Every Home Canner Needs To Know These Things

In this episode of Everyday Homesteading, we're taking the fear out of canning and putting confidence back in your kitchen. If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve tried so many tutorials and still don’t feel like I actually know what I’m doing,” or “I’m terrified I’ll waste good food or make my family sick,” this one is for you. I'm breaking canning safety down into simple, step-by-step principles so you can stock your shelves with jars you trust.

What we cover

• Why a sealed lid alone does not equal safe food, and what actually makes a jar shelf-stable.
• The pH "line in the sand" at 4.6, why it matters, and how it guides every canning decision.
• Exactly when boiling water bath canning is safe, and when you must pressure can.
• How heat, thickness, and circulation inside the jar impact safety.
• Common myths that lead to botulism risk, and the simple habits that keep you safe.
• Using approved recipes, what “acidifying” means for tomatoes and borderline foods.
• Reliable sources for tested recipes, so you’re not stuck in conflicting advice.

Key takeaways

• High-acid foods can be safely water bath canned because molds and yeast are easy to kill at boiling temperatures.
• Low-acid foods like meats, vegetables, and most full-meal recipes require pressure canning to reliably reach about 250°F.
• Approved recipes exist to control pH, density, and processing time so you can stop guessing and start knowing.
• If you can follow a cake recipe, you will be able to can safely at home.

Resources mentioned

• Check out all our canning resources, and to watch this podcast episode, on the website here:
• Free Canning Safety Training for visual learners: https://homesteadingfamily.com/podcast-canning
• Trusted recipe sources: Ball Blue Book, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Homestead Kitchen Magazine’s master-preserver approved recipes

Sponsor
A big thank you to Azure Standard for making bulk, vetted pantry staples affordable. New customers get 15% off a first order of 100 dollars or more with code HomesteadingFamily15.

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MORE ABOUT US!

WELCOME! We're so glad you're here! We are Josh and Carolyn Thomas. Together with our eleven children, we are The Homesteading Family where we’re living a self-sustainable life in beautiful North Idaho. Let us welcome you and show you a bit about us here: http://bit.ly/HFWelcomeVideo

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great info

I just love all this information. It is so helpful and I'm learning a lot.

Can safely without concern

Carolyn does a great job of discussing Water bath and pressure canning concerns, why it is needed, why not doing it properly can be deadly and where you can get recipes that are safe to use. A great high level overview and reassurance that anyone can do this with confidence.

Easy to follow

I absolutely love listening to Carolyn's podcasts! Her clear and simple style makes everything easy for beginners to understand. I'm already gaining so much knowledge from this new podcast, and I can't wait for more! A huge thank you to Josh & Carolyn for sharing this fantastic platform with us homesteading newbies—it's truly a treasure. I’m excited to see what informative topics you'll bring us in the future!