Ball Blue Book classics · USDA-tested
Ball canning recipes.
Ball and Kerr are the most trusted brands in home canning. Their recipes follow USDA-tested processing times and work with standard wide-mouth and regular-mouth jars. Every recipe below uses approved times from USDA research.
Safety notice
Always use tested recipes with exact ingredients and measurements. Do not change vinegar amounts, lemon juice amounts, or sugar ratios in acid-dependent recipes. Botulism has no smell or taste. Proper processing is the only protection.
Five recipes
Recipe · Jar size · Process time
Sea-level processing times. Adjust for altitude if you live above 1,000 feet.
Recipe
Method
Jar size
Process time
Classic strawberry jam
Water bath
8 oz half-pint
10 min
Yield: 8 half-pints
Ingredients. Fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, pectin (optional).
Crush berries and mix with sugar. Cook until the mixture reaches gel stage. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars with 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath.
Bread and butter pickles
Water bath
Pint
10 min
Yield: 7 pints
Ingredients. Sliced cucumbers, onions, sugar, cider vinegar (5% acidity), canning salt, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric.
Brine cucumber slices overnight with salt and ice. Rinse well. Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices and bring to a boil. Add cucumbers and onions. Pack hot into jars and process.
Diced tomatoes
Water bath or pressure
Quart
45 min WB / 10 min @ 10 lb
Yield: 7 quarts
Ingredients. Ripe tomatoes, lemon juice or citric acid, canning salt (optional).
Peel, core, and dice tomatoes. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice (or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid) per quart jar. This acid addition is not optional. Pack hot into jars with 1/2 inch headspace.
Tomato salsa
Water bath
Pint
15 min
Yield: 6 pints
Ingredients. Tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cilantro, bottled lime juice, canning salt.
Use only a USDA-tested salsa recipe. Do not reduce the vinegar or lime juice. Do not add extra onion or peppers beyond what the recipe calls for. Those ratios control acidity and make the product safe.
Dill pickles
Water bath
Quart
10 min
Yield: 7 quarts
Ingredients. Pickling cucumbers, dill weed or seed, garlic, cider vinegar (5%), canning salt.
Pack cucumbers tightly into hot jars with dill and garlic. Pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims and process in a boiling water bath.
Source: USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation and Ball Blue Book. All times are sea-level values.
Altitude adjustments
Above 1,000 ft, add time.
Water boils at lower temperatures at higher elevations. Add minutes accordingly.
Altitude
Add to processing time
0 to 1,000 ft
No adjustment
1,001 to 3,000 ft
Add 5 minutes
3,001 to 6,000 ft
Add 10 minutes
6,001 to 8,000 ft
Add 15 minutes
8,001 to 10,000 ft
Add 20 minutes
Before you can
Quick safety check.
Using a tested Ball or USDA recipe — not an untested family recipe.
Using Ball, Kerr, or Jarden lids. No reused lids from previous seasons.
Using bottled lemon juice (not fresh) when adding acid to tomatoes.
Not changing vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid amounts.
Checking jar size matches the recipe (pint vs. quart changes processing time).
Looking up altitude adjustment for your zip code before you start.
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