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Steam canners are faster than traditional canners and are much easier. They can be used for any water bath canning recipe and save 25 minutes per batch. Learn how to use a steam canner in this post!

This post contains affiliate links.

The process of canning in a steam canner is simpler because you don’t have to wait for the large pot of water to come to a boil.

You can watch the YouTube video version of this post below!

First, fill the steam canner with the required 2 – 2.5 quarts of water (much less than a traditional water bath!) and set it on the stove. Turn to low. Set the jars you’ll be using for that recipe on the rack to warm, with the steam canner lid on top.

Next prepare your preserve according to the recipe. You’ll cook your jam, your salsa, or your applesauce. If the recipe you’re preparing takes a while to cook (more than 20 minutes) you might cook it first, then prepare the steam canner.

Then, one by one, take the warm jars from the steam canner rack and using the funnel, fill the jars as the recipe indicates. Add lids and rings, and set on the steam canner rack again. Repeat until all the jars are full.

Put the lid on the steam canner. Turn the stove to medium high and watch the dial climb to the correct altitude for where you are canning. When you are in the green/GO zone, set your timer for the time indicated in your recipe.

When the time is up, turn the stove off. You have the option of leaving the steam canner jars on the rack indefinitely, OR you can carefully use hot pads and lift the lid AWAY from you, as steam will surely come billowing out, and lift the jars using the jar lifter and place them on a towel covered countertop to cool.

Listen and watch for the lids to make a ping, ding, or click type of noise, and to become firmly concave on the jars. It may take up to 12 hours for the lid to seal and that is perfectly okay. Sometimes the lids seal while they are still in the air, clasped in the jar lifter. That is also okay. Don’t disturb the jars until they are cool and sealed, at least 12 hours later. Label and store in a cool, dark spot.

You can read more about why steam canning is the Absolute Best Way to Get Started Canning in this post but if you’re ready to dive in, get your steam canner, funnel, and jar lifter (everything you’d need that you won’t already have in your kitchen HERE for cheaper than on Amazon and with free shipping. It’s an exclusive bundle from my friends at Victorio and it is just for my blog readers! It’s our way of helping you get started the best way.

Once you have your steam canner you’ll want to grab the ebook, Steam Canning for Beginners. I explain the answers to your every question – you’ll be canning confidently the fastest way possible!

If you’re not quite ready to grab the ebook, download the free Steam Canning Equipment Checklist and Fact Sheet!

And if you’re wondering more about the differences between water bath canning and steam canning, I have a blog post about that as well. Can you tell I REALLY love steam canners?!

This post will teach you exactly the how to can vegetables the easiest and best way for a beginner, plus will share the best recipes for canning vegetables with water bath canning and steam canning. Read on for how to can vegetables!

This post contains affiliate links.

Canning vegetables begins by choosing HOW you’ll preserve the vegetables. Will you use a traditional water bath (like grandma probably did) OR will you use the more modern, much faster steam canner? You can learn more about steam canning in this blog post, but in short, steam canning cuts 25 minutes off every batch and is much lighter, safer, and easier than traditional water bath canning. You can use the same recipes as you would with a traditional water bath canning process and they speed the whole process up considerably.

When getting started canning, you might want to jump into my Free Canning Basics Course. I’ll share easy to follow lessons in your inbox to get you started confidently!

Free Canning Basics

If you have wondered about canning, thought maybe you’d like to try it out, but didn’t know how to start, this post, and free canning basics course is for you.

You can watch the How To Can Vegetables Blog Post video version below!

If you want to learn more about canning jars, I have a post that explains the Best Canning Jars and simplifies the selection process for you. I have 2 main favorite jars that are the most versatile and one “special” jar for a few types of recipes you might love. Check out The Best Canning Jars post here

The equipment for canning is something people really stress about but I’ve simplified the list. I’m all about no-frills, no-fuss simplicity.

Download the Free Canning Equipment Checklist

Now that you’ve downloaded the canning equipment checklist, you are ready to dive into the canning process.

The Canning Process for How to Can Vegetables

The idea is that you put food into jars, put the lid on, and put the jars into either a traditional water bath (like a hot tub for your jars) or on the rack of a steam canner (like a sauna for your jars). You can download the free visual guide of where I like to put the preserving pan, the water bath pot, etc, below!

How to Can Vegetables Using a Traditional Water Bath Method

First, you must prepare the big water bath processing pot in which your jars will warm up. Fill it and the jars with hot tap water, turn the stove on high, and bring to a boil.

Prepare the preserving pan. In the preserving pan, you will be cooking the fruit into jam, the tomatoes into sauce, or bringing a brine to a boil.

Then it is time to PROCESS. This is where the action happens. Your food is cooked according to the recipe, and your jars are warm from being in the water bath.

The process begins with you pulling one jar out of the processing pot at a time. Pour the boiling water out, place the hot jar on a towel on the countertop. Fill the hot jar with hot food according to your recipe (your cooked jam, applesauce, etc). Put a lid and ring on to the jar. Return the hot jar (now full of food) into the boiling water bath. Pull your next empty jar from the pot and repeat the process. Here’s what you need to keep in mind as you repeat the process:

• You may need to lower the heat on the processing pan. As the amount of food decreases (because you are putting it into the jar) the remaining food will boil faster. Keep an eye on the preserves and stir often. You want it hot but not burning or scorching on the bottom.
• As you fill hot jars with hot food and return them to the processing pot, you will notice the water level rising. Avoid overflowing by pulling a jar from the boiling water and pouring the water from it into the sink.
• This water level issue is compounded a bit by the vigor of the boil and the amount of water that is lost to steam. There are plenty of times where I have had to dump water in the sink to only have to add a bit more once all the jars are filled with food. The jars need to be covered by a minimum of 1 inch of boiling water in order to process.

Once all the jars are filled with food and submerged in the boiling water bath, bring the pot back up to boil. This is when you may have to add hot water to the pot to cover the jars sufficiently. I have filled a drinking glass with hot tap water or used water from the tea kettle. It isn’t advisable to move the very heavy pot full of boiling water and jars from the stove. Use a vessel to fill it.

Once the water is boiling, set a timer for the time specified in the recipe, be sure to adjust for your elevation. Because of the change in atmospheric pressure the higher you get in altitude, you must add 5 minutes of processing time for every 1000 feet you are canning above sea level. I go through my cookbook with a pencil and change all the processing times so I never have to think about it.

Download the Free Altitude Adjustment Guide below!

If during the canning process the water stops boiling (if you turned the stove down a bit too much, or you lost power) stop the timer, and once the boil is resumed, resume timing.

Once the time required has passed, turn the stove off and use the jar lifter to pull one jar at a time from the boiling water bath and set each jar carefully on a towel covered countertop.

Listen and watch for the lids to make a ping, ding, or click type of noise, and to become firmly concave on the jars. It may take up to 12 hours for the lid to seal and that is perfectly okay. Sometimes the lids seal while they are still in the air, clasped in the jar lifter. That is also okay. Don’t disturb the jars until they are cool and sealed, at least 12 hours later. Label and store in a cool, dark spot.

How To Can Vegetables in a Steam Canner

The process of canning in a steam canner is simpler because you don’t have to wait for the large pot of water to come to a boil.

First, fill the steam canner with the required 2 – 2.5 quarts of water (much less than a traditional water bath!) and set it on the stove. Turn to low. Set the jars you’ll be using for that recipe on the rack to warm, with the steam canner lid on top.

Next prepare your preserve according to the recipe. You’ll cook your jam, your salsa, or your applesauce. If the recipe you’re preparing takes a while to cook (more than 20 minutes) you might cook it first, then prepare the steam canner.

Then, one by one, take the warm jars from the steam canner rack and using the funnel, fill the jars as the recipe indicates. Add lids and rings, and set on the steam canner rack again. Repeat until all the jars are full.

Put the lid on the steam canner. Turn the stove to medium high and watch the dial climb to the correct altitude for where you are canning. When you are in the green/GO zone, set your timer for the time indicated in your recipe.

When the time is up, turn the stove off. You have the option of leaving the steam canner jars on the rack indefinitely, OR you can carefully use hot pads and lift the lid AWAY from you, as steam will surely come billowing out, and lift the jars using the jar lifter and place them on a towel covered countertop to cool.

Listen and watch for the lids to make a ping, ding, or click type of noise, and to become firmly concave on the jars. It may take up to 12 hours for the lid to seal and that is perfectly okay. Sometimes the lids seal while they are still in the air, clasped in the jar lifter. That is also okay. Don’t disturb the jars until they are cool and sealed, at least 12 hours later. Label and store in a cool, dark spot.

The recommended method for canning vegetables

I exclusively can with a steam canner. They are ready to can in about 25 minutes FASTER than a traditional water bath, they are lighter and safer to use than lugging a heavy pot of hot water around the kitchen, and I can start my second (or third or fourth!) batch immediately, while in a water bath, I have to refill the pot with tepid water, and wait for it to come up to a boil again. You can learn more about the differences between water bath canning and steam canning in this post and if you’re ready to dive into steam canning, I have an ebook, Steam Canning for Beginners you’ll love.

Recipes for Canning Vegetables

The following recipes are easy for beginners, delicious, and quick. They all make great additions to the pantry and you’ll be so glad you dove into canning when your shelves are stocked with these nutritious jars.

Carrot Pickles

Carrot pickles are one of my favorite pickles because they aren’t cucumbers 🙂 I actually don’t care for cucumbers much, to be honest, which I know is really silly but they just don’t light my fire.

Pickled Pearl Onions

This post will share a recipe for a beautiful, fast preserve that is perfect for use in a steam canner which maximizes it’s time-saving benefits and is also well suited for a water bath canner too! Read on for a savory, quick preserve.

Pickled pearl onions are an ideal recipe for steam canning, so I’ll include instructions for both steam canners and water bath canners.

Bread and Butter Pickled Jalapenos

Bread and butter pickled jalapenos are delicious right out of the jar and on sandwiches. Try them and you’ll be lucky to keep any for later!

Tomato Sauce

This post will share the recipe and a complete tutorial for canning tomato sauce at home. It is and continues to be one of my most popular posts and I have updated it for you all with additional instructions AND another video to help you even more.

Jalapeño Pecan Jelly

Jalapeno Pecan Jelly Easy Canning Recipe is delicious, spicy and sweet, and quick to make. This recipe is from a 5th generation pecan farmer friend, Kristen, from Texas, and she’s been kind enough to share her family’s jalapeño pecan jelly canning recipe with us all. You won’t believe how FAST this jelly recipe is…it might even be faster than my raspberry jam recipe! Read on for the easy recipe!

Ranch Style Salsa Recipe

This salsa recipe is ranch-style because the onions, tomatoes, and peppers are roasted either under a broiler or on a grill until charred (blackened). The tomato skins and pepper skins slip right off after being charred, and the flavors are amazing with this added step. Peeling the tomatoes this way avoids dropping them in boiling water (I explain how to peel tomatoes a couple of ways in this tomato sauce post here) and thus saves time and mess.

Roasted Chipotle Salsa

For this recipe, we Wildflowers have the distinct pleasure of enjoying another guest post from my friend and fellow canning enthusiast. Kimmy is an experienced canner, a lover of all things spicy, author of the Bread & Butter Pickled Jalapeno recipe, and is an active member in our Grow Like a Wildflower Facebook Group. Kimmy and I will be sharing recipes for years to come, I’m sure. There’s no one I’d rather have to help me educate you in your canning pursuits. Here’s Kimmy!

Canning Roasted Bell Peppers

This is a versatile, simple, and easy recipe. Roasted bell peppers are divine on a toasted cheese sandwich, indispensable in Mexican dishes, right at home in Mediterranean meals, and so utterly useful that I run out every year way before canning season returns and I always wish I had made time to can more.

This post will explain oven canning, and whether or not it’s a safe choice. Read on for the scoop on oven canning!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Oven canning used to be popular around the turn of the 20th century, where it seemed a handy way to keep the house cooler (before air conditioning, better home insulation, etc) than water bath canning. Some found that their fruit and veggies canned held their shape better, even, when canned in the oven.

I’d imagine that if you’re reading this post you know someone who oven cans, OR you’ve seen those cutesy recipes where the baker is directed in baking mini pies or mini muffins in mason jars the oven. If you can bake in them, why couldn’t you can in them, is the thought.

Oven canning was determined unsafe by the Mass. State College Extension Service in 1940, in a 2 year study. In fact, many studies followed proving the same: Oven Canning is NOT safe.

Well, my Grandma does it and she’s fine…

I’ve never had anything happen to me when I oven can…

It’s hot in an oven, it’s hot in a water bath, so what difference could it make?

These ideas are what can lead to jars full of hot food exploding in the oven, the oven widow exploding, major injury to anyone around, and at the very least, a major mess to clean up.

Why can’t I can in the oven?

Watch the YouTube video version of this post below if you prefer!

Ovens do not heat evenly. The steady heat of a water bath canner or steam canner is even and steady- there’s no fluctuation.

Wet heat is also penetrative in a different way than dry heat. The processing time specified in a recipe is based on the heat penetrating to the core of the food in the jar. While a traditional water bath or steam canner penetrates and heats the food in the middle of the jar, the heat of the oven “roasts” the outside of the jar and the food next to the glass. Think of a time you’ve burned a piece of meat in the oven but the inside still wasn’t cooked. That doesn’t happen in a crockpot, right?

Mason jars are not designed to be baked. They were designed for water bath and steam canning. They were never intended to be roasted.

By 1945 the National Safety Council made the bold claim that oven canning was outright dangerous and actively advised canners against it. They also warn against damage to kitchen appliances and equipment, which I think is a very valid warning as well.

My official recommendation is that oven canning should not be attempted.

That said, I have a friend who oven cans. Her mom does it, so she does it. She’s careful, she uses new jars, etc, but in my mind, her most likely risk is a huge mess and I’m not about to join her.

I personally am tired of cleaning by the end of any given day and cleaning up cooked food mixed with shards of splintered glass from inside the oven sounds like a fate worse than death.

Even if a canner today avoided (somehow…I don’t know how to avoid explosion but let’s say it was avoided) the door of their oven exploding, the risk of a huge mess seems pretty great. The injury possible from an oven canning explosion (so painful and very serious) seems small, but nonetheless a risk indeed, and one I’m not interested in taking.

I want canning to be fun, fast, and easy. That’s why I only practice myself and teach others techniques that are USDA approved and sensible for a busy mom and modern family. Explosions in the oven just don’t seem like a busy mom dream come true, right?

If you’d like to learn more about canning, check out the Canning for Beginners Ebook Bundle. All my ebooks: Steam Canning for Beginners, Canning 101, The Canning Essentials Workbook, and more at over half off in one bundle. You’ll also get 2 recipe ebooks as well!

Get the Canning for Beginners Ebook Bundle here!

I promise water bath and steam canning is super fun and safe. If you’re new to canning, sign up for the Free Canning Basics Course where I’ll pop into your inbox with simple lessons to get you started canning right away, the easy way!

For another myth-busting post, read about why simmering your canning lids is OUT here!

This post will explain whether or not you can use an instant pot for canning, and why, using scientific information you can trust from the USDA. Read on for the scoop on using an instant pot for canning!

Instant pots are the modernized version of a pressure cooker. My Gram used to use a pressure cooker to cook inexpensive (read: tough) cuts of meat that were inexpensive till they were tender.

Instant pots can be used preparing all kinds of things- (easy chicken and corn chowder, berry cobbler, or carnitas, for example!)

But can you use an instant pot for canning?

Watch the video version of this blog post here!

Water bath canning works because the inside of the jar reaches over 212 degrees fahrenheit. The USDA tests recipes to ensure that the inside of your salsa, or raspberry jam gets to this temperature, which is hot enough to kill spoilers in a high acid environment.

Instant pots are not tested for canning- we have no idea how hot, for how long it is inside your tomato sauce if you tried to can it in an instant pot. Therefore, we’d have no idea for how long to process any particular recipe to kill spoilers.

If you’re a dyed in the wool rule breaker, consider this. An instant pot is designed to do a very different job than canning. It doesn’t create steady heat- it builds pressure very, very quickly, and it is designed to cook foods with pressure, as fast as possible. That’s a very different job than what a steam canner or water bath canner does.

If you’ve tried it and your jar sealed let me tell you that it takes very little heat to seal a jar. Jars that have sat around a hot store shelf for long enough seal. The seal is only ONE part of the very important trifecta of elements that works to ensure water bath canning is safe.

Canning works by putting a high acid recipe (strawberry jam, tomato sauce, pickled pearl onions) in a jar and submerging the jar in heat. The heat kills the spoilers present in the jar and forces the oxygen OUT of the jar, creating a vacuum which causes the lid to suck inward and seal. A sealed lid alone is NOT enough to create a safe canning situation.

You can read more about acid and canning in this post– there’s even a free pH chart of all the foods you may can that you can download for free!

The bottom line is you cannot use an instant pot for canning.

If you wanted to use an instant pot for canning, you surely wanted to in order to save time. The FASTEST way to can is to use a steam canner– they save 25 minutes per batch, every batch. Read this post about them!

Want to learn more about canning in general? Sign up for the Free Canning Basics Course and get a few easy, STEP BY STEP lessons right in your inbox that will help you master the basics!