USDA Water-Bath Processing Guidelines


 

Always follow
USDA safe home food processing rules.

Safe Water-Bath Canning

The National Center for Home Food Preservation
Hosted by The University of Georgia
Published:
Ensuring Safe Canned Foods

“Whether food should be processed in a pressure canner or boiling-water canner to control botulinum bacteria depends on the acidity of the food. Acidity may be natural, as in most fruits, or added, as in pickled food. Low-acid canned foods are not acidic enough to prevent the growth of these bacteria. Acid foods contain enough acid to block their growth, or destroy them more rapidly when heated. The term "pH" is a measure of acidity; the lower its value, the more acid the food. The acidity level in foods can be increased by adding lemon juice, Citric acid, or vinegar.”  Do not confuse citric acid with ascorbic acid. They cannot be substituted for each other.  Ascorbic acid is a color preserver.


By US Department of Agriculture
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You can purchase a copy of the 2023 edition of the Complete Guide To Home Canning online.

You can find
the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning at the National Center for Home Food Preservation
Hosted by The University of Georgia.

For more information about home canning, contact your state or county Cooperative Extension Service.

I highly recommend that anyone who preserves food at home have their own copy of this guide. It is full of recipes and procedures for safe water-bath processing high acid fruit preserves, jams, jelly. pickles, salsa, sauerkraut, and many fruits and fermented or pickled vegetables.

There are also rules for safe high temperature pressure processing for low acid vegetables, meats, and fish.

This guide shows proper home canning equipment needed and charts indicating proper processing times and temperatures for keeping your food products safe.


Fermentaholics
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Lemon juice or Citric acid can be added to lower the pH or increase acidity. You can purchase Narrow Range pH Test Strips online to test your home water-bath processed foods. You can read about safely acidifying canned foods below.

Acidifying Canned Products for Safety
published by
PennState University Extension Service

You can find a chart online - showing:
pH Values of Common Foods and Ingredients
published by Clemson University.

It is your responsibility to make sure your home processed foods are safe.

* ALWAYS FOLLOW USDA RECOMMENDED SAFE FOOD PROCESSING RULES