However, there are a few vegetables, such as greens and asparagus, which make the cooking water bitter and undesirable to use.

When packing vegetables, leave 1-inch headspace in Mason jars.

Foods may be processed with or without salt. If salt is desired, use only pure canning salt. Table salt contains a filler which may cause cloudiness in bottom of jars. Add 1/2 teaspoon canning salt to each pint jar, 1 teaspoon to each quart jar, if desired.

Follow step-by-step directions for your pressure canner. Process specific vegetables according to the following recipes.

When canning food in regions less than 2,000 feet altitude (dial gauge canner) or 1,000 feet altitude (weighted gauge canner), process according to specific recipe. When canning food in regions above 2,000 feet altitude (dial gauge canner) or 1,000 feet altitude (weighted gauge canner), process according to the chart below.

ALTITUDE CHART FOR CANNING VEGETABLES

ALTITUDE	DIAL GAUGE CANNER Pints and Quarts	WEIGHTED GAUGE CANNER Pints and Quarts
1,001 – 2,000 ft.	11 lbs.	15 lbs.
2,001 – 4,000 ft.	12 lbs.	15 lbs.
4,001 – 6,000 ft.	13 lbs.	15 lbs.
6,001 – 8,000 ft.	14 lbs.	15 lbs.

Processing time is the same at all altitudes

ASPARAGUS
Wash and drain asparagus. Remove tough ends and scales. Rinse. Leave asparagus whole or cut into pieces.

Raw Pack—Pack raw asparagus tightly in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Hot Pack—Cover asparagus with boiling water and boil 2 or 3 minutes. Pack hot asparagus loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 30 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 30 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

BEANS OR PEAS – DRY
Sort out and discard any discolored seeds. Rehydrate beans or peas using one of the following methods:.

*Place dry beans or peas in a large pot and cover with water. Soak 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Then drain.

*Cover beans with boiling water in a saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Then drain.

Cover beans soaked by either method with fresh water and boil 30 minutes.

Hot Pack—Fill clean, hot Mason jars with beans or peas and cooking water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 75 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 75 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

BEANS – GREEN, WAX, ITALIAN
Wash young, tender beans thoroughly. Remove stem and blossom ends or any “strings.” Leave whole or cut into 1-inch pieces.

Raw Pack—Pack raw beans tightly in clean, hot Mason jars leaving 1-inch headspace.

Hot Pack—Cover beans with boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Pack hot beans loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 20 minutes and Quarts 25 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 20 minutes and Quarts 25 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

BEANS – FRESH LIMA
Shell and wash young, tender beans thoroughly.

Raw Pack—Pack raw lima beans loosely in clean, hot Mason jars leaving 1-inch headspace in pint jars. For quarts, leave 1 1/2-inch headspace if beans are small; and 1 1/4-inch headspace if beans are large.

Hot Pack—Cover beans with boiling water and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes. Pack hot beans loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 40 minutes and Quarts 50 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 40 minutes and Quarts 50 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

BEETS
Trim tops of young, tender beets, leaving 1 inch of stem and roots to reduce bleeding of color. Wash thoroughly. Cover with boiling water and boil 15 to 25 minutes or until skins slip off easily. Remove skins, stems, and roots. Small beets may be left whole. Cut medium or large beets into 1/2-inch cubes or slices; halve or quarter very large slices. Pack hot beets in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 30 minutes and Quarts 35 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 30 minutes and Quarts 35 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

CARROTS
Wash thoroughly and scrape young, tender carrots. Carrots may be left whole, sliced, or diced.

Raw Pack—Pack raw carrots tightly in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Hot Pack—Cover carrots with boiling water, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Pack hot carrots in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 25 minutes and Quarts 30 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 25 minutes and Quarts 30 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

CORN – WHOLE KERNEL
Husk and remove silk from young, tender, freshly picked corn; wash ears. Blanch 3 minutes in boiling water. Cut corn from cob at about 3/4 the depth of the kernel. Do not scrape cob.

Raw Pack—Pack raw corn loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Hot Pack—To each quart of corn add 1 cup boiling water, heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Pack hot corn loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 55 minutes and Quarts 85 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 55 minutes and Quarts 85 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

GREENS
Sort young, tender, freshly picked greens discarding wilted tough leaves, stems, and roots. Wash greens thoroughly. Do not raw pack greens. Place approximately 1 pound of greens at a time in a cheese cloth bag and steam 3 to 5 minutes or until well wilted. Pack hot greens loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with fresh boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 70 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 70 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

MUSHROOMS
Trim stems and discolored parts of mushrooms. Soak mushrooms in cold water for 10 minutes to remove soil. Wash in clean water. Leave small mushrooms whole; cut larger ones in halves or quarters. Cover with water in a saucepan and boil 5 minutes. Pack hot mushrooms in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. For better color, add 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid per pint. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Half-pints and Pints 45 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Half-pints and Pints 45 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

OKRA
Wash and trim young, tender okra pods. Remove stem, without cutting into pods if okra is to be canned whole. If desired, slice okra into 1-inch pieces.

Hot Pack—Cover okra with boiling water and boil 2 minutes. Pack hot okra in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 25 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 25 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

PEAS – GREEN
Wash and shell young, tender freshly picked green peas. Rinse.

Raw Pack—Pack raw peas loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not shake or press down.

Hot Pack—Cover peas with boiling water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Pack hot peas loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not shake or press down.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

PEPPERS – HOT OR SWEET
(including bell, chile, jalapeño, and pimiento)

Preparation of Chile peppers—Cut two or four slits in each pepper, and blister using one of the following methods:

* Oven or broiler method: Place chile peppers in a 400° oven or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

* Range-top method: Cover hot burner, either gas or electric with heavy wire mesh. Place chilies on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

Allow peppers to cool. Place in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. After several minutes, peel peppers. Remove stems and seeds.

Preparation of other peppers—Remove stems and seeds; blanch 3 minutes.

Hot Pack—Small peppers may be left whole. Large peppers may be quartered. Pack peppers loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 35 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 35 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

POTATOES – SWEET
Wash sweet potatoes. Boil or steam just until partially soft (15 to 20 minutes). Remove skins and cut into pieces. CAUTION: Do not mash or puree potatoes. Pack hot sweet potatoes in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 65 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 65 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

POTATOES – WHITE
Wash, scrape, and rinse new potatoes 1 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. If desired, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in ascorbic acid solution (1 teaspoon ascorbic acid to 1 gallon water) to prevent darkening. Drain.

Hot Pack—Cover potatoes with hot water: bring to a boil and boil whole potatoes for 10 minutes, cubes for 2 minutes. Pack hot potatoes in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace.

Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 35 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 35 minutes and Quarts 40 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

PUMPKIN AND WINTER SQUASH
Wash and remove seeds. Cut into 1-inch slices and peel. Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes. Boil 2 minutes in water. CAUTION: Do not mash or puree. Pack hot squash cubes loosely in clean, hot Mason jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Cover with boiling water, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust jar lids.

Dial Gauge Canner—Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 55 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 2,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

Weighted Gauge Canner—Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 55 minutes and Quarts 90 minutes. For processing above 1,000 feet altitude, see chart for recommended pounds of pressure.

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