The purpose of this article is to teach you how to can veggies without a pressure canner. Remember, different types of vegetables are canned differently. The way you can potatoes is different from how you can carrots. Nevertheless, this article gives basic guidelines.
It’s great to can vegetables to be able to preserve them for a longer period. Veggies are not only nutritious, but are also healthy. Many of the foods we eat have their side effects, but veggies don’t. That’s why everyone needs to eat a lot of them, especially the elderly ones.
Of course, variety is the spice of life. The beauty of vegetables is in their variety. Unfortunately, not all vegetables can be processed in a canner. Let’s talk about the vegetables that can be processed and the ones that cannot be processed
You must also bear in mind that vegetables are low in acid. So, the safest method to can them is pressure canning. Using a water bath canning method will also give great results. And that’s what we’ll discuss now.
How to Can Veggies without a Pressure Canner? 14 Steps
Step 1 – Wash, clean, and sterilize your jars.
Step 2 – Chop your vegetables into smaller pieces.
Step 3 – Cook the veggies partially.
Step 4 – Fill the jars with them and leave a space of 1 inch at the top.
Step 5 – Stir the veggies with a spatula to remove air bubbles.
Step 6 – Fill the water bath with some water.
Step 7 – Seal the jars and place them inside the water bath.
Step 8 – Cover the water bath and turn on the stove to high heat.
Step 9 – Wait until the water in the water bath starts boiling. You’ll hear the sound when it starts boiling. Then you can begin to time it. You need to leave it for about 20 minutes.
Step 10 – After 20 minutes, turn off the stove and leave the water bath and its content to cool down. This should not exceed a quarter of an hour.
Step 11 – Now, you can remove the jars and allow them to cool further.
Step 12 – Check their seal to be sure that they are intact.
Step 13 – Remove any jar whose seal is broken and label the rest for immediate storage.
Step 14 – Consume the veggies whose jar has a broken seal within a couple of days.
And that’s it. You can just warm and eat each jar of vegetables anytime you feel like eating it. When canned properly, the veggies should last for up to a year.
Precautions
Remember, these steps are general. Every vegetable has its basic canning steps. So, you may need to check the specific recipe for the particular vegetable you want to can.
Remember to discard the water in the water bath immediately after the canning session. If you leave the water or the jar for too long in the water bath, it may absorb the odor or flavor of the content.
Always check for cracks and nicks in your canning jars before using them. Never try to use any jar with cracks. The heat will worsen the cracks.
Can you water-bath can vegetables?
Yes, in the absence of a pressure canner, you can still can vegetables with a water bath canner. After sterilizing the jars, chop your vegetables into smaller pieces and cook it partially. Fill the jars with the veggies. As usual, don’t forget to leave a headspace of 1 inch at the top of the jars. Seal all the jars of veggies.
Also, you may want to stir the veggies with a spatula to remove air bubbles. Fill the water bath with some water and place the jars inside the water bath one by one. Cover the water bath and turn on the stove. Place it on high heat. Wait until the water starts boiling and let it boil for 20 minutes.
Turn off the stove and wait for the water bath to cool down naturally. Remove the jars and wait until they cool down. Wipe them with a piece of towel if necessary. Ensure their seals are intact before you store them.
As you already know, if you discover any jar with a broken seal, eat it immediately or store it in a refrigerator to be eaten within a couple of days. That’s all. With a shelf filled with canned vegetables, you can pick a jar and warm it anytime.
Do vegetables have to be pressure canned?
Yes, you can process your vegetables with a pressure canner to preserve it. However, if there’s no pressure canner, you can still can your vegetables with a water bath canner. We have just explained the steps above. However, the use of a pressure canner is said to be the best method to can your vegetables.
Can you can mixed-vegetables?
Yes, you can go ahead to can mixed-vegetables. However, not every vegetable can be canned. If your mixture includes vegetables that cannot be canned, you’ll ruin everything. So, it is necessary to find out the vegetables that can be canned and the ones that cannot be canned. We have discussed them below.
Which vegetables can be canned?
Some of the vegetables that can be canned are:
- Carrots
- Corn
- Green beans
- Shelled lima beans
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Peas
- Peppers
- Spinach
These vegetables respond well to canning. They can last for years after canning and they still taste good. You can decide to can each of them separately or together as mixed-vegetables.
What vegetables cannot be canned?
Some of the vegetables that cannot be canned are:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Eggplant
- Artichokes
- Olives
- Squash
If you try to can these vegetables, they’ll become too soft and mushy and may not feel good or taste good. Instead, you can pickle them. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t find any vegetable in the recipe of your pressure canner, search online for it. And if you still don’t find the recipe for canning the vegetable, it is probably because the vegetable cannot be canned.
How do you preserve vegetables in a can?
Some of the vegetables that can be canned are carrots, sweet corn, green beans, shelled lima beans, tomatoes, and zucchini.
Prepare all the vegetables by chopping or dicing them into pieces. Wash them. Combine them in a large pot and boil the mixture for about 5 minutes. Fill your sterilized jars with the mixture and don’t forget to lead the usual headspace of 1 inch. Seal the jars.
Place the jars inside the pressure canner and pour some hot tap water. Cover the canner. If you’re using a weight-gauge canner, wait until after the canner has steamed for 10 minutes before you place the rings on it. Let the pressure build to 11 pounds before you start timing it.
Process it for about 75 – 90 minutes before you turn off the heat. Let it cool before you remove the jars. Wait for the jars to cool off before storing them.
Final Word
Now that you have learned the steps to can your veggies with a water bath, it is important that you practice it now when the knowledge is still fresh in your memory. The steps may seem to be difficult at first, but after doing it a couple of times, you should get the hang of it.
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