Home food preservation, done safely

Put food up safely, with the right gear.

Pressure canners, water bath canners, jars, lids, dehydrators, vacuum sealers and fermenting crocks, explained with the rules from USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Choose a pressure canner Water bath or pressure?

USDA & NCHFP methodsProcessing rules from the USDA guide and the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Maker specs, attributedCapacities, gauges and features from Presto, Ball, All American and the listings.

No made-up kitchen testsWe never invent "we canned it" stories or scores.

Gear guides

Compared by what makers and listings actually state. No made-up test scores.

Best pressure canners

Presto, All American and T-fal stovetop canners and Presto's digital models, compared by capacity, gauge and seal.

Water bath canners

Enamel, stainless, electric and steam canners for jams, pickles, fruit and acidified tomatoes.

Mason jars for canning

Half-pints, pints and quarts, regular vs wide mouth, and which jars NCHFP says to avoid.

Why flat lids are single-use, whether to preheat them, and bulk vs reusable options.

Canning supplies checklist

Canner, jars, lids, jar lifter, funnel, headspace tool and a tested recipe source.

Food mills and tomato strainers

Hand mills, crank strainers, an electric strainer and a KitchenAid attachment for sauce and juice.

Regular vs low-sugar pectin, why you can't cut sugar, and NCHFP's times for jam.

Canning salt, citric acid and Pickle Crisp

Canning salt vs table salt, citric acid and bottled lemon juice, 5% vinegar and Pickle Crisp.

Best food dehydrators

Excalibur, COSORI, NESCO and Presto compared by drying space, temperature range and airflow.

Beef jerky in a dehydrator

Lean cuts, 1/4-inch slices, the 160°F step, jerky guns for ground meat, and the doneness test.

Best vacuum sealers

FoodSaver, Anova, NESCO and Weston edge sealers compared, and what vacuum sealing can't replace.

Chamber vacuum sealers

When a chamber sealer beats an edge sealer, and Avid Armor vs VacMaster compared.

Vacuum sealing mason jars

Jar sealer attachments, cordless sealers and chamber sealers for dry goods, and why it isn't canning.

Vacuum sealer bags and rolls

FoodSaver, Wevac and Syntus rolls for edge sealers, chamber pouches, and when not to reuse bags.

Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers

How they work, the 10% moisture rule for safety, and bag and absorber kits compared.

Fermenting & Pickling

Fermentation crocks and lids

Crock sizes by pounds of cabbage, water-seal lids, glass weights and mason jar airlocks.

Four ways to preserve

Canning

Pressure canners, water bath canners, jars, lids and tested how-tos, all checked against USDA and NCHFP guidance.

Dehydrating

Dehydrators compared, plus how to dry apples, fruit leather and jerky, and how a freeze dryer stacks up, all per USDA and Extension.

Vacuum Sealing

Edge sealers, chamber sealers and jar sealers, and what vacuum sealing can and can’t do.

Fermenting & Pickling

Sauerkraut, kimchi, refrigerator pickles and pickled onions, plus the crocks, weights and airlock lids, from NCHFP and Extension guidance.

Learn the basics

Tested methods, cited to the source.

Canning green beans

Hot and raw pack steps and USDA pressure canning times by altitude. No water bath option.

Canning tomatoes

How much lemon juice or citric acid to add, the crushed tomato steps, and times by altitude.

Dehydrating apples

Pretreatment dips, slice thickness, drying at 140°F, doneness, conditioning and storage.

Freeze dryer vs dehydrator

Moisture removed, shelf life claims vs data, safety, suitable foods, energy and packaging.

Puree amounts, 1/8-inch spreading, drying at 140°F, the doneness test and roll sheets.

How long canned goods last

USDA and NCHFP timelines for home-canned and store-bought cans, storage rules and spoilage signs.

Fermenting & Pickling

How to make kimchi

Salting, how long to leave it at room temperature, when to refrigerate, and why it isn't canned.

Fermenting & Pickling

How to make sauerkraut

The 3 tablespoons per 5 pounds salt ratio, shredding, fermenting times and spoilage signs.

Fermenting & Pickling

Quick refrigerator onions and NCHFP's tested canned pearl onion recipe.

Fermenting & Pickling

Refrigerator pickles

Sour and sweet quick brines, why the vinegar can't be cut, and how long they keep.

Water bath vs pressure canning

The pH 4.6 rule, why low-acid foods need 240°F, and which foods go in which canner.