10
Before You Begin:
Recommended tools for Canning
• Wire Rack
• Jar lifter
• Ladle
• Bubble freer
• Jar Wrench
• Magnetic lid wand
• Wide mouth funnel
- Additional Items
• Glass jars: Use only standard home
canning jars. Also commonly referred
as "Mason Jars"
• Canning Lids: These flat metal lids
with sealing compound and a metal
screw band are the most popular
type of lid for home canned products
NOTE: Fagor includes among its variety
of products a 7-piece Home Canning
Kit with Bonus Cookbook that includes
the 7 recommended tools mentioned
above (except the glass jars and canning
lids).The wire rack included in the kit
holds four half-pint jars. The Fagor
Home Canning kit is sold separately from
the 10 qt Pressure Cooker/ Canner. For
more information on this kit, please call
1-800-207-0806 M-F 9-5 pm EST.
1
Jar selection, Preparation and Use:
Examine jars and discard those with
nicks, cracks and rough edges. These
defects will not permit an airtight seal
on the jar, and food spoilage will result.
All canning jars should be washed in
soapy water, rinsed well and then kept
hot before use. This could be done in
the dishwasher or by placing the jars in
the water that is heating in your canner.
The jars need to be kept hot to prevent
breakage when they’re filled with a hot
product and placed in the canner for
processing.
Jars processed in a boiling water bath
canner for 10 minutes or more or in a
pressure cooker will be sterilized during
processing. Jars that will be filled with
food and processed for less than 10
minutes in a boiling water bath canner
need to be sterilized by boiling them
for 10 minutes. NOTE: If you are at an
altitude of 1000 feet or more, boil an
additional minute for each 1000 feet
of additional altitude. See below for
canning methods and recipe timing.
2
Lid selection, preparation & use
The common self-sealing lid consists of
a flat metal lid held in place by a metal
screw band during processing. The flat
lid is crimped around its bottom edge
to form a trough, which is filled with a
colored gasket material. When jars are
processed, the lid gasket softens and
flows slightly to cover the jar-sealing
surface, yet allows air to escape from
the jar.
It is best to buy only the quantity of
lids you will use in a year. Never reuse
lids. To ensure a good seal, carefully
follow the manufacturer’s directions in
preparing lids for use. Examine all metal
lids carefully. Do not use old, dented, or
deformed lids or lids with gaps or other
defects in the sealing gasket.
Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines
enclosed with or on the box for
tightening the jar lids properly.
• If screw bands are too tight, air cannot
vent during processing, and food will
discolor during storage.
• Over-tightening also may cause lids
to buckle and jars to break, especially
with pressure-processed food.
• If screw bands are too loose,
liquid may escape from jars during
processing, seals may fail, and the
food will need to be reprocessed.
Do not retighten lids after processing
jars. As jars cool, the contents in the jar
contract, pulling the self-sealing lid firmly
against the jar to form a high vacuum.
Screw bands are not needed on stored
jars. They can be removed easily
after jars are cooled. When removed,
washed, dried, and stored in a dry
area, screw bands may be used many
times. If left on stored jars, they become
difficult to remove, often rust, and may
not work properly again.
