Start Here

New to home canning? Start with the method, safety checks, and equipment that match the food you want to preserve.

Choose a safe path

• Choose a canning method
• Read canning safety guidance
• Use the beginner equipment checklist
• Browse home-canning recipes

Before you begin

Use a tested recipe from a reliable source, identify whether it calls for boiling-water, atmospheric steam, pressure canning, or another specifically approved process, and apply the recipe’s altitude instructions. Do not substitute ingredients, jar sizes, processing times, pressures, or methods unless the tested source allows it.

See Sources & Trust and Editorial Methodology for how this encyclopedia labels and presents material.