Altitude Adjustments for Home Canning

Elevation changes the temperature at which water boils, so tested home-canning directions often require an altitude adjustment. The correct adjustment depends on the tested recipe and canning method.

How to use altitude guidance

1. Find your elevation using a reliable local source.
2. Identify the method required by the tested recipe.
3. Follow the altitude table in that recipe or its authoritative source exactly.
4. For pressure canning, use the instructions for your canner’s gauge type.

Do not guess, combine tables from different recipes, or shorten processing. If a recipe does not provide adequate altitude guidance, choose a current tested recipe that does.

Authoritative references

• National Center for Home Food Preservation: Ensuring Safe Canned Foods
• Cooperative Extension home-canning resources
• Canning Safety