Alternative Equipment To Use For Water Bath Canning

Learn how to start canning with items you likely already have in your kitchen and our favorite alternatives to a traditional water bath canner for beginners or seasoned canners.

Many people can be hesitant to start canning because they don’t have the equipment, but we want to let you in on a little secret… you don’t need any special equipment to start home canning! You can start water-bath canning with items you likely already have in your kitchen! Home food preservation is so rewarding when you have your pantry stocked with nourishing and healthy foods to feed your family. Canning is a great method for a long shelf life and a way to preserve seasonal foods to enjoy year-round. 

A traditional canning pot really only has one use, so in this post, we will outline how to use a stockpot you already have in your kitchen. If you are a seasoned canner and looking for better alternatives, we have options for you too! 

Why canning is relevant in the modern world

When you think of canning, many people will just think of their grandma and something they used to do “back in the day”. But canning is an art that is just as important now as it was then! Sure, you can buy canned goods in the store, but many of those items are full of chemicals or are just not the quality that you could make yourself. If you like to garden, canning is an amazing way to preserve your vegetables and fruits to enjoy all year long! Canning from fresh (or frozen) produce will ensure the quality and that you are feeding your family wholesome foods. Then you can use your canned goods for easy meals throughout the year! We love to can beef with our pressure canner and use it for quick meals like Beef Stroganoff and Shepherds Pie. (Find more ideas on how to use canned beef here!) However, even without a fancy pressure canner, you can still put a lot of food into your larder.

What is water bath canning?

Water bath canning is just like it sounds, you add the jars to a large pot of water and boil. This canning process creates an airtight seal on the jars to prevent the food inside from spoiling so you can keep it on your pantry shelves. You submerge the jars in boiling water for a certain amount of processing time determined by the canning recipe you are using. High acid foods are safe to can with this method such as jams, tomatoes, fruits, and pickles because the acid in the food helps prevent bacteria or mold growth. If the food is not acidic enough, it needs to be pressure-canned. The higher temperatures with pressure canning kill pathogens that the low acid foods cannot. Foods like vegetables and meat need to be pressure canned. If you are unsure if you can water bath can or need to pressure can, refer to our post here about the differences. 

Traditional water bath canner

Before we get into the alternatives, let’s lay out exactly what a water bath canner is. A water bath canner is a large pot with a lid, and a canning rack on the bottom to keep the jars lifted off the bottom of the pot. The pots are designed to fit large jars with enough room to fill water at least one inch above the jar. 

Popular water bath canners you will find are the Granite Ware Water Bath Canners. You can often find one at a garage sale, but we do not use this as there are many quicker and easier alternatives to a water bath canner. Because a water bath pot like this has a thin wall, it’s really not good to make soup or do anything other than canning in, making this canner a really large item that will take up a lot of space. 

The benefit of using this canner is that it will fit your larger jars for canning. This model can hold 7 one-quart jars, 9 pint jars, or 12 half-pint jars, so you know with this design how many jars you can prepare at one time and how many batches you will need to process. 

Turning any pot into a water bath canner

The good news is that any pot can be turned into a canning pot! This is great because you likely already have a large stock pot in your kitchen, or if you need to buy one you can use it for a variety of different uses such as making big batches of soup. Any pot with canning rings or a towel to hold the jars off the bottom of the pot can be used as a water bath canner. If you are canning a small batch or cannot buy a large pot for canning, just use any pot that covers the jars and lids with enough water to cover the jars with 1 inch of water. I have this pot for cheese making and will use it for canning as it is stainless steel and durable. 

If you want to use a large pot, just take extra canning rings, which is the screw band on mason jars, and line them on the bottom of the pot. It’s that simple! 

Before canning with a stock pot, be sure to check if your cans will fit inside and have enough room to be covered in water. Add the rings, and jars, and fill them with water to double-check. There’s nothing worse than going through the whole process to find out the jars do not fit inside! You may want to consider using smaller jars to make sure they fit properly. 

More alternatives to a water bath canner

If you are a seasoned canner or can often, these alternatives can be a great option for you! They may help speed up the process or free up space on your stove top. 

Steam canner

The steam canner is a USDA-approved canner that is very quick in comparison to a water bath canner. Steam canning uses steam to reach the correct temperature, so there’s no need for a full pot of water. When I use my steam canner alongside a water bath canner, it reaches the temperature way quicker, making the process twice as fast, plus it uses less water! There is a gauge that tells you when it’s running at the right temperature. This can be a really great addition to your kitchen if you can often! Here is the steam canner we use and love!

Pressure canner

While we are not going to advocate for this method, there are people who use their pressure canner and leave the steam vent open as an alternative to the steam canner.  This is not a USDA-approved method, and we always advocate for following approved methods to ensure proper food safety. This is the pressure canner that we use and love for canning foods like meat, soups, broth, and veggies. 

Electric water bath

This Roots and Harvest Electric Water Bath Canner is amazing if you are limited on stove top space or don’t want to deal with a large pot of water to dump when you are done. The spigot makes it easy to drain without dumping and helps with temperature control, making this a really easy option for canning. It sits on your counter and is plugged in. Then you just simply turn it on to boil the water and you add in your jars to be processed. 

More supplies for canning

In addition to the canner and the canning rack, you will need a few more things to get started with canning. Most important, you need canning jars! The cool thing about canning is that the jars are reusable, so you can easily find jars at thrift stores or garage sales. The flat lids on top are not reusable once they have been sealed, so you can purchase new lids and reuse the same jar. But be sure to use glass jars that are meant for canning, and not old pasta jars or jelly jars. These jars are not meant for canning and will not handle the heat and will break, or are not meant for long term storage. 

Other supplies that are helpful are a jar lifter and canning funnel. The jar lifter is designed to easily grab and lift the jars out of the water. This helps ensure that you do not drop the jar and break it, or burn yourself trying to lift it out. You can use kitchen tongs, but they are not designed the same to grip around the jar. A canning funnel helps you add your food into the jars without getting any on the rim of the jar or making a mess trying to add it inside. This is important to ensure a good seal on the jar. If you do not have one, you can use a ladle and carefully add the contents in, just take your time and ensure the rims stay clean. 

You can find more tips and supplies for canning with this post here. 

How to find canning recipes 

It is important to get canning recipes from trusted resources to ensure food safety. If canning is done incorrectly, it can lead to food spoilage or bacteria growth of foodborne illnesses. There is nothing worse than taking the time to process and can a big batch of food and then having to throw it away later on. Not only did you waste your time, but you also wasted food and money! Using a tested recipe will ensure your food will last on your shelves. In addition to safety, these recipes have also been tested for quality and taste! If you take the time to can something, it should be something that your family will enjoy for many months to come. Recipes from Ball or the USDA are great ones to follow. You can learn more about how to decipher if a recipe is safe to use and our favorite canning resources with this blog post here.  

Enroll in Yes, You Can!

If you want to learn more about canning, enroll in our online course Yes, You Can! In this course, I walk you through how to safely can foods for your family with confidence! You’ll learn how to line your shelves with nourishing foods with efficiency and ease.