Ball Regular Mouth Half Pint Jars – 12 CT

Canning in 3 easy steps:

1. Prepare your gear:

Wash & heat your jars and lids.

2. Create your recipe:

Use a tested recipe for home canning, see the Ball Blue Book® guide to preserving or freshpreserving.com.

3. Preserve your foods:

Fill your clean jars.

Boil in waterbath or pressure canner for time specified in recipe.

Enjoy your preserved foods within one year!

See bottom panel for complete instructions.

Ball® complete home canning instructions:

What you need:

Canning recipe – see Ball Blue Book® guide to preserving or freshpreserving.com for recipes.

Fresh ingredients.

Jars and two-piece lids (lids and bands).

Prepare your gear & create your recipe:

Wash jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse well.

Jars
must be kept warm until ready to use, in order to minimize risk of
breakage when filling with hot food. You can heat them in the pot of
simmering water, or in a heated dishwasher.

Prepare food using fresh ingredients and a tested recipe for home canning.

Waterbath canning:

To can:

Tomatoes, salsa, pickles, jellies, jams, fruits (whole, sauces, chutneys, pie fillings, etc.) and other high-acid foods.

You also need:

Ball®
21-quart waterbath canner or equally large stockpot with a Ball®
canning rack, or for small batches, a Ball® Canning Discovery Kit™.

Prepare jars:

Fill pot with enough water to cover jars with at least 1 inch of water and heat to simmer (180 degrees F).

Fill
each hot jar with prepared food. Follow canning recipe for correct
fill-level. Each jar needs space between the food and the rim
(headspace) to allow for food expansion.

Tip:

Air
bubbles inside jar can impact cooking effectiveness. Remove bubbles by
sliding a small non-metallic spatula inside the jar, gently pressing
food against the side of the jar.

Wipe
any food from the rim of the jar. Center new lid on the jar, then twist
on band just until “fingertip tight.” Ensure bands are not over-tight –
air inside jar must be able to escape during canning.

Process jars:

Place
filled jars onto rack, then lower into simmering water, ensuring jars
are covered by 1 inch of water cover with lid, and heat to steady boil.
Boil jars for the time specified in recipe, adjusting for altitude (see
chart).

Turn
off heat and let jars stand in water for 5 minutes. Remove from water
and cool jars upright on wire rack or towel on countertop for 12 hours.

Tip:

After
removing jars from the canner, do not re-tighten bands that may have
come loose during canning, so as not to interfere with the sealing
process within the first 12 hours.

Pressure canning:

To can:

Green beans, carrots, beets, meats, fish or other low-acid foods.

You also need:

Pressure canner.

Prepare jars:

Heat 3 inches of water to simmer (180 degrees F) and follow manufacturer instructions.

Fill
each hot jar with prepared food. Follow canning recipe for correct
fill-level. Each jar needs space between the food and the rim
(headspace) to allow for food expansion.

Tip:

Air
bubbles inside jar can impact cooking effectiveness. Remove bubbles by
sliding a small non-metallic spatula inside the jar, gently pressing
food against the side of the jar.

Wipe
any food from the rim of the jar. Center new lid on the jar, then twist
on band just until “fingertip tight.” Ensure bands are not over-tight –
air inside jar must be able to escape during canning.

Process jars:

Place filled jars onto rack. Canner should contain 2 to 3 inches of simmering water.

Lock
canner lid into place. Turn heat to medium-high and open vent. Bring to
boil and vent a steady stream of steam for 10 minutes.

Put
weight on vent and adjust heat to achieve 10 pounds pressure, adjusting
for altitude (see chart). Process for time listed in recipe, keeping
pressure steady.

Follow manufacturer’s guidelines for cooling and removing pressure canner lid.

Remove from water and cool jars upright on wire rack or towel on countertop for 12 hours.

Tip:

After
removing jars from the canner, do not re-tighten bands that may have
come loose during canning, so as not to interfere with the sealing
process within the first 12 hours.

Check the seal:

Press on center of cooled lid. If jar is fully sealed, the lid will not flex up or down.

If
the lid flexes, the jar did not seal properly. You may refrigerate for
immediate use. Or for directions on how to safely re-process the jar,
see freshpreserving.com or the Ball Blue Book® guide to preserving for
detailed instructions.

Store
sealed jars in pantry for up to 1 year. Jars may be stored without
bands, or you may clean underside of bands to ensure no moisture is
trapped during storage.

Enjoy your homemade food or give as a gift.

Altitude chart:

For waterbath canning:

Altitude feet – increase processing time.

1,001-3,000 – 5 minutes.

3,001-6,000 – 10 minutes.

6,001-8,000 – 15 minutes.

8,001-10,000 – 20 minutes.

For pressure canning:

Altitude feet – weighted gauge – dial gauge.

0-1,000 – 10 – 11.

1,001-2,000 – 15 – 11.

2,001-4,000 – 15 – 12.

4,001-6,000 – 15 – 13.

6,001-8,000 – 15 – 14.

8,001-10,000 – 15 – 15.

If
you are preserving at an altitude higher than 1,000 feet above sea
level, adjust waterbath processing time as indicated for waterbath
canning.

For pressure canning adjust pounds pressure as indicated.