Back to Basics Steam Canner, Instruction Manual, Page: 3 / 8

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1. Keep your work area, all equipment and utensils clean. Wash your bottles and
check for nicks and cracks. Discard questionable jars. Use only clean lids and
rings. Follow the lid manufacturer’s directions.
2. Always use fresh produce as desired: peel, core, chop, dice or puree. Remove
bruises or spots that may cause spoilage. Work quickly and prepare smaller
batches to prevent discoloration. If desired, soak fruits that darken easily, such
as apples or peaches, in a lemon juice bath of 5 tablespoons of lemon juice per
gallon of cold water.
3. Two methods are commonly used for packaging jars: Cold Pack (raw pack) and
Hot Pack.
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Cold packing is simple, fast and easy to clean up. Firmly pack clean,
unheated jars with raw produce. Fill the jars with boiling hot water or sugar
syrup about one inch from the jar top. Remove air bubbles by gently
running a non-metallic spatula, chopstick or plastic knife between the
produce and the jar. Add more liquid if necessary, but do not overfill.
Clean the jar rims with a damp cloth. Secure clean lids and rings on the
bottle tops, and tighten firmly, but DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN.
•
To hot pack, place the prepared fruit or tomatoes in a large pan. Cover with
water, sugar syrup or juice. Bring to a boil and simmer. Simmer tomatoes
for 5 minutes, fruit for 3 minutes. Preheat the jars in a 200°F (93.3°C) oven
for 15 minutes. Pack the jars loosely and fill with hot juice or syrup to ½
inch from the jar top. Remove air bubbles with a non-metallic instrument.
Add more liquid if necessary, but do not overfill. Clean the jar rims and
secure the clean lids and rings. Tighten the rings firmly, but DO NOT
OVERTIGHTEN.
MAKING SUGAR SYRUP
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1 cup of boiling water to ¼ cup sugar for thin syrup.
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1 cup boiling water to ½ cup sugar for medium syrup.
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1 cup boiling water to ¾ cup sugar for heavy syrup.
Add only dissolved solutions to the jars. For better health, try
substituting half the sugar with a mild-flavored honey. Or, replace
the syrup with unsweetened fruit juice. Fruit may be processed
using water only, but sugar syrups help preserve color, flavor and
texture.
4. Fill the pan with 6 to 8 cups of water and place on a large stovetop burner.
Note : To prevent darkening of the pan, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar or
lemon juice to the water before heating.
5. Set the bottle rack in the pan and turn the heat to medium or medium high to
bring the water to a gentle boil.
6. Fill the jars with fruit and hot syrup water.
7. Add the lids and turn the rings on firmly. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN .
8. As you fill each bottle, place it on the rack. After the desired number of bottles
are on the rack, place the steam dome over the bottles and on the water pan.