Water Bath Canning vs. Pressure Canning—What’s the Difference and Which Is Best for You?
The early summer of 2025 has been almost ideal so far for home gardeners…plenty of rain mixed with abundant sunshine, all promising a bountiful harvest. There’s little that’s better than tomatoes or cucumbers fresh from the garden, but why not enjoy the fruits of your labors this winter. Canning your own vegetables and fruits is not that complicated and can be done without significant expense.
If you’re considering home canning, you’ll quickly discover that there are two basic methods—water bath canning and pressure canning. What’s the difference? Why would you choose one method over the other?
What Is Water Bath Canning?
As the name suggests, water bath canning involves “processing” your canned goods in a water bath for a specific period of time. To successfully preserve foods using this approach, you’ll need:
- A large pot—you can use a stockpot, but it’s easier to use what is commonly referred to as a canning pot (or boiling water canner). A canning pot typically comes with a rack that will keep the jars from sitting directly on the bottom of the pot, which can cause the jars to break. As a general rule, the rack has arms that can hang over the edges of the pot, making it easier to get the jars in and out. The arms fold in when you lower the rack into the water.
- Canning jars—You’ll want to use jars specially designed for canning, as they will be able to withstand both the high heat and pressure involved in canning. The two most common are Mason and Ball jars.
- Lids and rings for the jars—The rings can be reused, but the lids must be discarded after a single use, as they will lose their ability to maintain a seal.
What Is Pressure Canning?
With pressure canning, you process the jars of food inside a sealed piece of equipment that increases the internal pressure. You’ll typically use the same jars, rings and lids, but you’ll need a pressure canner instead of the standard canning pot. As a general rule, a pressure canner is substantially more expensive than a boiling water canner.
Why Choose One Method of Canning Over the Other?
The goal of all home canning is to produce shelf-safe food that you can eat months (or even years) later. The key to safe canning is successfully killing all potentially harmful bacteria in the food. As a general rule, foods that are acidic are less likely to develop harmful bacteria, whereas foods that are mostly alkaline are more prone to botulism and other dangerous organisms.
With a boiling water canning, the temperature of the water will never be hotter than 212 degrees—the temperature at which water boils. However, with a pressure canner, you can heat the water above 212. For example, with 10 pounds of pressure, the water will boil at 240 degrees. The higher temperatures available in a pressure canner will effectively kill bacteria that may not be destroyed at 212 degrees.
The foods most often canned using the hot water bath method include most fruits, pickles and tomatoes. Pressure canning is the prescribed method for green beans, carrots, peas, potatoes and asparagus. Pressure canning may also be used for meats and fish.
