Did You Know That There Are New Guidelines for Canning?

‘Tis the season of preserving — from dill pickles to fresh tomato sauce. Maybe you have some plans on this long weekend for a bout of hot water bath canning?

But a quiet earthquake just rolled across the canningverse, as one of the primary manufacturers of canning jars changed their recommendations for how the process should go.

As Theresa, a blogger who is following this situation closely puts it:

Jarden, (the company that manufactures all Ball Canning Jars and lids), very casually mentioned that they completely changed the recommendations when using their canning jar lids.

The main change can be summed up like this: If you’re a canner you probably know to simmer your lids in a separate pan of hot water before closing and sealing your jars. But, due to some changes in their lid product, Jarden now recommends NOT heating the lids at all.

This might seem like a small change but it has implications for safety and longevity of canned goods, since getting a good seal is so important when safely canning food.

There was an immediate hue and cry. What changed? Why didn’t the change get pushed out to the lid packaging? And what directions should we follow now, since the USDA canning instructions actually haven’t changed at all?

Theresa has tracked the changes on her blog and yesterday had a phone call with Jarden to really get to the bottom of the change. Read her post for the full details, and if you’re using these products this summer for canning, be aware!

→ Read the full post: New Changes in Canning Lid Procedures? by Theresa Loe at Living Homegrown