canning question

[AVDesigns]

I'm wanting to make some salsa and can it but I don't have a canner--just a box of mason jars. Can I can them without a canner?

[keen1981]

I do believe so. You boil the jars. Google it!

[itsajoi]

I just recently took a canning 101 class from a certified master canner and she said you can use any pot, as long as the pot is deep enough to cover the cans with water the amount required in the recipe (usually a few inches I believe). You may also want to put a towel on the bottom of your pot to keep the jars from heating unevenly and from clinking around on each other.

[Computermama]

You don't need a canner. A lidded pot deep enough to immerse the jars with a rack or towel in the bottom to keep the jars heating evenly will do.

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[AVDesigns]

thanks guys. I made a batch of salsa tonight and if it's good, I'm going to make a big batch and can some. It'll be a new adventure for me.

[Dmpmercury]

Some things require a pressure canner but salsa should be fine without one since tomatoes are acidic.

[DCAMama]

Most tomato based recipes can be water bath canned if you add 1 T bottled lemon juice to each pint jar or 2T to each quart. Since tomato acidity varies, this will bring the acid level to a safe level and won't affect taste.

And yep, any tall pot will work as long as it's at least 3" above the top of the jars with a rack or towel on othe bottom. You want the water to be about 1 - 2" above the jars and the rest of the space for the water to boil and not boil out. The towel on the bottom is so that the jars are not sitting directly on the bottom of the pot so they will not break.

I know this is a couple weeks old, but I just found this.