Find the information you need on canning, freezing, and drying by following these links
Canning
Provides you with general directions, as well as sections dedicated to just fruits, vegetables, tomatoes and tomato products; meats, poultry and seafood; pickles and fermented products; jellies, jams and preserves. Read more ...
Before you begin, be sure you have the latest information about using your canner, up-to-date canning practices, and unsafe canning practices.Freezing
Divided into special instructions for freezing fruits, vegetables, meats and other products; meals or advanced food preparation, and also answers to basic questions such as which foods freeze well. Read more ...
Drying
Information and resources are provided on dehydrators and on dehydrating vegetables, herbs, fruits and fruit leathers, and jerkies. Read more ...
Canning & Freezing Safely & Successfully: A Quiz (Video)
Canning might be considered an art as well as a science. As such, we often want to let our creative side take over! We create our own recipes, improvise regarding equipment and supplies, and may make decisions based on half-truths.
If you're a beginning canner or even an advanced canner, see how up-to-date you are on canning before you get out that boiling water canner or pressure canner. Or if freezing is your choice, before you start searching for freezer containers. Watch our video and take the quiz!
NOTE: When canning foods, it is important to know your local altitude. Your altitude determines the amount of pressure (pressure canner) or time (boiling-water canner) for your food. In Nebraska, the altitude ranges in elevation from about 1,000 feet to 5,000 feet above sea level.
- To learn the altitude in your location, Click here for a map of elevations in Nebraska; or, contact your local Nebraska Extension office.
- Or check with your local planning commission or zoning office, or on a webpage about your town or city.
(This video is based on peer-reviewed materials)
Educator Resources
Related Gardening Links
- Fruit, vegetables and herbs from the garden -Lancaster County Extension horticulture
- Fruit trees and small fruits -Lancaster County Extension horticulture
- Back Yard Farmer website from seasonal, weekly, live TV show. Watch podcast videos of past episodes.
Quick Links to Canning, Freezing & Drying Sections
Canning
- Fruits (includes canned pie fillings)
- Tomatoes and Tomato Products (includes Salsa)
- Vegetables (includes soups)
- Meat, Poultry and Seafood
- Jams and Jellies
- Pickles and Fermented Products
- General Canning information / What You Need to Know before You Begin Canning
- Frequently Asked Canning Questions (includes troubleshooting problems with canned foods)
- Altitude / Elevation information
- Unsafe Canning Practices
- Contacting Companies about Specific Products and Equipment
- Sources of Canning Supplies (such as ClearJel®, canning equipment, etc.)
Freezing
Drying
Other
- Approximate Yields for Canned or Frozen Fruits and Vegetables; Weights and Measures (Source: Clemson University Cooperative Extension) Weights of produce, such as for bushels, crates, lugs, etc (scroll down the page). They also tell the pounds of produce needed for 1 quart jar or container. NOTE: Tomatoes are in the fruit section.
- Approximate Yields for Canned or Frozen Fruits and Vegetables; Weights and Measures (Source: Clemson University Cooperative Extension) Weights of produce, such as for bushels, crates, lugs, etc (scroll down the page). They also tell the pounds of produce needed for 1 quart jar or container. NOTE: Tomatoes are in the fruit section.
▸Email contact for Home Food Preservation webpages: Carol Larvick