Learning how to can your own food can seem overwhelming to a beginner. What’s the difference between water bath canning vs pressure canning? Well I’m here to give you some information on the differences between the two!
Whether you’re wanting to preserve your summer garden harvest or simply same some money on pantry staples, canning is great to add to your kitchen skills.
When home goods are processed by using canning methods correctly (creating the proper vacuum seal), they can have a shelf life of up to a year before they are opened.
Water Bath Canning
Water bath canning is submerging your jars in boiling water for a certain amount of time (specified in a recipe).
The boiling part is for the killing of microorganisms (like mold, yeast and most bacteria).
What you need:
With water bath canning, most people purchase a water bath canning pot. It’s a large pot with made of aluminum of porcelain-covered steel, a fitted lid and a stainless-steel rack on the bottom.
If you already have a large pot fit for the job, you can purchase the rack separate (the rack is too keep the jars off the bottom of the pot).
The jars must be covered by water by at least one inch at all times. As water boils is does evaporate, so you may need to add more water.
Pressure Canning
Water bath canning uses boiling water where pressure canning uses the germ-killing power of steam off a couple inches of water in the canner. Pressure canning also uses physical force and pressure to seal the jars.
What you need:
Pressure canning requires a specialized piece of equipment called a pressure canner. It is NOT the same as a pressure cooker. (You should never can in a pressure cooker.)
A pressure canner is a heavy duty pot with a locking lid that has a vent and pressure gauge. (There is also a rack at the bottom of this pot as well.) It is made to be able to heat foods to a hotter temperature than a boiling water bath can.
The main reason for pressure canning is for killing the botulism bacteria (which cannot be done with a water bath). High pressure mixed with the high temperature makes this possible.
How to Choose which Method
When choosing which method to use, the food you are preserving will be the deciding factor. Different foods have different levels of acidity, which determines the risk of the foods being contaminated with the botulism bacteria.
Pressure Canner
Low acid foods (with a pH higher than 4.6) should be processed in a pressure canner. Due to their low acidity, these foods have a higher risk of the botulism bacteria growing.
Examples of low acidic foods are all fresh vegetables being canned with plain water or slightly salted water, red meats, seafood, and poultry. (You can make these foods more acidic with additives like lemon juice, vinegar, and citric acid.)
Water Bath Canner
High acidic foods (with a pH of 4.6 or lower) can be processed in a boiling water bath. The high acidity of these foods prevents the growth of the botulism bacteria so they don’t need the extra heat and pressure to kill it.
Examples of high acidic foods are fruits, pickled foods, jams and jellies. Some tomatoes can be done in a water bath, as long as the pH is adjusted accordingly with additives like lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid.
Canning Recipes
No matter which canning method you are working with, it’s important to know your processing time, use proper equipment (check those jars!), and read up on any directions for canning at your altitude.
If you’re new, I definitely recommend following recipes till you know and understand how everything works. YouTube was our best companion when first learning canning. Especially when a canning book just didn’t have the answers.
I hope this post helps you know the difference for water bath canning vs pressure canning, and when to choose each method!
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