Home Canning and boiling your food before serving. Is it needed?

One of the changes in home canning recommendations that I’m really glad about is this: it used to be recommended that you always boil low-acid foods (foods like vegetables, meats, or beans) after you opened the jar. The idea was to add an extra layer of protection against botulism. In other words, pressure can the food, store it on the shelf, and then boil it for 10–15 minutes before serving.

Thankfully, that’s not necessary if you process your jars properly.

Important Note Before We Begin…

I’m emphasizing this part!

This article is not about how to process foods for storage on your shelf. What we’re talking about here is only what you do when you open your jars to serve the food.

The suggestion to process your foods is still the same. High-acid foods (fruit and pickles) can be boiled in a water bath. Low-acid foods (meats and veggies) must be processed in a pressure canner.

So Why Was Boiling Recommended Before Serving?

The extra boiling step used to be recommended as an extra precaution. Botulism is a serious food borne illness. Botulism is also very preventable when we follow modern, research-based canning recommendations.

Over time, research and testing have confirmed that proper pressure canning already destroys the spores that need to be dealt with. So additional boiling at serving time does not add a meaningful layer of safety if your processing was correct to begin with.

What the National Center for Home Food Preservation Says

The guidance now is simple:

You do not need to boil your pressure-canned low acid foods before serving if:

• You used a pressure canner.
• Your gauge was accurate.
• You followed a tested recipe and process time for your jar size, food, pack style, and altitude.
• Your jars show a proper seal.
• No liquid spurts when opened.
• There are no off smells or signs of spoilage.

If all of that checks out, you can open the jar and serve it—without the extra boiling step.

I used to always boil my home-canned vegetables before serving. Now I don’t. I know my process is correct, and I’m comfortable with that.

But here’s the key:

If Boiling Gives You Peace of Mind, Go Ahead and Do It

You’re the one in your kitchen, feeding your family.
So if boiling before serving makes you feel safer, then do it.
But don’t feel like you must.

BTW- You for sure don’t need or want to boil things like pickled items, or fruit, jam jelly. These are all high acid foods. No boiling.

So…Do You Boil or Not?

You get to decide based on your comfort level.

• If you followed current, tested canning guidelines properly, you do not need to boil your food before serving.
• If boiling makes you feel better, boil. There is nothing wrong with extra caution.
• But do not rely on boiling later to make up for incorrect canning methods.

Home canning is safe, simple, and enjoyable.

Happy canning!

Related Pages

Did the liquid reduce in your jar during processing? That’s called liquid loss. What is considered extreme liquid loss? SimplyCanning.com answers common newbie questions.

Botulism is caused by improper processing and handling of food, but it is very easy to avoid in canning! SimplyCanning explains what you need to know here.

Is sterilizing jars for canning necessary? Get the scoop on this page.

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